So what's next?...

Now that Sue's Japanese quilt is as good as finished - what's next?...

Yes, I still have the hand-stitching, but that's a TV and movie watching task - perhaps I can even stitch in the car as we travel north to Sue's place on Christmas eve...

First is to clean up the sewing room. It has kinda got outta hand in the past weeks... really outta hand!

From Art

(I kept that pic small on purpose - you get the idea without seeing JUST how bad it is!) Definitely time to fix it.

As for what project is next?...

My japanese quilt is hanging there tempting me, but first I need to invest in a walking foot or the frustration is going to get the better of me. I really should look over there on the left and pick up another of those "projects on the go"... BUT I'm really thinking that some bags and purses might be what I'd really like to turn my attention to.

Look what's finished (well almost!!) - Photo overload

Sue's Japanese quilt is now fully bound! I'm so happy that the end is near, but I'm even more happy with how it's turned out.

So happy that (whisper) "I wanna keep it!"...

No, I love giving things I've made away to ther people, expecially when I see their reaction, and I K-N-O-W what kind of reaction I'll get with this one!

It's taken a long time in the making (Sue asked me to make a quilt for her in August last year - I blogged about it here).

So I present to you the *almost* finished quilt - I've yet to finish hand-stitching around the red and black Japanese blocks - but the rest is done.

Here it is spread out on my queen size bed - it covers it edge to edge perfectly. It was designed to cover a queen (as it does - to the edges) but it's primary use as a throw rug for the lounge.

Finished... at last...

I actually managed to finish my bag last weekend, with 10 minutes to spare before I was due to catch a train into Melbourne for the weekend (actually I missed the first train because I was too busy sewing and forgot to watch the time).

I'm very pleased with it. It's got an adjustable handle attached with o-rings, two zips, one with this neat little placket to hold onto, pockets with pleats so that they expand and a magnet (shhhh, don't tell Nikki that I mucked that up - I was in a bit of a rush and didn't check properly that the right sides together, and so they don't join up like they should - you know how when you put two magnets together and they repell rather than stick?.... well mine do that and stick when they are off centre so I'll have to unpick a bit of the lining so that I can get in and fix it - no big deal)

BTW I did the workshop with Nikki of Nicole Mallalieu Design. Nikki also blogs at You SEW Girl. It was a fabulous workshop and I can't wait to do another. We (another lady Jane who was at the workshop) are already saving up to do A Sharper Edge - Finishing techniques for intermediate and experienced sewers and then Patternmaking for Bags I - Learn to turn your creative ideas into reality without the need to ever buy another bag pattern!

Sorry, the pictures aren't great... it's hard to photograph without a model :)

Inset Zip

No pics yet, but soon.... I promise...

I had a fantastic day at the bag workshop on the weekend!! My bag is only part finished but is starting to take shape nicely and I'm looking forward to snatching some time in the coming days to finish it. I was going to give you a sneak peak but thought it would be better to wait till it's finished - it will look much better then.

I was really impressed with the workshop and was amazed that each of us made a different bag from a different pattern and all without Nicole getting flustered at all. As she pointed out at the beginning, we may not all get our bags finished, depending on how big and how complex our chosen bag was, but that we should think about what it is that we wanted to learn and focus on that. I really wanted to find out about adjustable straps and attaching handles with rings, and I achieved that.

I even managed the public transport with my suitcase quite easily.

Bag Workshop

I've been busy busy busy...

Tomorrow I'm doing a bag workshop with Nicole Mallalieu - Bag in a day. I've been wanting to do a workshop with Nicole for ages and am looking forward to it. I was a late booking and so only received my pattern on Monday. I cut the pattern out on Tuesday - Melbourne cup day - and today, on the way home from work, I dropped into a Patwork on Central Park and picked up some fabric. Tonight I have cut out my fabrics, packed my bag and am rearing to go - I'm going by public transport so I have my sewing machine and fabrics and bits all packed into a suitcase...

Hopefully I'll have something spectacular to show you after the weekend

A day in the city...

Bryan and I went off early yesterday to spend the day in the city. Of course our day started waaaaay earlier than expected....

...First there was the alarm that went off at 4am (still set from the day before when Bryan had to get up at that time to get ready for work).

...Next was 5am when the darling Tyler (our dog) decided to be sick. No problem, it was just her bed, so I threw her bed into the washing machine, put her into the crate and went back to sleep... eventually...

...Only to be woken again at 6am (half an hour before the alarms were set) with another sick episode - this time on the carpet (Bryan's turn this time, I did the one before - YUK!!)

Of course soon after, Tyler was running around as though nothing was wrong, barking at us as we got ready to leave!

Our day involved a couple of hours at the Simonds Colour Gallery followed by a stint at the tile shop where we made lots of decisions without dispute and without too many upgrades!!

Next stop was the Young and Jackson where we had a beer with Chloe to celebrate our effort and watched the race-goers milling around the streets below, stumbling on heels, struggling with obscenely large hats or oddling arranged feathers and dresses billowing up in the breeze.

Afterwards it was onto Kimono House where I dropped in to pick up a pattern and took the opportunity to thank Leanne for the dragonfly fabric for Sue's Japanese Quilt and told her what a fabulous match it was. Turns out she already knew as she asked "are you the one with the blog" and told me that somebody had seen it (and my mention of her) and mentioned it to her.