Small Progress

When I found this pattern on vintage transfer finds I had two thoughts in my head. One was oooooh mini quilt and the other was oooooh cute. So I printed it off and picked up some fat quarters in a British seasideish theme. It thought it fitted the boy bears stripy jacket and… well I live at the British seaside.

I’ve finally finished the embroidery. It’s mostly chain stitch with satin stitch for the jacket and seed stitch instead of flowers on girl bears dress. The flower in her hair is a wonky lazy daisy and some French knots. And yes that appalling handwriting is mine.

Now all that needs to be done is washing, ironing, cutting, patching, quilting and hanging. Check back in about… well you know what I’m like.

Autumn Bag

I was once one of those people who would never quilt. Never. It's too hard. But then when you leave the wool/bead/fabric Mecca that is the border country of the South Pennines you take what fate throws at you.

Fate threw Sewing the Seeds a patchwork shop. There I've never been mocked for spending too little, or too much and I've been offered hot chocolate. My visits have turned weekly. From there I bought this Monkey Buttons pattern, two fat quarters and a metre and set out to sew the bag.

Of course I'd never quilted before...

• The instructions where ridiculously confusing. Especially for the gusset. Once I realised it was trying to say make a gusset I was fine but I expect it is written for a quilter making bags not a sewer making quilted thing.
• I messed up my 1/4 inch. Then I decided to keep it constantly messed up. My bag is a bit stretched but no problem.
• I didn't trim the excess lining material and wadding before I quilted. So the edges look scruffy.

Intentionally though I did leave out the zip. All in all I'm rather pleased with myself and the bag. Especially with the colours. It's a very Autumn bag even if, on it's début, the weather was so nice I got to lie on the grass and read until I was almost asleep. That's why this is my favourite season.