Last Minute Fill-in

I was at the Crazy 9 Patch taking a purse making class on Saturday.  Class cost 30.00, handles and hardware cost 27.00.  Thankfully I pulled everything else from my stash.  I broke 5 needles because I used a pair of skinny size 10 levi's that I have been saving for 30 years to get back into. HAHAHAHAHA.  They even had zippers at the ankles-remember those?

only 3/4 finished-don't want this to be a UFO

Used the bottom of the pant leg as a pocket for a water bottle to stand upright-works  beautifully!

I don't use large purses but I always take a carry on bag when I travel-this will be it!  It will have black leather hardware with silver accents and a stiffener in the bottom.

So, back to the Crazy 9 Patch-while I was struggling over this purse, the owner, Martha, said that the demonstration she had lined up for Wednesday night for the Back Country Quilters meeting had cancelled and she wasn't sure what to do.  So, I told her about the Scrap Users System I was using and the binding tips I had gotten from Cynthia England and Sharon Schamber and she crowned me the fill-in demonstrator-so, this is what I came up with:

Bonnie Hunter's Scrap Users System:

2" and 2.5" now have their own drawer and are piled in color groups except for batiks which I have kept in one pile

1", 1.5", 3.5"(light, dark and neutral), 4"(light and dark pile)

5" blocks and 5" long strips for Nickle Quilts

Random strips

2.5" strips: Christmas, warm, cool, and nuetral

I cut off the label strip plus abut 1/2" to use for something sometime:) 

Triangles, diamonds, and bricks for flying geese

one reorganized drawer-pastel brights

Drawer not organized-still work to do!

Binding tips:
Sharon Schamber uses Elmers Glue to glue down her bindings before sewing.  I iron my binding over after sewing it to the right side.  Then I add a thin strip of glue closer to the crease than the edge and then iron it down-voila! A stabilized binding with no pins to draw blood.

I glue opposite sides first then the other 2.  I glue edge of binding 1/16th of an inch over the stitching line

Cynthia England uses the glue down but then added the stitch in the ditch from the front.  For many projects this method works wonderfully.  I have always stitched my bindings by hand, but not everything I make is an heirloom and I need that time for doing other things at night.

Then when finished gluing I turn it over and stitch in the ditch (on left) You can look at my last post to see the backside  of the Celtic table topper

The Rug Mugs above were pulled from my scrap users piles.  The cardinal was from an unused part of a tree skirt panel, the tree made from leftover triangles and the rest from skinny strips.  The strip to the right of the tree was a trimming from a Christmas pillowcase.  It took me all of 45 minutes to put this together including quilting and I am slow.

The back is 4, 4" squares from SUS (Scrap User System) and 1 strip.  The backs of the others were 5"squares and a strip-I like this one better.

Lastly, I am going to share the idea from the Terry Waldron workshop for a pillow back.  This was the dress I wore for 11 years-once a year for graduation when I was a counselor (we wore a cap and gown over it) this dress had the buttons in the perfect place to attach the awkward shawl.  Terry suggested a mans shirt for the back-great idea as buttons are all done-now I just need to make the front:)

Better get to work!!! Blessings to you today!

Terry Waldron Workshop

As the program chair for 2014-15 I get to be teacher's helper for our visiting artists-I love my job.  #1 I don't usually do the project because I can't deal with one more UFO but , I get to listen and take notes and today was just wonderful-I learned quite a lot from this quite fabulous teacher.  Some students were frustrated because they were not told exactly what to do-Terry taught the basics of art and design for the first 2 hours-good stuff! However, one lady said she just didn't work that way-she needed a picture. Wow.

I worked on my ML Weidman inspired cow quilt-got the cow's helmet and nostrils done and some corn stalk leaves and the pattern for the quilt the ewe is wearing as well as the template for appliqueing it to the ewe once it is paperpieced. All in all a productive day.

Self Portrait-alphabet made with new ties

This was stunning-taken draped over a table

Close up of tree detail

I liked this teacher alot-she was a wonderful storyteller

Done!

A4A is done.  Backing cut, ironed and folded and bindings are cut and ready to attach after I quilt it in Nov.

Went to our guild meeting tonight and saw beautiful art quilts by Terri Waldron.  It was a great show.  Will be teacher's helper tomorrow at her class-looking forward to it!  Will post pics.