Bits and Pieces

Well, well, well.  This week, I actually spent some quality time with my sewing machine.  The number one challenge was to test-sew a pattern for a friend.  I finally finished yesterday.  whew!  This is Charlotte's Hawaiian Bag, pattern to be available sometime soon.

 It is big, and roomy, and can carry a large quilt, or knitting, or anything you like.  The side-ties allow for lots of expansion.  There are also two inner pockets, for those things that tend to drop to the bottom.

A second project that I tackled was a box of scraps that my sister gave me a few Christmases ago.  They don't match anything in my stash, so I've kept them aside, waiting for just the right project.  That project appeared this week.  I decided to recover a chair.  I should have taken a "before" picture, with the original green vinyl seat.

I started by sorting fabrics.  These are what remain.  I may or may not have enough for the second chair.

 Here is a test, to see if the top is big enough to cover the seat.

 Here it is quilted, and stapled in place.  Joann's sells a chair foam pad, that is perfect for this sort of project.  I bought two, so that if/when I get to the other chair, I'll be able to finish it in a similar manner.

I had a bit of time yesterday afternoon, and didn't want to start anything big.  I've had this little piece bouncing around my Studio for quite a while, and finally figured out just what I wanted to do with it.

 I fussy cut a piece of seaweed and a starfish, from a couple of fabrics in my stash.

 I raw-edge stitched the seaweed in place.  It doesn't need to be perfect.  It's seaweed!  I also cut out some wool batting, to make the starfish a bit poofy.

 I used a sew-in interfacing as a stabilizer for the thread-sketching on the seaweed.  It sewed like a dream.  I used sulky 40wt rayon thread.

I was so pleased with the result, that I decided to stitch down the starfish as well.  This is the before, with the piece in place, on top of the wool.

 And here it is, hand-appliqued.  Some of the white background is peeking out, but I'm not worried about that.  I expect to add a lot of embellishment to this quilt, once it's quilted.  I don't think the white will be an issue at all.

And that's what happened in the Studio this week.  I hope your week has been equally or even more productive!