Five Shadows

These pretties will soon be an apron.

Cloth Doll Book is complete.

There are pockets on the front and back inside to hold the clothes.

The theme for this bag is ‘travel.’ Mary included photos  and tickets printed on fabric of trips she has taken since childhood. I picked the photo of the cruise ship and had fun layering it with  fabrics and ribbon. I used fusible web and did some free motion stitching to hold the piece together. I outlined the ship with a Pigma pen and also did some stitching in a dark grey thread to add detail. This is what the piece looks like before adding it to the canvas bag. I have a tag that says ‘enjoy the journey’ that I hope to fit into the piece. It might have to be sewn on to another place on the bag as it is getting crowded!

My next project completed is a curtain for a friend. I don’t like to sew curtains, and really don’t remember why I agreed to make up these – but finally! the curtain is finished. (Sorry Sandy that I took so long to sew um up.) Next time I’m asked to sew curtains, I think I’ll recommend the person goes to Jo-Ann Fabrics and inquire about a seamstress! Sandy made a lovely quilt for a young grand-daughter and now has a matching curtain.

I just read Jacquie’s Spring to Finish post over at Tall Grass Prairie Studio. She is challenging her readers to join her if pulling out the unfinished projects and seeing how many you ca complete by the end of April. Since that is just what I have been doing, I have decided to join in! I have a curtain to complete for a customer, a quilt top to finish up for a friend, and Yikes! I even have a deadline to meet by April 22 for a swap I signed up for and have not sewn one stitch for yet. And do I get to events count too? I’m coordinating a spring formal dance “prom” for 120 teens happening April 24. The to-do list for that seems to be getting longer rather than shorter as the date draws near! – just two weeks away! But yet, here I am blogging! LOL I needed a break!

Today I am celebrating my birthday with family and friends. I’ll be meeting some of my girlfriends for lunch. And then, those who can, well join me to take in a local quilt show. Sisters of the Cloth are displaying quilts at the Jeffrey R. Krull Gallery – located in our public library, with a reception from 2-4 p.m. The show runs today thru April 5 – if anyone happens to be in the Fort Wayne area.

Pictured here are several fabrics I plan on using in making this cute Ashley purse.

You might remember from an earlier post that I am participating in a canvas bag round robin. We each started with the same size 13″ x 15″ x 7″ canvas tote bag. We each picked a theme for our bag and included fabric and items in that theme to pass along with the bag – for using in decorating/altering the bag. This is the third of twelve bags to which I will contribute. The theme for this bag is “Mary Engelbreit.” The owner of this bag included yards and yards of Mary Engelbreit (ME) fabric, along with a ME magazine and several ME books. The first picture shows the bag as I received it. A beautiful cross-stitch with a small border of yellow fabric. The second picture shows what I added – in a fabric collage style. First I purchased and attached a wide yellow rick-rack. Then I fused ME fabric to fusible web. I cut out several motifs and fused them around the cross-stitch. Then I stitched around the motifs in black thread. The cherries above the bowl on the left side are fused to a red fabric and stitched only at the top of the stem so they are three-dimensional. The cherries on the right side I hope look like they are pouring out of the teapot and into the teacup.

fabric collage I added

This past fall, Daily Window announced a sale on their demo bags. I bought two, with the plan on giving one to a dear friend for her November birthday. She loooooves purses just about more than any other possession! To create a card and tag, I used fabric with butterflies, the color purple, and the theme of love, all of which are her favorite things. Searching for a quote for the card, “Love is like a butterfly. It goes where it pleases, and it pleases wherever it goes.” (author unknown) seemed appropriate. The card was placed in the clear pocket and the tag was attached to the bag with ribbon. My friend is still using the bag as I decorated it. I have encouraged her to create her own art to display in the window pocket – and I’m sure she will! If you have not seen these clear pocket bags – they come in a variety of styles – for displaying your own creations, I encourage you to check out their website and blog!

No sewing yesterday, but I did pull out fabric for the white quilties I have to get cracking on for the swap at Lenna’s. She has several new swaps listed. So check out her blog and see if you are interesting in joining one!

I’m up and running again today – a continuation for yesterday. After running my daughter to work, I came home and baked to cream pies, brownies, and two pans of manicotti. I had help with the manicotti (thanks Charis and Noel!) as I was running out of time before heading back to pick up Anna. Then we met up with my ‘boss’ so to speak. I have a temporary job sewing for a company that makes items for autistic people called Sensory Critters. And I had items to deliver and new kits to pick up. Then Anna and I went out for lunch. It was her birthday and it’s a tradition that either John or I take each of our children out for lunch. Next was our monthly 4-H meeting and my youngest had a little report to give – she applied for and was awarded a $750 grant through Youth As Resources for our 4-H group to use to help a inner city camp we support. We will be building a privacy fence on the camp property this summer with the funds awarded through the grant!

Next was back to our house with friends for a birthday dinner. Smiles and laughs. And then out the door again for several kids heading to different parties. And finally back home with too many 15-16 year olds in tow for a sleepover. Why are they called sleepovers? No one ever sleeps, and the parents don’t seem to be able to catch much sleep either!

That was my busy day! And today I’m off running again to pick up kids, drop kids off to various places.

These are the pretty Valentines I received in the swap at Lenna’s. Sorry I’m so late posting them! The blue one is from Mercedes, the red one is from Lenna, and the white one is from Michele.