A Little Head Poked In

Once there was a porcupine. The porcupine was in need of a world to explore.

In comes my green scrap improv piecing. I knew I was doing this for a reason. It wasn't just for the fun of sewing bits of green fabric together. I was dreaming up my next quilt and I didn't even know it.

As my green world grew larger, it had to have a few berries included. I find joy and a bit of torture each year as I push my way through the bushes looking for tasty treats.

This all came together for an lively green background for a nature quilt.

And the little porcupine crawled in to give it a try.

In the future weeks, we'll see if he finds this a cozy place to live

 or is just visiting.

On the Straight and Narrow

If you would follow me around for a day, you would see how well I travel in a straight line, keeping to my day's plan and my thoughts in focus.

OK, so that's a bit of a stretch. Most of the time, I keep my balance by jumping from one project to the next. With that in mind, my green scrap project has temporarily been laid aside.

This week, I want to share a braided bag which I made from a black dressmaker's fabric.  (Yes, there are a few larger pieces of fabric in my stash.) The fabric has a woven pattern which made interesting highlights when braided.

I know bags as big as suitcases are popular now but I wanted a small bag to tuck under my arm at special events.  This petite bag, 5" x 8", is just large enough for a few essential items like the all-important business cards.

For the skinny strap, I braided two strands of rattail cord and one decorative cord.

This made a sturdy, yet showy, strap.

The strap was woven into the top of the bag and secured with machine stitching.

Side trip complete, I'm  now back to the sewing machine and stitching more green scraps.

PS. You can find ideas for braided bags in my book, Braidcraft Designer Bags and Totes, available from Herrschners, Inc.

Exploring Green Possibilities

With a long winter hopefully behind us, I'm finding any bit of green exciting. Today I have delved into my green scrap bag to have a green adventure.  I know, isn't it a shame to have an entire bag devoted to green scraps. Then, I guess I shouldn't tell you about the second bag.

With additional squares from my old forgotten, but newly found watercolor box, I am happily on my way. As a friend commented, this will make a wonderful background full of life and variety.

As I place these randomly pieced sections on my design wall, I can see possibilities for two backgrounds. Oh, the exciting directions I can explore.

This one seems to be growing and growing.

I have incorporated many of the squares found in my watercolor box.

To keep with the random theme, some of the squares are trimmed or divided.

As much fun as I am having merrily stitching away, the sunny day outside my window is beckoning me. Time to breathe in the fresh spring air.

Linked to Off the Wall Friday

Remember When and Would You Do It Again?

Who knows what I was searching for in my studio closet, because now my mind has gone off in an entirely new direction?

What came out of the closet with me was a box of squares all cut and ready to make colorwash quilt tops. Were you part of the quilting world in the 1990's when these were most popular?

I fell in love with the idea of blending fabrics when I saw my first colourwash quilt made by Deirdre Amsden. (This was several years before all the books came out so I was ready to purchase them when they hit the shelves.)

You can see I became obsessed with cutting squares and more squares,

until I had boxes full of them. 

Yes, I did turn many of these squares into quilts but that only fed my enthusiasm for cutting more.

When the boxes were full, they went into bags. 

So, today here I am with squares and more squares and even a colorwash quilt top tucked in the box.

What should I do?

Will I ever make another colorwash quilt? Will I even quilt the completed top?

Should I save the squares for future projects or do a massive spring fling and purge my studio?

Any suggestions?

Linked to Off the Wall Friday

Spring is in the Bag

Braided Spring Bag

8" x 12"

© 2013 Sharon V. Rotz

It's time for me to put away the drab and carry a perky new bag.

I had fun choosing fabrics for this bright and cheery bag. 

Because the colors show more than the fabric print, this is a great way to use fabrics in a different way.  Will you choose a dramatic print, a hand-dyed solid, a subtle print or a combination of all three?

The print can add a lot of variety depending on how the fabric was cut.

A combination of three green fabrics creates a softer charm.

The solid fabric became more dramatic with the addition of a green yarn braided in.

Come on Spring. Is this what you have been waiting for?  I'm ready!

Techniques for for this bag and similar braided bags can be found in my book 

"Braidcraft, Designer Bags and Totes" 

and can be purchased through Herrschners, Inc.