An Epic Bag

When I was in Texas this past September for the wedding of Kelsey and Mike,

The wonderful couple with Pastor Diane.

Dru Ann and I did what we always do and visited a few of the local quilt shops.  You never know what they might have that I haven't seen here in California.  I usually end up coming home with something I just have to have.  This time it was a pattern for a very LARGE bag.

The bag is called Anything Goes from Aunties Two Patterns.

I took this picture on top of my washing machine.  Yes it is an odd place to take it but I was trying to give some sort of reference so you can tell the size of the bag.  IT IS BIG! You could fit a small dog in it.  I couldn't get Millie to model inside the bag but you get the idea.



She is soooo cute! But I digress.

To make this bag you need 40 2 1/2"x 42/44" strips.  I used a package of Sumatra batik precuts from Blank Quilting called the Oceanside Collection.

The time consuming part of making this bag is prepping all your strips.

I used a single layer of Pellon iron-on fleece to make the tubes.

I then had to break out this bad boy to zigzag the strips together.  I normally sew on a Juki which just goes forward and back in a straight line which is all I need when sewing.  I picked this machine up a few years ago very inexpensively so when I occasionally need to zigzag I can.  I don't know much about the brand, there's not a lot of information out there about Morse sewing machines, but this one works like a charm!

And for the finishing touches I had Jim pick me up some plastic plumbing tubing at Home Depot to put in the handles,

And I found these great buttons at my  local Jo-Ann Fabrics.

They are made from coconut.

  Aside from being a awesome bag I thought I might be able to make this a class I could teach.  After spending a weekend working on it I decided that wasn't feasible.  It takes a lot of time to make the strips.

 I am now using the bag to carrying my samples of Stof , a quilt fabric line from Denmark made in Japan that I have added to my arsenal of fabrics I rep.

This bag would make a great weekender bag or something you could use whenever you are going to a sit and sew to carry all your important  sewing stuff.
You can also easily slip in a bottle of wine or two - just saying.

Christmas 2015

My favorite son, yes he is my only son, informed me recently that he wanted to come to California for Christmas.

 

I am always up for visitors since we rarely get any.  It really saddens me more people don't want to come and enjoy that what is California. The invitation is always out there people.

 

A little ways back I convinced the DH that we didn't need to have beds in all three bedrooms. So we are now a two bedroom house with an office/sewing/crafting room.

 

Yes I got my own space to sew, quilt, knit and do office things but I might also have migrated just a little into the "guest bedroom". 

 

Okay a little might be a lot to some people so now I will have to sew, quilt, knit quickly to make some spot for him to sleep. 

 

He is my kid so I am hoping he will adjust. 

 

If not there is a Marriott down the road.