Temple Bag Zippered Pockets

Not the best job ever, but my linings now have zippered pockets.

So do the back exteriors.  I don't know if the less than stellar job is due to my lack of sleep, but I'm going to use it as an excuse.  My husband has had a little bit of a slow leak type of nose bleed for the past week or two, and last night about 1am or 2 am it changed to a semi gush.  When it hadn't stopped after 3 or 4 hours we sent to the ER.  They stopped it, and we were out of there about 7:00 am.  We stopped by the grocery store, and then came home and I opted to sew and wash, etc. instead of sleep.  I'm getting weary.  (We have to be careful with him, since he is on blood thinners.) 

These last two are the interiors of the pockets.  You have to use your imagination.

Anyway, they're done, and they work.  I used what I had, which was 2 black, and 2 white 14" zippers.  The black zippers are on my bag, and the white ones on my friends.  If you want to go to the source of the QAL, visit My Quilt Diet.

Redo - 42 down, 58 to go

I gave the strip method a good try, and I think that it is a good way, but since I'm an old dog, I have trouble sometimes with new tricks, so I think I'm going to do the remaining 58 the old way.  The tutorial was very good, and the method sound, just not for my comfort level.

PS I cut and cut and sewed and sewed and ironed and ironed, and now I have 102 for my second go around.   They look distorted due to the pin holding groups of 10 together. 

Clue 2 - Second Time Around

Since my first batch were upside down or backwards, I opted to make another set rather than rip and resew.  I am trying this method from Stitching Circle blog, it seemed easier, and I'm hoping that is the case.  I have six done so far and enough strips cut and sewn together for a total of probably 42.   Oh well, I have almost a week until the next clue.

Celtic Solstice Clue 5, Temple Bag Interior, and Sad Family News

Celtic Solstice Clue 5 finished, but I think I'll probably try to redo Clue 2.  The original backwards ones would make a passable border, I think.

The interiors of my temple bags, light green and pink.  Ironing the interfacing was a bear, and I'm still not certain that all is stable with it.
On a sad family note my 91 year old aunt passed away yesterday.  She lived in Iowa and I live in Florida, but I saw her off and on over the years and I feel sadness.  She had a good life, but she'll be missed.   

Bah, Humbug!

I've been enjoying my morning, so far, looking at blogs and reading emails.  After looking at the Christmas preparations that others are making, I'm feeling rather like Scrooge, and think I need to turn over a leaf or something.  Tomorrow, I have to take my daughter and her husband for an early morning medical procedure, but after that, hopefully, I can do some last minute Christmas preparations.  I think I can, I know I can, I know I can.   It's definitely uphill.  

(Oh, oh, I just realized that the next step of the Temple Bag QAL comes out tomorrow, I'll have to stay strong and remember my quest.  It's Christmas!)
Candace

Part 4 Celtic Solstice

I scraped together 10 greens, but could only come up with 6 oranges, so a trip to Hobby Lobby was in order.  I got 4 oranges 1/4 yard of each.  Here are my 20 combinations from my oranges and greens, I wonder if I'll get the energy and discipline to actually sew them together tonight.  Maybe not, the TV and bed are sounding better and better.   I already have 27 4-patches, and I think here I have enough for 100 more.  That's 10 wof greens and 10 wof oranges, cut in half to give me the 20 combinations.  

PS    I got a second wind and finished the 100 4 patches, for a total of 127.  A few extra never hurts.

Step 4 Celtic Solstice Out and Started

Twenty-seven little four patches, sewn, pressed and twirled, only 93 more to go.  The ruler is one of my favorites, I use it constantly.

My Quilt Diet's Temple Bag aka Huge Messenger Bag QAL Flap

Bag flap number one.  I think this is mine since the center isn't matched so well.   Plus, I like purple better than green.

Bag flap number 2.  These are 15 x 18 inches. 

One of the inside flaps, they are both the same.  So far this has been fun, the only thing I'm dreading is the zippered pockets in the batted, heavily pelloned exteriors.  Hopefully, they'll be easier than I'm anticipating, but I know that quilting them I had more thread breakage than I ever have before, that pellon must be a bit of a bear to get through.   I sure hope that my friend likes scrappy.  I think I'm going to send her a picture before I send the actual bag.  If she already has a bag that she likes better, I'm sure I'll find another use for it.  I love scrappy, but I know that there are some who don't. 

My Quilt Diet Temple Bag Quilt Along and Celtic Solstice Part 3 Finished.

My Quilt Diet is having a temple bag or huge messenger bag quilt along and these first two pics are my exteriors. I'm making two.  They are actually 23 1/2 by 31 inches and square  

Not perfect, but Celtic Solstice step 3 is finished.   

Celtic Solstice - Part 2 - Finished

It was intensive, but it's finished.  I feel like a real wimp, I'm doing the smaller size, and some are doing the small and the large. 

I think we've used all the colors now.  I think either last mystery or the one before, I thought we'd never get to that last color.  I'm wondering if Bonnie has any string blocks in store.  I've already pretty much decided that if so, I'm looking for a fabric with the right colors and not doing the strings.  Others have done that in the past, and I've thought the results still nice.  I love the look of string blocks, but just don't enjoy the process, and I've given them a pretty good opportunity to grow on me.  Now, on to something else while we wait on step 3. 

Celtic Solstice Part 2

Slow start on step 2.  I tried these two, my only two so far, with the line on the sewing machine as a guide, but my sharpie pen is rubbing off.  I hate to say it, but I think I'm going to be turning on the TV and drawing almost 400 lines. 

I do have all the units cut out though, so finishing by Clue 3 is still a possibility.  Today, we were about 2 1/2 hours at the dentist, just a cleaning for me, but more for my husband.  His illnesses and surgeries haven't been good for his dental care.  Tomorrow and Thursday Physical Therapy and Occupational Therapy for DH, but I think I can do it.  If not, I'm used to being behind.  Lots more Celtic Solstice to see at Quiltville, here.

Rissa's Quilt Border On

Not sure I like the border as much as I hoped to, but it's on and I hoped it would bring out the gold in the sashing.  Now, waiting for an order of batting, so will work on Celtic Solstice part 2 before I worry about the backing.  I am running through my head if I'd rather use the sashing material for the binding, or make it a scrappy binding, since it is a rainbow quilt.  Hmmm, when you're a quilter it is always decisions? decisions?, you know what I mean.  Also, I don't plan on putting wedding dates etc., but was thinking of the year and a short saying that could be applied to a wedding, or just life.  More to think about while I work on part 2.  

Rainbow Scrap Challenge - Rissa's Quilt

A server where we eat was married a few months ago and I told her I'd make her a quilt.  I decided that I had enough of these RSC blocks for a decent sized quilt, so tried to think of an arrangement that had some kind of plan and this is what I came up with.  At first, I thought I'd use some RSC nine patches to make a border, but then decided that sashing and cornerstones might make it more mainstream.  I don't know if it did or not, but it is what it is now, lol.  Then, I decided it still needed something, so I decided to do a small border and off to Hobby Lobby I went.  That is, off I went after my husband and I went to a small town Christmas parade and watched it from my daughter's yard.  He has felt so bad for so long that it is really nice to see him have a good day and get a little enjoyment out of life.   He still felt well enough to drive home the short drive from Hobby Lobby, which was something else that he enjoyed.  He has driven very, very little in the past year, luckily he is very careful not to drive when he thinks he's not up to it.   It's amazing how little it takes to make a good day when you have had so many bad ones.

The fabric on the bottom is what I came up with for the border.  I hope they like it, it should finish up about 64 by 94 before it's washed, probably a few inches shorter after washing since I'm not a prewasher.   And now, I'm going to hook up with Angela's Soscrappy RSC linky here.   I have been very behind between company, husband's health issues, and lots and lots of bags, so I'm glad to get something done on the RSC.  I still have to catch up, and need more colors on some of my projects, but I will get more done.  
Oops, I almost forgot, I did do 16 brown scrappy nine patches too, but I'll skip the picture.  I needed more 9 patches for the border I was going to do, but then changed direction.  

Step One is in the Bag

Or in this case, in the box. 

Not a super amount of scrappiness, but it'll be ok.  I'm ready for Friday's clue.

Celtic Solstice Part One

I decided to go with Bonnie's colors, only for the background I'm using medium grays.  It got the husband vote over whites and creams.  All cut out here, not a super amount of variety, but it'll still be scrappy and who knows, I may pick up more fabrics as I go along.  I just realized, I went to scraps first, but I passed by my 1/4 to 1/2 yard pieces, there could be some treasures in there, lol. 

My first twenty done, I still have some work ahead of me.  The little tool is what I'm using instead of my iron.  Bonnie is finger pressing, and this is my version.  I did use an inexpensive little wallpaper tool that I got at Home Depot, and it worked, but I was amazed how much better this works.  Wish I could remember where I purchased it, but I know it was online.  Thank you to Bonnie for another fun mystery, I'm loving it so far.  
If you'd like to see what everyone is doing, visit Bonnie at Quiltville's Quips & Snips link-up party here.

Deck-ade the Halls Finished

Deck-ade the Halls is done.  The picture below has crazy colors, but you get the idea. 

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Afghan, Mystery, and Bag

I asked my son if he'd like an afghan like he had in his youth, he said yes, so I finished this one in record time, and it will be in the mail tomorrow.  Hope he likes it. 

Wasn't sure if I was going to do the mystery this year from Quiltville, but I was at a fabric store the other day, and got these for half price with another 25% off, so I guess, I'm in. 

I don't have the big stacks of fabrics that many are showing, but between what yardage that I have and my scraps, I think I'll come out ok. 

I thought when I did number fourteen bag that I was finished, but I gave mine away, so here is number fifteen, so I have one, too.  I 'really' think that this was the last.