Bag Lady

Inspired by Mary and Susan, I've just completed 3 little bags, pocket bags really.

Ready for the next sewing workshop

Just a lined pocket with its own pocket and a strap. 

Another pocket bag. When I don't want a real purse.

Here is Mary's version. I really like the way she attached the handles:

And here is Susan's version. I like her screen print a lot.

Guess I am a bag lady.

Peony Vest posted on threadWEAR 301

I am super excited to see one of my versions of the Peony vest from The Sewing Workshop in their latest post to threadWEAR301, their blog. They titled it Evolving Peony with Hand Stitch.

I started this as a blank canvas over a year ago and blogged about it here. Then I began adding seed stitch which is a lovely zen sort of practice, for me. I also blogged about the collar I added here.

This is really a great basic vest. Revisiting my denim version makes me want to make another one. Maybe now is the time to make one Alabama Chanin style. A recent edition of TSW's Sew Confident used their organic knit for a Peony and the sewist added lovely hand-stitch.

Oh.My.Goodness. Look what I just discovered on a previous threadWEAR post:

Peony vests from an Arkansas TSW workshop

I have more travel coming up. I think the Peony vest is going with me.

What about you? Do you have favorite travel projects or hand projects?

Simple

It is hot summer time where I live so it is time for Super Simple Sewing.

And this is about as simple as it gets. The top is the tank from Sewing Workshop's MixIt pattern, a pattern full of TNT's. The tank is the simplest. The bust darts have been rotated into the hem and released. It fits through the shoulders and upper chest and skims the rest. Just right.

The pants are also from TSW, the Hudson pants, yet another TNT. For summer, I decided I would enjoy shorter pants, not shorts, but as close to shorts as I should wear anymore. I removed 8 inches from the hem which also eliminated the darts that make these pants cute and funky. That is fine. I just wanted simple pants.

The fabric for both pieces is a Michael Kaufman Brussels Washer (a blend of linen and rayon). Both are also shot pieces with red (or blue) weft and cream warp. Or maybe the other way around. I purchased it from Twill Fabric and Yarn in downtown Nashua NH, a very sweet shop.

Each piece  has a pretty selvage, I think, so I cut the pants crosswise in order to use that for the hem. I wonder if I have enough of the navy blue left over for a small bag like Mary's?

Workshop Wonder

There is nothing like a good workshop to revive your creative spirit. Last week we at Fiber Art Fusion held our long-awaited workshop with the one and only Susan Brubaker Knapp. If you are at all into quilt art, then you may know that she is the host of Quilting Arts on PBS. She is also a frequent contributor to Quilting Arts magazine. She has an article in the current one, sitting on my bed-side table.

Susan is the best kind of teacher - enthusiastic, patient, intelligent, accomplished, and seemingly free of ego.

The two-day workshop is titled Whole Cloth Painting. We started with a photograph of our choosing. Susan was happy to review these via email so that we each chose wisely. It was such fun to see what everyone selected. Here is my whole cloth painting (left) at the end of day 1, and my photo (right):

The picture was taken by my son, titled Cold Morning. If you look closely, you can see ice crystals along the edge of the leaf.

Painting anything is a stretch for me. Like others in the class, I felt a little hopeless at times. But I know that frustrating moment is when I am on the verge of something wonderful.

By the end of day 2 I was hooked. I came straight home and painted into the evening.  Here (on the right) is the current state of the piece:

I have an idea of what I will do next. Hope it works.

Susan and me

Thanks to Susan and my fellow travelers for a delightful workshop!

And what a great space we rented from SEFAA here in the Atlanta area. We got to break in the glorious new sink!

#notlikeus

Title: Alien

Size: 18.5 inches wide by 17.5 inches high

Materials: machine quilted background in  cotton with wool batting. edge finished with facings. creatures are hand-embroidered. do not know how that odd one got in. marches to a different drummer. be not afraid.

not scary