Thimbles and Bag - Happy 4th July

Blogger power! That is for sure. Everything in this post resulted from blogger power. I get inspired by many blogs. One in particular is Quiltsalott by Janet. Janet does not only make beautiful quilts, but she also shares links, tutorials and patterns with everyone. I only take on a little bit that I have time to do like the bag and thimbles below.

Apart from not having the sunlight to take good photos I'm also busy preparing for another online workshop 'patchwork beasts' with Jude Hill. I found that because I can't attend any patchwork group or social sewing to get some stimulation, the online classes are good for me to interact with other quilters and artists. I have also been working on my CWB quilt ha! Yes, I'm still plodding along with that quilt. Only a few berries to appliqué on block #5 then I can show it to you.  

In the meantime I made this little pochette inspired by Janet. She also has a link to the original pattern.  If you want to make one for yourself just check her blog. It's easy to make.

This is the back of the bag and I must tell you about the fabric I used to make this bag with. It's a meisen silk, vintage kimono fabric I got from Ziguzagu I just love this piece and they didn't have a lot left so I got a meter of it as you would do!

Remember this pincushion kit I got from Ma Mercerie. I made it up and can you see how cute it is. Again this was inspired by Janet. This was the original kit, but I have gathered some supplies to try and make one from scratch.

This is the Japanese thimble yabinuki I made from scratch. I made my first one from a kit that I got from Ma Mercerie and then with some links that Janet sent me I found the way to make the base. Using trial and error I finally made a few of them, but still with a very basic design. 

A few bases waiting to be stitched. I must tell you that these kind of thimbles work well for hand stitching. It stops you poking yourself with the back end of the needle. 

These are the men-sized thimbles. I made them for my students who do a lot of hand stitching. They told me they love wearing them. 

They look so cute wearing them so I had to take photo to show you. On the left in Dennis and one the right is Peter. Aren't they so cute? 

Happy 4th July to all my friends in the US. 4th of July always reminds me of our time in NYC sitting up on top of World Trade Center waiting to see the fireworks back in 2001. This year though DD Kit is there enjoying her NY experience. She is having so much fun that I don't think she wants to come back. Enjoy the rest of your stay in NYC Kit...!

Christmas Gifts

What do you give to someone who has everything! My friends and I still exchange birthday and Christmas presents after more than 10 years. It is hard at times to come up with new ideas for gifts that I haven't given to them already. One of my dearest friends Cynthia Tomaszewski is a quilt designer, author and fabric designer so, what do I give to someone who has everything? I constantly try to come up with ideas of handmade gifts to make for her. Cynthia is very busy and I know she doesn't have time to make herself things so I try to make her something that I know she would appreciate.

This is Cynthia's latest book 'Quilts from Paradise' that she gave me this Christmas. Cynthia and her husband often travel to Fiji and she hopes one day to live there. This book was inspired by paradise places she visited. I'm so proud of Cynthia. My very creative friend. You can visit Cynthia on her web site HERE.
I made this tote-bag for myself last year. I love it so much that I thought my friends would like them as well. The butterfly pattern came from Leanne's House, and I found it in Homespun magazine. I love mine and received lots of compliments every time I use it. The bag with red butterfly applique is for Cynthia and the one below with yellow butterfly was for Linda (no blog).
Yes I made two of them. This one is for Linda (no blog) in Massachusetts. Both Cynthia and Linda get the same presents every year. Everything I make I multiply by two or in the case of heart ornaments I multiply by twelves!!!

I made this one last week. A colleague of mine who is a quilter made one for herself. She kindly gave me the measurements. I happened to have some handles that are perfect for this bag. I think this is going to be my birthday giveaway later on in the year.

Bag Lady

My friend Jocelyn and I were called Bag ladies when we used to meet during our lunch break. We were together for two years and we made many many bags during that time. The reason we stopped meeting is because I started a handmade book group and Jocelyn was also in the group so we now only meet to make handmade books with some stitching thrown in. In our Bag Lady sessions I made a few crazy quilt style bags. Quite a few of them were giveaways as presents and some I keep for myself.

This bag brought back a lot of memories. I found the handle at a market in Queensway city hall in London. DH and I lived in London in the 80s BC (before children). We used to love going to antique markets and jumble sales at church halls or city halls. When I saw this handle I fell in love with it and thought one day I would make a bag to go with it. Twenty years later I made this bag to attached to the handle.

I am so happy that I finally made the bag using the handle. Sometimes I can't believe that I actually made this bag. It looks like an antique bag from the Victorian era...!

Another crazy quilt bag with long strap that I can wear across my shoulder. I like wearing my bag that way to free both of my hands when I travels. This bag is an ideal bag for a party or an evening bag where I only need my mobile phone and keys. I made a few of these bags and taught a few of my friends to make them as well.

This is what it looks like under the flap. It's a very simple bag to make. Once I finished with the crazy quilt part of the bag the rest was easy. I really enjoy using this bag and I get a lot of compliments every time I use it.

Another bag that holds a lot of memories for me. This bag is made from a pair of shorts which were DD's when she was about eight. I kept them knowing that I will make it into a bag one day. The belt was also hers and it was one of those Eastern European hand embroidery strips on felt. We found it at one of the jumble sales. I couldn't bring myself to throw it away thinking that someone had lovingly embroidered it by hand.

I am glad I kept it because it goes perfectly with this bag. I don't know if you can tell that the crazy quilt represents under water treasures. I get a lot compliments with this bag too. A group of ladies borrowed it for a while to copy it, but I don't know if they actually made any.