Nat’s Sloan Bag - Day 2

 

Today was a fiddly day and preparing the various parts.  All the straps are made, and so are all the pockets.  And the bottom of the bag is ready.  Each one of these items needs interfacing, and the straps additionally needed some visible fleece for body.  The side pockets have a snap closure - had  to get out the hammer for these snaps!  The front pocket has a zippered compartment and is also a slip pocket. The bottom piece looks simple but actually has four layers - the actual fabric, interfacing, a layer of Soft and Stable (the foam), and a layer of Peltex, something to add additional body and stiffness for the bag’s bottom.  

I’m thankful for all the fiddly bits - there’s no time to wratchafratch about Trump’s latest acts of idiocy or  the Bears’ loss last night.  And it’s fun to see the bag slowly come together.  Tomorrow? Topstitch and attach the straps,  cut out the lining, and add the lining side pockets and the lining’s two zippered pockets.  

Starting 2026 with a Sloan Travel Bag

Trying to keep to a schedule is hard but necessary.  Early January I completed my monthly commitment of a dozen purses for Sew Powerful.  And once those were done…

I resorted to an old safe sew, A Trip Around the World, in a color palette I don’t often work in.  It’s now hanging and ready for a backing, batting, and pin basting with no particular deadline.

And now?  It’s time for a luxury project - a Sloan Travel bag.  It’s one of my favorite Sew Sweetness patterns, and I make them only for very special people.  The next several several blog entries will be a daily journal of this bag’s process and progress.  The special person is my granddaughter Nat.  We met at Sew Modern Chicago in Arlington Heights and spent an hour touching and combining various fabrics.  And here’s what Nat has chosen.

Once I got home I couldn’t wait to get started.  The feature fabric is a woven cotton, and like with all cottons used for bag making, I interfaced it with SF 101.  This iron-on interfacing gives the cotton a bit of body and helps it to wear longer.  There’s a sample strip that is transparent.  Next to it is a strip of Soft and stable, a thin foam substrate that gives the bag shape.  There’s next task is now to actually machine quilt the feature fabric to the Soft and .stable foam.  After experimenting with a couple of different thread colors, I found one that works the best.  And there is a little sample of that to the right of these strips.   

When I was in the classroom and teaching research skills and papers, the kids often got overwhelmed by the task ahead.  And I assured them we would break it down and go step by step.  Bag making requires the same type of assurance.  Are there a lot of steps?  Yes.  But broken down and doing tasks one step at a time will result is a fabulous finished project.  

On the design wall there is an orange-ish grunge and “rum raisin” grunge.  These will be for the accents - the straps and the side and front pockets. Everything is atop the ombré lining which is just gorgeous.  I’ve found the necessary 1.5” rectangular rings.  And zippers?  I’ll decide on colors as I get more into the bag.  And something  wonderful happened as I was preparing what you see above: I’ve fallen in love with these fabrics.  I don’t have a handle on Nat’s taste and tried very hard to keep my personal taste out of it.  And I left the fabric store feeling ok about her selections.  But now?  I can’t wait to really get started.  

Today’s a busy day so no sewing.  But tomorrow and Tuesday are frigidly cold with nothing on the calendar.  Perfect for sewing! 

Christmas 2025: End-of-the-year Wrap Up

This news is the biggest!  What do you notice about the  picture? Yes - that is my right hand, and I am totally left handed.  But my left thumb has been very ouchy, arthritic and overused. This inflammation means no quilting.  But it’s what I do every night. So 8 weeks ago I started my journey to ambidexterity. The first few nights were awful - I couldn’t even hold the needle.  I kept referring to my left hand so that my right hand could see what it was supposed to be doing.  And , my right-hand quilting is now pretty good! The best bonus is that I can switch hands for a change of direction.  My thumb is still ouchy but can handle a wee bit of quilting, 

Both hands have matching protection!

And this has been my practice piece for right-handed quilting! 

This recent finish pleased me a lot.  It is my Summer 2025  project.  I cut 8.5” x WOF strips from various grunge fabrics and spent summer evenings holding just long thin batted and backed strips and quilting.  I thought I would  go for  a corner log cabin layout.  But it looked so plain.  So I cut the yellow quilted strip into 8.5” squares and began to fool around with this layout. I used what Sharon Peterson calls reversible quilting and what others call quit as you go QAYG.   You can see the grey connecting bits in the front.  The back I almost like even more - see picture below.  For backing I used any low-volume fabric, and I love the effect. 

This is nothing but a fabric I love.  Marcia Derse is the designer, and I have loved her work for over 10 years.  I don’t know what I am going to do with it.  But I love it and will figure something out.  

And look below.  Purses.  Always Sew Powerful purses. This was the December dozen, which means I sent off 144 purses this year.  And I already have the beginnings of January’s dozen on the design wall.

The good quilting fairy has been whipping up various pouches and zip clutches. And some have already been gifted.  It’s a luxury to just play in the studio with fabrics and zippers and create fun little things! 

Last year I did a big bed quilt for stepdaughter Jen.  These pillows are from her leftover fabrics 

This is my 100 Day project. Quilt Buddy Lauren suggested this project to our guild.  10 of us have responded, and each of us gets to determine what they want their project to be.  Some, in the true spirit of 100 Day Projects, are working on something daily.  But I have tailored these 100 days around a black and white scrap project with the outcome being a useable quilt.  Here it is in its pin-basted form.  And currently I am quilting it and figuring how to incorporate some hand quilting   See the picture below?  My eye needs help.  So I am experimenting with stitching around the nine big blocks in the center of the blocks. 

And here’s the end.  This picture above has three of my favorite things in it.  First, my grandson under the quilt.  Second, my grandson taking the picture - look in the mirror.  Third, this quilt.  I love it, I loved making it, and I love that Ryan wants it and how good it looks in his apartment.  I also love that Brandon is sleeping on the sofa bed we passed on to Ryan. The same sofa bed where the boys and I used to have sleepovers. 

This holiday season was good.  I prayed last year for one more winter.  And that will be my prayer again. The holidays are constantly changing and evolving.  While we may yearn for traditions  and faces of yore, we must constantly  adapt and look forward. Here’s to 2026. 

A Glorious Six Days: The Best of Winter

 Even though it’s early December,we've had winter weather complete with snow.  It started the day after Thanksgiving.  Our dinner was small, and of course there was football.  Which meant I had the day to sew! Same with Friday, Saturday, Sunday, yesterday, and today.  All I’ve been doing is sewing.  Sew happily.

The class I took in October with David Owen Hastings on shibori quilting was fun,and I’ve finished my quilt top.  After the class at Quilters Quest, I left my Husqvarna for a badly-needed DNC.  And it is working superbly.  I’m working on matchstick quilting it.  It’s an interesting technique, and I doubt I’ll repeat it.  But it’s satisfying to do.  

Meanwhile I’m getting familiar with my new Bernette.  I made this Swoon Denver backpack to see how the machine does with straps and layers.  And of course the machine is superb. 

To further test this new machine I’m working on this Quilt-As-You-Go ode to grunge.  I spent the summer hand quilting these 8.5 x WOF strips.  And now I’m connecting them.  Lots of layers.  This is a great technique, and I’ve written a tutorial on it.  But it is sewing through a lot of layers.  A lot! 

But here’s been the really big news: I am learning to quilt with my right hand!  My left thumb has been very sore - repetitive use.   So to let my left hand heal I’ve been practicing with my right hand.  And here’s what I’m working on…

This quilt is huge  I’ve been running straight stitches along the white sashing,  while quilting right handed does’t feel natural yet, I no longer feel like the needle is going to jump out of my hands.  Sitting under this quilt, practicing quilting, during the winter when it’s been snowing, having a husband who will leave the house - glorious days! 

Something New in the Studio: A Sew Powerful Prize

WARNING: THIS IS A LONG READ

 I started making purses for Sew Powerful in 2016.  Intrigued by the mission of menstrual hygiene education for junior high girls in Zambia and fascinated by the purse pattern, I threw myself into purse making.  Here are some of my first purses.  

If you go through my Instagram account @moquilt, you could probably get a number of how many purses I’ve made.  I’m not a counter though, so I haven’t done that.  But I estimate I’ve made over 300 purses, probably more.  Some months I would do a purse a day.  My rhythm the past years has been to do 12 a month.  Someone asked me who pays for the fabrics and strapping I use.  I do.  And I’ve been asked how do I get these purses to California where they are packed in shipping containers for Zambia.  Well, I ship them, paying the postage.  In the first 7 years shipping a box of purses might cost $40 to $50.   But Sew Powerful is now a recognized charity for the Give Back Box, a charitable shipping program.  Now I can send a box of purses for $20.  I too support Sew Powerful through monthly giving.

We know the financial need at Sew Powerful is great.  And these needs have been identified by the community it serves. There is a constant assessment of needs.  In addition to the menstrual hygiene aspect of Sew Powerful, the organization has supported needs the community identifies.  Not enough soap has been an issue.  So there is now a soap cooperative that employs local me.  There’s a sewing cooperative which makes uniforms.  There’s a farming cooperative which provides food for kids who are undernourished. In addition to serving communities in Zambia’s capital city Lusaka, Sew Powerful has begun working in Livingston, the city that’s at the base of Victoria Falls. 

Every year sew Powerful holds a fundraiser.  Our purses are meaningless unless there is also $10 worth of supplies that go into them before they are given to the girls,  I’ve never participated - my reasoning: people I know are already so generous and supporting what’s important to them.  But this year I responded to the email calling for fundraisers because there were more prizes than fundraisers.  Fine, I thought.  I’ll give this a try.  After all, who can’t use a new pair of scissors or one of those nifty scissors sets?  I set a goal of  $500.  And thanks to my sister and my husband, I reached that goal the same day.  I had to keep upping my goal because people were so incredibly generous.  My final tally was $5500.  

Sew Powerful also did a great job with the fundraising communication.  We were easily able to keep track of how much money we were raising and how many purses we committed to making.  My goal was 24 purses, but my final count was 36 purses.  We were also able to see everyone’s fundraising tallies.  The top fundraiser who raised 15k won a trip to Zambia.  The next two fundraisers were eligible to the next big prizes of fabulous sewing machines.  But these two women both fundraised last year and won prizes so they refused prizes this year.  So I became eligible for one of the terrific sewing machines,  I chose the Bernina Bernette - it is a straight stitch powerhouse.  I can’t wait to make a bag or backpack and let that machine glide through all the thicknesses.

After a month during which I waited patiently, my Bernette just arrived,  and boy oh boy is it ever sweet! I can’t wait to get to know it better.  So far I’ve wound a bobbin, figured out the threading, and have done some sewing.  And today I’m starting a backpack to really test out the machine.  Il, wait a week or so before starting my December purses! 

I’m thrilled but also a wee bit embarrassed.  I am not a part of Sew Powerful for any individual gain.  Yet I’m beyond delighted with this machine. Over the years as I’ve gotten new machines I’ve given old ones away.  My niece in Colorado has my first trusty Husqvarna. My buddy Cristina has my old Brother straight stitch machine.  And two others have older machines of mine.  This new Bernette will allow me again to be generous with an older machine - a granddaughter is talking about learning to sew!

Years ago when I was very new to  Sew Powerful, I wrote an essay “So Fiddly But Perhaps Worth It” which was published in “We Are So Powerful”.  At that time I was using the intermediate pattern which had an elaborate flap with an elastic pocket.  The effect was lovely but it was difficult and laborious to do. Shortly after a beginner pattern was published with a much simpler flap, and I took to that pattern very happily! I love that my sewing is productive and has a purpose.   I’m thankful for this Sew Powerful mission and knowing that I am having a positive impact on young woman and the future of their country.  

My 100 Day Project

 100 Day projects are common in QuiltWorld.  The last time I participated was led by the Canadian Quilters Association.  Daily a 6-inch quilt block would be posted, and daily I would make it.  Here’s what I did in those 100 days.  And I bartered this quilt away to a tradesman whose wife loves black and white, 

This 100 day project, spearheaded by the soon-to-be president of my Chicago Modern quilt Guild Lauren, allows participants to define the shape of individual projects.  Two of my quilt sisters are doingg amazing things.  Jenni every day is appliquéing a different symbol of resistance, so necessary because of the awful ICE raids in Chicago and suburbs.  Diane every day is appliquéing a different alphabetic symbol in a variety of languages.  Steff is approaching her project like mine - setting goals for various projects that will be completed by October 1, 2025 + 100 days.  You do the math - early January 2026.  

Despite doing so many scrap projects,  my scraps still have scraps.  I have so many black, white, grey fabrics.  So my project will be to use up these fabulous scraps. But I’m not working a day at a time - I’m working in chunks of time.  Here’s what I have so far - and this is like day 35.

There are 4 blocks above, each 24” x 24” made up of one big nine path surrounds by 12 6” nine patches.  I have 5 more 12 x 12 blocks and need to make 60  6” nine patches. And so far I have 20 complete.  The finished quilt will be 75” x 75”.  But I am putting this away for a bit and using my design wall to get back to the David Own Hastings workshop I took last month.  Let the play day begin!

There was an old woman who lived in …

 … a quilt studio and had so many projects she didn’t know what to do!  Except to maybe try to keep track of them.  So here goes…

It’s all about the design wall.  Currently it has 9 completed purses, three flaps, linings for these last three, and six mushroom blocks for my B Bee mate.  We are leaving tomorrow for a week cruise on the Tennessee rivers.  These mushroom blocks are coming with me because they need some hand appliqué  stitching.  I’ll try to get these next dozen purses in the mail but I don’t think it will happen this week.

I’m sure this picture above doesn’t look like much,  but it contains everything from the past two workshops with David Owen Hastings.  See all the blues and whites?  This was the first workshop.  The second featured using architectural elements in quilting.  Both workshops were terrific.  And I don’t want to lose track of these projects.

This quilt is assembled, hanging now in my closet, and I think I want to hand quilt it.  However, there are already two big quilts in my hand quilting queue.  And this gorgeous quilt is small enough that perhaps I’ll machine quilt it myself.  As I was working on it, I fell in love with two of the feature fabrics.  So of course I located more of these two fabrics at the quilt shop when I was taking the workshops!  Then I found a favorite quilt pattern using big blocks. So this pile of four fabrics and the quilt pattern is on the to-do shelf.  

And an on-going project is my 100 day project - a a handful of us in the guild are doing this, and we have the freedom to tailor this project to our individual needs.  What I am doing with these 100 days is using my black, grey, and white scraps to make a useable quilt.  I’m making 6” and 12” 9-patches.  I’m sort of thinking about layout and have a plan.  Of sorts. I’ll post this quilt 100 days from October 1.  Early January!  But first.  Finish the 12 purses for October and get busy on the 12 for November! 

Sewing all the things…

Once the Sewathon was over, I was itching to put this quilt together.  I saw the design and the fabrics and wanted to make it.  I think I’ll use this design again but with different fabrics,  and I now I need to find some good No 8 Perle Cotton.  I need my design wall so assembling these blocks was the first task.  The completed quilt top is now hanging in my closet.

And what’s been on the design wall is the start of my 100 day project, the goal of which is to make a useable quilt from my black and white scraps.  I started making simple 6.5”  9-patches and throwing them on the wall.  It was kind of overwhelming and cluttered.  So I made some 12.5” 9-patches.  While layout is to be determined, daily I am making additional blocks. October 1 was the start date.  So the end? Early January 2026!   

But what I really needed the design wall for was purses.  I have committed myself to a dozen ourses a month.  So it’s time to get busy.  This time I hit my green scraps to make flaps.  There are 8 in process.  Next step is make linings for these 12.  

I love fall Saturdays when John is engrossed in football.  Although I could do more with purses, I was pretty happy with my progress.  So much so that I decided to start another purse project with my favorite Seth Apter fabric.  Normally I’m would use the design wall to keep track of the various parts of this Sandhill Sling, but the floor will have to do.  Perhaps I should work on this first today!  And then go back to purses.  And of course do some 9 patches!

Last, I’m in love with the Great British Sewing Bee.  Yes, I watch sewing while I sew. 

Time for a New Purse!

 Now that I’m finished making purses, I have time to make myself a new purse.  My favorite purse pattern for me is Hey, Mercedes - a Sara Lawson pattern from her book  Windy City Bags.  I’ve made this ourse several times, usually for myself.  The style suits me - liter slip pocket perfect for keys and phone, 2 zippered pockets, a roomy interior, and a magnetic snap.  

I’m pretty happy.  Now I just need to go somewhere! 😁

Sew Powerful Sewathon 2025 is in the books!

 

I’ve sort of lost track of what purses I have posted.  But I haven’t lost track of how many I made during September.  My goal was 24, but I made 40.  Combined with the 12 from August, I’ll be putting 52 in the mail next week.   And each one of these will have a note of encouragement that neighbor Lynne has created.  The purse below features my latest fabric crush.  But more importantly, people I know have donated over $5500!  I am still stunned by the generosity of people I know.

The photo I used for this years fundraising was 8 years old.  So here is the updated shot, all ready for Sewathon 2026.