Catching Up

I have been sewing quite a bit lately but haven't been blogging.  I need to find the time to sit down and do it, but things just get in the way.  Since I retired about 10 years ago I am busier then ever and sometimes wonder when I would have found time to go to work.

I have seen something along this line used by other quilters when I have been to quilt bees or retreats and decided that it was time that I made one for myself.  It will keep a few things handy for me and keep other notions in another caddy that can also be close at hand.  I went to Paris, France a few years ago and found this in my stash to remind me of that wonderful time.

Flashing Lights Baby Quilt

I found this quilt on McCall's Quilting but I used polka dots instead of a black background.  I just couldn't put black on a baby quilt.

My Preserves

One of the gals at a quilt group that I attend made a quilt like this and I knew then what I was going to do with my fabric of fruits and vegetables.  I had been collecting them for a while a few years ago just because I liked them.  I could never decide what to do with this fabric.

I even added chocolate chips.  Everyone needs a little chocolate.

The pattern that I followed was a Bug Jar Pattern because I liked the size of the jars.  I had initially made it as a donation quilt but I liked it so much that I am keeping it.  I have enough fabric leftover that I could probably make another one.

Roly-Nesters

I have made a lot of these small pouches.  They are great to keep sunglasses in or other small things in your purse or bag.

  

My sister Lynda came for Easter and she always wants me to make her some things.  She wanted a quilted bowl holder for her microwave and she also lost her little wallet that I had made her before.  

I made the bag from some of the fabric that she had in my stash.  The bowl pattern is from Patchwork Posse.  She has a lot of great patterns.

The bag pattern is called The Tahoe Bag.  I bought the pattern in 2011 the year that my youngest sister got married in Lake Tahoe.

Ring Around the Roses

I got a new Quilting Book for my birthday called "Make It Mini" and this little gem was one of the patterns.  Sometimes I don't take my regular purse but put my things in one of my tote bags and my phone gets lost so this little case will come in handy.

Mystery Quilted Bag

This was a mystery quilt that the guild had in 2008.  I had made one before but my large bags are wearing out so I went through my stash and found this lovely fabric to make another one.  This bag measures 20 inches by 25 inches.  These bags are so handy for carrying supplies or quilts in.

You can see that there is still some snow on the back deck.

Peggy

Microwave Bowls

Microwave bowls seem to be all the rage these days.  You can put them in the microwave with a bowl of food inside and then since the food is hot they are easy to remove and hopefully not burn yourself.  You can also microwave the food and then use the quilted bowl to carry the food so that you don't burn yourself.  I have made many items for Lynda and she was at the point that she didn't know if there was anything more that I could make for her.  She had purchased more fabric on her last trip and I made her a winter purse/bag so now she decided that a microwave bowl might be a new idea.

You have to use all cotton when making these since polyester will melt in the microwave, so I used cotton fabric, all cotton batting, and cotton thread.  The pattern is fairly simple but the prep work before sewing them is tedious.  I found the pattern here. 

There are a lot of patterns out there but I liked Lisa's the best.

Since our Guild Quilt Show is coming up next week I decided to make some for the craft table at the show to sell.

You can see the inside more than the outside but the outside is pottery bowls.

I made three of these for the guild.

Peggy