Zip it up Pattern by Annie's.

In the box of kits that Pat sent, many of the patterns are by Annie's.   So this is the third or 4th project that I've made from Annie patterns in the past few weeks.   I am getting to understand how she writes her patterns. The patterns have similar layouts etc.   

I had worked on this Zip it up bag by Annie's earlier in the week.  This pattern makes a nice size brief for your patterns and notes etc.   It's a complicated pattern, but if you know me, you know I love a challenge.   This project has four different zipper techniques in it.   I loved discovering how to use the new Annie's Zipper by the yard.  In this kit, there was a meter and a half of zipper and four zipper pulls.  One zip pocket on the outside cover, two in the inside, and one zip that closes the brief.  

  I like the finished project but it took immense concentration to get each of the zippers installed correctly.     I was stumped by the zip that closes the brief.   After looking at it for a few days, I figured it out... It turns out I had installed the zipper tab backwards.    

It was an easy fix once I caught on to the problem...(wink)

 

See the cute little bag in the back.
 It's  made it out of the leftovers from the kit...
I couldn't resist.

Atkinson Stowaway baggies

Here was another kit from Pat's box of goodies...These little bags are so versatile and very quick to make.  You can store lots of fun things in them. From a fat quarter,  I made two of the 6 sizes this pattern gives.   The little oriental floral design on the fabric is darling.  So cute...

A Frame Bag

I dug into Pat's box of kits, and I just loved this little frame bag pattern by May Chappell.  The frame is 8 inches wide.  I finished this sweet bag in a frame project a just a couple of hours.  It's easy to put some cross hatch quilting on the outer cover for interest.   I put some of my quilty supplies in it to show how big it is.  Cute, eh!

Big enough for a rotary cutter, thread
quilting gloves and a sleeve of prewound
bobbins...  

An Unusual quilting tool

I was working on this sweet Pack it In bag when I came to the instruction that said, round off the corners with a 3.5" circle template.    Hmm, I don't have one, that I can remember.   I could not locate my geometry set, or I would have drawn one.   I searched through my cupboards to find just the right size can to round off the corners.   

A can of Pineapple.   A good quilters tool!

Two more Open Wide bags

My sister was visiting from Nova Scotia over the Thanksgiving weekend.   I had just finished making my first open wide bag and felt the need to make one or two more.    So, we poured through my stash, and we each picked fabrics for bags for ourselves..   I worked on them while house-sitting in Moncton this past weekend.    They're now finished.   Mine is the grey green combo, and my sisters is the burgundy floral combo.  These are pretty simple to make once the pre-quilting is done.  

Do you know what...I still feel the need to make more.   Maybe my girls will each be getting one for Christmas!  And now that I think of it, I do have a baby shower to go to.  This would make a great carry-all for baby things.   Do you have any other suggestions?

Presenting St. Dunstan's Raffle Quilt 2017

It's another beautiful day.    The sun is bright and our new grass is so green.    The Ohio Stars quilt is St. Dunstan's Raffle quilt, 2017.   I delivered it to the girls this afternoon and had a cup of tea and cookie with them.      They really liked the harvest color especially since it is fall.    They will hand quilt it over the winter.  Tickets will sell late next spring and summer.  I believe the quilt will be raffled in October of 2017.

  

This is what happens when the sun is at your back!!

Don't look at the Quilt...
look at the beautiful new green grass.

I always make their bias binding, and
stitch them a label on
my Embroidery machine...

Wide Open bag

I was at the Sussex Quilt Show a couple of weeks ago.  I saw the unique Wide Open bag that Gail F. made.   I had seen it on her blog here, but when I saw it in person, I knew I had to make it.   

Well it happens that I just got a package from Pat at Heartfelt Quilt Shop in Florida.  And what was in the package...among many things,  was a kit to make the Open Wide bag.   It's like serendipity.   I love when that happens.  

I really enjoyed the different techniques in making the bag.   I used Annie's Soft and Stable for the first time.  After pre-quilting it with fabric, cut out the pieces and sew them together, add a zip and bind.     The bag is firm and I know it will hold it's shape.     The pattern has three sizes.   Pat sent me a kit to make the medium size, but with the leftovers, I was able to make the small size too.   I found the small size was quite tedious to do.   I'll stick to the medium size. :)     

Chow Chow Day

I really have to thank Linda at Stitch Lines for her gift of green tomatoes.    The other day she had posted on her blog about her bumper crop of tomatoes.   I wasn't long volunteering to go over to get the rest of the tomatoes.   I showed up early the next morning and Linda and I picked two big shopping bags full and cleaned out her tomato patch..  

Chopped and ready to simmer.
With pretty scraps of fabric I made teabag style
pouches for the pickling spice.  

I haven't made chow chow in a long time, but a quick request to my sister-in-law Shirley, got me her mother's recipe.  It's a family favorite.   The recipe is just precious.    It said, " chop tomatoes and onions until the big blue pot is half full".     The next thing was to add vinegar until you see the vinegar when you tip the pot!  

Well, we got the recipe all figured out and my hubby and I hand chopped the 11 pounds of tomatoes last evening.  We had fun talking about the old days and recipes and all the stuff his mother used to cook.    The recipe said to put a couple of handfuls of salt to the chopped tomatoes, then put a plate on top and let sit over night.  This morning, it was very easy to drain, rinse, then simmer for a couple of hours, then bottle.   The chow chow is made. The house smells delightful.  We tested the chow with some crackers this afternoon.   It's delicious.  

 And I have a nice bottle set aside to deliver to Linda.  She will be able to enjoy it at her Thanksgiving table.  I know she's got lots of company coming.
 
Next Week, when the rest of the tomatoes ripen, I'll be making a small batch of salsa.   Can't wait..   Many thanks Linda!!