Barbados bag

Well, I guess the pockets-to-go tote really got me on a pattern kick for sewing small, useful items.

Tuesday I started this:

And now, I have this:

Pockets!

The pieces--ready to be joined.

I was happy to see this mangled mess disappear.

Finished!!! :)

From the back

Inner pockets

I finished it last night and was able to wear it to work today.  So fun to be finishing things!

Linking up with Can I Get a Whoop Whoop Friday at Confessions of a Fabric Addict.

WIP Wednesday...progress in many directions...

I have a FINISH to share...yay!  (And hopefully many more in the next few weeks.)

This is my finished Pockets-to-go tote that DC Modern worked on as a guild project last Saturday.  I don't have a free arm on my machine, so I bound the top by hand with visible stitches.

 So much easier (and no wanting to hurl my machine against a wall :)

I also got all the pieces together on my Hooterville quilt.  See more pictures here.

It needs a border, then I can begin a much anticipated quilting process (this quilt was one of the first I EVER started, but I didn't move forward because the notion of quilting it scared me.  Not scared anymore thanks to Leah Day's Quilt along and lots of practice on the charity quilt.  Not to mention the great support I've been getting from the lovely people that read and support me on this blog.)

My new start for the week was an impulse buy on MLK day.  I need a new purse and cannot find one...but I love this Barbados bag.  I have the front panel put together.

So many GREAT pockets!

That's my current list for now, but lots of things are waiting for my new-found initiative to work on them too!

Happy quilting!  And make sure to check out other great projects at WIP Wednesday!

UFO is back in progress!

I love DC Modern Guild meetings...they really keep the momentum going.  And this week, my skills were stretched yet again with group project led by Linda and her friend Anne.  We were working on Pockets to Go Caddies!

Nifty zippered pocket with lining :)

The interior pockets!

Mine is almost finished...It needs a little more hand binding and the top binding/handles.  Trying to sew the binding on the sides nearly made me throw the thing against the wall--but both Linda and new friend Sarah talked me off the ledge of insanity/frustration. 

I really cannot say enough great things about this guild.  It's full of wonderful, enthusiastic, supportive people that have become a delight to see each month.  We had so many new attendees at this meeting that people had to sit on the floor!  I will definitely bring my portable table to the next meeting.

Today, with the charity project handed off to the guild (Linda again...she's amazing!), I got to pick the Hooterville quilt up again.  The pieces are FINALLY together! 

Now...my first attempt at quarter triangles was a bit rough, but it's so colorful and fun that I don't care...and I'm leaving it as a record of where I started in my quilting journey--this was the first pattern I decided to tackle, and I didn't know yet to starch the fabric first. (Always starch first to make your life easier.)

A few corners did meet up a little nicer.  I'm so happy to see it together, hopefully I'll add borders tomorrow and get back to machine quilting soon.

Well, I should get back to my hand sewing while I still have some movie left to watch with my hubby!

I'm linking up with UFO Sunday at The Free Motion Quilting Project.  It's a great place to see a variety of projects young and old.  Check it out!

I can't believe I made all these deadlines...

Wow...the charity quilt for Quiltcon has one square foot left to be quilted. (Note, upper right corner)

Note the "fancy" camera--abandoned b/c my iPhone was better in low light :)

 Our guild meeting is tomorrow...yay!  And this will be my show and tell...

 This week (and the past few) have been chock full of deadlines and appointments...but they were all accomplished and most things ran smoothly.  I even managed to sneak in a cellular respiration pictionary game that I'll need to blog about later :)

I have to send a great big thanks again to DCModern (especially Elle, Heather, and Jessie) for putting this amazing top and back together!

But most of the thanks here goes to Leah Day.  I've been reading her blog since I started thinking about free motion quilting...listening to her talk (well, reading) about how to minimize drag on the quilt, how to move the quilt in order to minimize puckering, how to get over those first few months where you feel like nothing looks right (NO ripping!), what stitches work in what areas, how to move the patterns around to work in a space--I could go on and on!  Generally, I picked up a love of quilting that is not going ANYWHERE!  All of the following designs are patterns I've picked up along the way...the next two pictures show Leah's Flowing Lines, Paisley, and Quilt Busting Matrix.  Others are from Quilting Modern and Free Motion Quilting with Angela Walters.  You should go check out FMQ Friday...there's some amazing quilters out there learning and sharing along with Leah and the blog community.

 

 I hope everyone enjoys their long weekend!  I know I will!

WIP Wednesday...Quiltcon Charity Quilt is Almost Quilted Completely!

A quick photo update, then I'm off to work! 

Linking up with WiP Wednesday.

We're all a work in progress...

Reading everyone's 2013 blog posts and surviving the past few days at work has got me thinking a lot about people and development.  I've learned that even very bright students need to have skills modeled to them and then have time to practice those skills in a useful context.  Actually, my teaching philosophy lately has been all about skills--what can I teach them as people, as learners, WHILE they learn biology.  I've also been trying to have a good attitude through an insane amount of responsibilities (I'll spare you the details...but I love my job, and I don't mind giving 150%, and I was still pushed to tears and delirium in the past 48 hours).  However, I've come out on the other side (for a brief gasp of air) and people seem to be responding to the good attitude...who knows, maybe it will even catch on!  My hope for 2013 is to continue to keep growing--as a wife, a teacher, a friend, a knitter, a quilter...

And on that note...on to the quilting!

Still working on the charity quilt for QuiltCon with DC Modern.  Here's some of my favorite shots:

Here's my plan for the rest of the quilting:

Of course, with limited free time these days, there's no other projects currently in progress.  But I'm itching to finish:
-The Owl Quilt (Hooterville) for UFO Sunday
-The pink floral quilt just needs a border for a finished top
-My t-shirt quilt needs two sashings and borders for a finished top
-One charity quilt is waiting for binding
-One charity quilt is in pieces...might be a while for this one

And I really want to start working with these beauties:

I have a special plan in store for them...my first design!

What's your current personal or quilting WIP goal?  How do you want to grow in the new year?

I'm linking up with WIP Wednesday and Free Motion Quilting Friday!