W.i.P. - And the Fish Go On

The little fellas are coming along nicely. I should be able to finish these four tonight. A few seams per evening after work when I feel like it. Nothing massive. Slow and steady wins the race.

Working rows in batches instead of proceeding block by block has proved very efficient, too. You don't get the joy of seeing each goldfish framed in one sitting, but you save time along the way and four finishes must mean four times the fun once they're ready. Am I right? Eight times when I put them next to the those waiting in the wings. So much closer to assembling the top! I'll make one more centre block, though it might not feature a goldfish. Let's see.

Other than that, I'm still basking in the glory of my new bag and can't pat myself on the back often enough for inserting a key fob. It's pure magic, friends! Lol.

Stats

Finishes - 1
Nanette tote

Ongoing Projects - 5
Fish & HSTs
square baby quilt
Red Riding - erm, yeah...
Grecian Waters/Emerald HST quilt - finished the top! - still pinching pennies for batting
EPP hexies - should really work on these again sometime but my ride to work is a bus ride and I get car sick easily when focusing too much on anything

Stalled Projects - 1
EPP parallelograms/stars

Planning Stage - 5
Wedding Anniversary quilt - oh my, really must start on that! How did time sneak up on me thus badly again?
Quilt for the husband - downgraded to a cushion cover, still needs to be made, oops
Two summer dresses & a skirt

Happy sewing!

Sunday Stash

Is it really Sunday again, already? Time flies when you're busy having fun. I spent a wonderful evening with a bunch of sewing gals yesterday. We chatted a ton, drank some wine, and decided to found a sewing/reading/cooking club to combine many of our interests and repeat the enjoyable get-together. I'm already looking forward to our tentative meeting at the end of June.

But you're here for the eye candy so let's have a last look at that scrummy parcel and the fashion fabric it brought. (Here's part one and two.)

Lining fabrics of varying quality at a yard each that I wanted to give a try - clockwise a cheap grey poly, white Bemberg, light blue cotton lawn.The Bemberg and cotton lawn feel great, the poly not so much but that was to be expected.

1.5 yards rayon challis in mustard. I'd ordered one yard and they sent me only about 0.5 -  a quick online chat with customer service and they sent me another yard at their own expense. Great service. It's very light, soft, drapey and a little slippery, I'd not expected it to be that light. I'm not sure yet what it'll become.

The grand prize - two yards of Valori Wells Novella Rain rayon challis. It's so pretty. Not my usual colour but I felt adventurous.

And with that, I'm off for some sewing and tea. I love that crockery, we got a set of two as a wedding present. I wish I had some yummy biscuits to put on the side but no such luck today. Biscuit stash has been depleted and not refilled yet. I'll get by, though, no worries.

Happy sewing!

Linking up with Fiona who's celebrating a year of Sunday Stash. Come on over and join the party!

TGIFF - Shiny New Bag

This week's been dull and stressful busy at the same time. Like, some days have been dull and exhausting, others pretty busy on the less funny side of stressful. I'd prefer (obviously) to have things evened out between the extremes (who wouldn't), but such is life and at the end of the day woe is not me. Not least because I enjoy the ride and I still did finish my shiny new bag, too!

But first, a look at the old one. One of the million bags my husband thinks I own and have made - as if. I've never been much of a bag girl, actually, and most I've made have been for others. Anyway, this cheerful spring-y darling has been loved for two years and still is. A little battered, a little worn, a little faded, but grand!

Not only did I lengthen the straps a little, but behold the swanky snazzy improved interior - a zippered inner pouch! A key fob! I love it already.  No fumbling around for my keys today!

Filled with essential stuff. I tell you, this bag can carry around a ton of things - I've regularly stuffed tons of groceries, several books, or multiple bottles of wine in the old one and expect to do just the same kind of thing with the new one.

Topstitched straps.

I love my new bag!

The Ink & Spindle is a little less substantial than the Kokka print but the bag still beautifully holds it's form without the exterior being reinforced by interfacing, especially when filled with things. (I'd totally use interfacing if I were using a regular quilting cotton rather than a Kokka or linen mix, though.) I'm considering whether or not to add a row of grey topstitching just below the seam on the outside. Thoughts?

The pattern, Nanette tote by Rebeka Lambert, has once more been a fantastic choice.

Happy sewing!

Oh, and lest you think my old tote will die of disuse due to lost love - it won't. Definitely won't!

Linking up with TGIFF at Sew Hungry.