The Time I Made a Super Tote

I get on these kicks. You know, where you get hooked on one thing. Like sometimes I get on kicks where I want to eat cheesecake for breakfast, lunch and dinner for about a week straight. Or when I want a dozen pillows in a week. Well, lately (we'll say the last 6 months or so) I've been on a bag kick. This is the 3rd bag I've made myself since the start of the year (I finished another bag earlier this week too, I will share that in another post)

I love Anna's tutorials and have made several zippered pouches and open wide pouches from her free tutorials, so when I saw her version of the Super Tote here, I knew I had to make one. I really wanted to copy it completely but I couldn't find any of the Melody Miller Viewfinder fabric so I gave up on that idea, and decided to do the next best thing, Patchwork!

I had purchased a couple yards of Essex Yarn Dyed Linen in Black a few months ago and had been saving it. At the time I wasn't sure for what, but this was it. I had lots of scraps leftover from my Anna Maria Horner Quilt top and put those together with some low volume text fabrics and came up with this beauty!

Here is the outside, right after I finished it, but before I put the entire bag together. I didn't really change this pattern much, except the patchwork and quilting on the front and back, and I didn't use all the interfacing it called for, mainly because I didn't have it on hand and didn't want to wait. The next time I do one I will probably use more interfacing on the gusset. And I will definitely be making more of these bags! 

Here you can see the awesome leopard print I used for the back of the straps. I used the Period print from Comma by Zen Chic for the piping (I love piping!)

You can also see one of my pillows, from my pillow addiction phase

Every time I make a bag I learn a new trick. I had never done pleats before, and the pleats on the gusset of this bag look so professional! I had also never made bag handles this way before, and I like the way they turned out, next time though I may put a layer of batting in them to make them a little softer, like I did with my Weekender bag. I may also add an inside zipper pocket. I had considered making a front and back pocket, but decided against, mainly because it added a step and used more fabric. This was also the first time I installed magnetic snaps. Anna has a good tutorial for that on her blog too. Oh, and don't forget it was the first time I installed a recessed zipper too! The directions were really clear, and made it really easy to put together. I especially like the pockets with elastic inside. I plan on getting some better pictures to really show it off later (if this darned rain EVER stops! I feel like I should build an ark!) I'm already thinking about making a Birdie Sling. I bought the pattern several months ago and can't find where I put it anywhere! I hate to buy another one because I know as soon as I do, I will find the one I misplaced. Isn't that how it always happens?

Do YOU ever get on kicks and can't stop making something? I'd like to know what it is so I don't feel as crazy!

Summertime is Busy Time

Sorry I've been MIA lately, and even more sorry for the lack of finished project pictures. We have been super busy this summer, and have been spending our time going and doing pretty much everything. Last week we went to Fairmont to visit my boyfriend's family for 4th of July and Friday we drove to Ripley to the Mountain State Art and Craft Festival. I was more than a little disappointed that really no one was selling quilts, or very much fiber arts at all, but there was A LOT to look at. Our favorite things were probably the handmade wooden toys. They did have a quilt expo, I didn't get many pictures because there were LOTS of people there, but I did manage to snap a few.

There were dozens and dozens of these striped circus tents with hundreds of craft vendors. Everything from handmade soaps to hand carved fireplace mantels. It was MISERABLY hot and humid the day we were there, but we still spent several hours walking around and enjoying ourselves. 

They also had civil war re-enactors and they even fired a canon!

They also showcased some people making their crafts. At the re-enactors area they had people making hand made wooden buckets. It was neat to watch them shaving away at the cedar 

They had maybe a dozen quilts that were part of a quilt expo and they had two Dear Jane quilts. The second once was quilted by hand. I couldn't tell if it was pieced by hand or not. They were both beautiful.

And just to round out our day, a Conestoga wagon!

This weekend the plan is to go camping with my family and hopefully take some pictures of my finished projects. I've managed to make good progress on several things lately and can't wait to share! (Hopefully the rain will let up too, we have had rain EVERY day for the last almost 2 weeks!)

150th Birthday

This week West Virginia has been celebrating it's 150th Birthday. Last weekend we took a short road trip to a few of our state's most beautiful landmarks and this weekend we went to the state capitol for a little celebration. We didn't get to stay long or see everything we wanted to, but I did get to snap a few pictures (and my boyfriend got to see Ronnie Millsap in concert)

 

They are also having the WV Juried Quilt Show at the capitol complex as well, and we took a quick peek at the quilts. There were WAY too many people there for me to take good pictures, or spend as much time as I would have liked seeing and reading about the quilts. But I thought I would share a few of the good pictures here.

Here is our beautiful capitol building.

Like I said I didn't get to read the captions with the quilts to get any information about them so I can't really tell you much about what I was seeing. Your guess is as good as mine, but we are planning to go back and take a longer time and getting better pictures. They also have our state museum in this building and we are going to take another trip one weekend to see more of the capitol complex. Neither one of us were feeling all that great, and we made it a very short trip.

 

It was certainly impressive in that huge building with the marble walls and the quilts hung all the way to the ceiling.

And I also got a compliment on my watermelon quilt! (The one in my blog header) We took it to sit on during the concert and I was carrying it back to the car and a woman passing by said she liked my quilt. I get compliments from people I know and from other quilters, but it was nice getting a compliment from someone I didn't know :)

Hope everyone is having a great weekend! It's off to bed for me, and hopefully tomorrow or Monday I will have some pictures of MY quilts for you!

Road Trip Time

We had an amazing time Saturday. We didn't get home until around 8 that night, but we got a late start. We drove up Route 60 from Charleston to Hawk's Nest and had a picnic and walked around to the overlook. It is one of the prettiest places in the state. (Fair warning, this is a picture heavy post!)



See that bridge all the way down there? There is a close up later!

From the overlook we drove into the town of Ansted and down the mountain (On a one lane gravel road!) to Hawk's Nest Lake, the part of the river that has pooled up from the dam. We waded in the water a bit, walked down the dock, and watched the tram going up and down the mountain from the lodge.



Here is that bridge from before!



This is the aerial tram that brings people down the mountain from the lodge



Walking out to the end of the floating dock toward the railroad bridge.

From Hawk's Nest we drove further along Route 60 until we hit Route 19 and then headed toward the New River Gorge Bridge. We hadn't planned on going anywhere past Hawk's Nest but our little trip turned into a day long adventure.



These beauties are hanging in the Canyon Rim Visitor Center



And here is the New River Gorge Bridge in all its glory

From there we headed back to Route 60 and to Babcock State Park. It is onw of the most photographed places in the state, and with good reason. It is a working grist mill (Where they use water and a large stone wheel to grind corn into corn meal.) My boyfriend (he grew up mostly in Louisiana) had never been to Babcock before .

 

We did a LOT of walking. And found a lot of places we want to stop next trip, and some hiking trails we want to try out. It was a great weekend, we had a wonderful time and plan on taking a lot more similar trips this summer.

Father's Day Weekend

I have my laptop back and in working order, (Thank you Chester!) but today I have no pictures for you. I have a very busy weekend and wanted to check in before the craziness starts.

Today my boyfriend and I are going to Hawk's Nest State Park, one of the beautiful places in West Virginia that make us lucky to call it home. We are taking a picnic lunch and plan on doing a little hiking and wading in the river and picture taking. I am taking some of my quilts to get some pictures so early next week I will have some quilty goodness for you!

Here is where we are heading:



Hawks Nest State Park courtesy of www.hawksnestsp.com


These pictures are from last year's trip







 

And let's not forget tomorrow is Father's Day. I am so thankful to have my dad, especially since my mom is gone. He has been an amazing dad to me and I can't thank him enough for everything that he has done. So don't forget to thank the father figure in your life, or be thankful for the one you were given if he is no longer here. We are having a cookout at my sister's house and I am making potato salad and deviled eggs (my dad's favorite EVER!)

Everyone have a wonderful weekend!

Dress Sewing

I'm still without my laptop and I must admit it is starting to get a little frustrating. Thank goodness for my iPhone or I'd feel totally cut off from the rest of the world. I haven't gotten as much quilting done the past week as I would have liked but I have been sewing.

My boyfriend has the most adorable nieces and nephews. I adore his family (I am so glad I get along with his family!) and I think they like me too. One of his nieces just turned two and his sister had another little girl about 6 months ago and they are the cutest pair of sisters (maybe even cuter than me and my sister!) I made a baby quilt around Christmas time for Baby Sister but I wanted to make something for Big Sister. I've been wanting to try my hand at garment sewing since I learned how to use a sewing machine and after some research online I found a free pattern that was perfect to try. (Oliver + S Popover Sundress under their free downloads) Then I got a little carried away and drafted a pattern from a tutorial for a pillowcase dress and so now Big Sister has two new dresses!

Still No Computer part 3

I was productive this weekend but some things I will wait to post until I can take good pics and upload them on my computer. But here are some iPhone picks from the last week or so