Schwartzy: the messenger bag

I really like messenger bags. I find them very versatile, useful and comfortable. They've carried my school stuff, the work stuff, my crafty stuff, my picnic stuff, etc.

The messenger bag I was using is about 10 years old and was bought at Target (most likely on clearance). He's more then earned retirement status.

I put together Schwartzy taking into account the features I liked and wanted in my other messenger bags.

Schwartzy has a simple and clean overall look. Great for women, men, teenagers and adults.

Several pockets in various sizes including handy side pockets...

concealed, but easy to access pockets for pens, pencils and my list-taking notebooks...

and a full sized pocket inside for files, papers, books/magazines, etc. (And a key fob so your keys don't get lost in the land of no return.

The front flap has lots of space for personalization such as applique and/or other embellishments.

Schwartzy is 12" x 14" x 4" (h x w x d) which is more than enough room to carry your laptop, files, cell phone and notebooks; or your crafty projects; or your quilt and picnic snacks.

The Schwartzy pattern is available in my Etsy shop. The pattern should be e-mailed to you within 24 hours of purchase.

=]

How do you to showcase a fabric?

{Happy Campers}

Happy news! Friends of ours are having a baby boy in November! We know them from the Volkswagen community and their baby is due very near to one of the biggest VW weekends on the East Coast. (It's not these friends, but they are due again in March so I have some time before that one.) I am planning to make him a crib sized quilt featuring Heather Ross's Happy Campers but I was only able to find one fat quarter. (OK, I found more and some yardage, but I am not paying $30-45 per yard. I don't care how cute the fabric is or how much I like our friends. I think it's extreme price gouging. I'll pay extra because the fabric is hard to find and out of print, but $45 per yard?)

Question for all my quilty friends: What pattern/style do you think will show off the fabric the best considering the limited amount I have? Log cabins? Squares? Some combination of patterns? I would really appreciate any input so I can get started.

Thanks! =]

P.S. Don't be afraid to link to blog posts, flickr photos, etc. I'm visual.

Enough feet to fit a catepillar

Dirty's dad was visiting this weekend and we decided to check out a local flea market. We went fairly early and apparently that's where the deals are. As Dirty's dad was buying a ceramic bowl from the set he collects I spotted a little collection of sewing stuff. Kenmore caught my eye since that is the brand of machine I use. As I opened the little case I found all these attachment feet for $5!

{More attachments than I know what to do with}

Honestly, I didn't know what half of them were for, but I figured I couldn't go wrong since it had how-to cards inside. The vendor offered to sell us the other kit and small box of notions (thread, needles, beads, buttons, etc.) for $4. Um, yeah.

The attachment kit is really awesome. It has several feet for instant hemming from 1/4" to 7/8", gathering, narrow hemming, cording, overcast, applique, edge stitching, binding and zippers. It also has a quilter guide, cutting gauge for scissors, cloth guide, stiletto and the Q-set with one foot and 5 needles. The second kit isn't complete, but is only missing two or three of the feet. I am so excited with this flea market find.

Along with that, I also found a copy of Vickie Howell's New Knits on the Block for a buck. Dirty scored a very cool vintage men's travel kit with several glass containers with sterling silver lids, a wooden brush, trimming scissors, tweezers, mirror, etc. all wrapped in a leather zipper wallet. Wahoo! =]

Zonnah has curves

{Plan A, which didn't come to be}

August is Zonnah's month for Snip.Sew.Send. She asked for 7.5" square blocks with curves and circle featuring the floral print and the red as an accent. Zonnah is putting the blocks together in a quilt for her sister. I sketched out several blocks, but decided on this half flower. It was inspired by a magazine ad for a spa in Savannah.

{The block that is}

Somehow the block ended up 7.5" tall but only 6.5" wide, thus the orange strips flanking the flower. This was my first flat work with curves. I've sewn curves in garments, but this was a lot different. Zonnah, you really stretched my skill on this block and I was very happy for it. I hope you like it!

Rogers' Rocks

As I mentioned last post, when we were on our road trip we went to Rogers' Flea Market in Rogers, OH. If you are ever in the area (Eastern/Northeastern Ohio) you MUST go to this flea market. It is only open on Fridays, but it is huge I tell you. Great vendors, very reasonable prices, Amish baked goods, fresh from the farm produce. It's awesome.

At the first booth, Dirty's dad got me (and himself) a Steelers hat. I was very grateful for it. I put it on right away and it saved my face from getting a sun burn while walking around the market for the next 5 hours. Yeah, it is that big.

{Zip it! Zip it good}

I stopped at the zipper guy and picked up 20 metal zippers in assorted colors for $10. And as he told me 6 times, you can't get zippers like that for $5 a piece, let alone 10 for $5.

{Are you joking me?}

Dirty's dad and his girlfriend, Phyllis, get the liberty to go to the market frequently so they kind of zoom through it. Dirty and I were always lagging behind looking at everything. On one of the many occasions that they were way ahead of us Phyllis spotted a box of fabric under a table and pointed it out to Dirty's dad who asked how much it was. By the time we got there he was pulling the box out saying, "Gimme $3. You just bought this." Dirty handed over the cash and we were half way down the aisle before I realized what happened. All that stuff in the picture was in that box. Eight sets of purse handles and 43 pieces of fabric ranging from fat quarters to 3 full yard cuts. There are quilting cottons, tapestries, corduroy, satin, polyester and home dec weights. I am a little overwhelmed with all the possibilities.

{More for the stash}

On top of all that, Phyllis gave me all these fabrics, too. She is getting ready to move and needs to clean out her basement. Last time we were there she gave me 4 big bags of yarn. This time it's fabric. Each of these is between 2 and 2-1/2 yard cuts. My head is spinning.

At Rogers' we also got a cool vintage aluminum double basin wash tub that "works with your automatic washer" according to the label on the back. That had to stay there since we couldn't fit it in the car.

{Cookies or cake?}

$3 seemed to be the magic price tag. This super cool mixer was negotiated down to $3, too. It works like a dream and looks like the Enterprise from Star Trek. I would love to have a whole kitchen of killer appliances like this.

What are some of your best thrift store/flea market'garage sale scores?

=]

Ruffleless Ruffle Top

{My version of the Ruffle Top}

Several months ago Sew, Mama, Sew! posted a Ruffle Top tutorial by Rae of Made by Rae. Right away I liked the top and had the fabrics all picked out for it. Then, probably because it was all ready to go, I put it on the back burner. Last weekend we drove to Dirty's dad's house so I finally had a solid reason to make it. Road trip = cute road trip clothes to brag about

The tutorial was really easy to follow and the top turned out better than I expected. I used about a half yard of Alexander Henry's Lola fabric from my stash for the main part of the top and a thrifted bed sheet for the top band and straps. I would have added the ruffles, but cut fabrics for the pockets first and ran out of fabric. The pockets never did make it on the top, but that's OK.

I skipped the armpit divots, but did do the shaping on the sides. That made a big difference. The top is still flowy, but not frumpy.

I am striking a pose at Ohiopyle State Park in PA. We just love it there. Dirty and I were able to slip away for about an hour or so right before dusk to walk around at the falls. We ate a few crab apples and played catch and release with the lightning bugs. Something we can't do here. It was a great weekend. We also went to a FABULOUS flea market in Ohio were we both made some stellar scores, but more about that soon. Well, soon to soonish. =]

Utterly Inspired

This weekend I was able to visit a local museum displaying an exhibit of Gee's Bend Quilts. All I can say is those ladies are amazing. Overcoming so much adversity and forever humble. A looping video of some of the quilters played in the back corner and could be heard throughout the gallery. So many of them had wonderful senses of humor.

{Gee's Bend Quilts Exhibit}

The quilts were quite amazing. This picture was snapped with a cell phone and I really debated whether or not to post it. It doesn't even come close to capturing the colors in the quilts. If you ever get a chance to see these quilts in person, go. Don't hesitate, just go.

Some of the other visitors would point out fabrics in some of the older quilts and say things like "My daughter had a dress with that fabric" or, "I have an apron with that print." Even one of the younger (my age-ish) ladies said that she remembered a lot of clothes and bed sheets she had with fabrics used in the quilts. I just love that the quilters happily grabbed up every stitch of fabric to make the quilts. And they are big! I would guess queen sized and larger. It was quite inspiring.

In semi-related quilting news, I am participating in another quilting bee. She is still looking for 7 members. If you know of anyone looking for a bee send them here.