How I Procrastinate

I worked for days on end to finish the black and white quilt top for my friend Phoenix, then dove right in to piecing the back.  Except that I decided simple piecing wasn't enough, she needed more... more color and more love!

I sent her photos of each word as I made them, but I did not make them in order.  Phoenix.... Love.... Made.... it was comical to hear her guesses on what this was going to say!  :-)

But of course, I couldn't just leave well enough alone and stop there.  She happens to be a helicopter pilot (how cool is that???) so I made this block, as well:

I haven't a clue yet how I'll connect all of these pieces to make a back.  So many of you offered great suggestions on how to quilt the front and I can't wait to get started, but the inspiration for finishing the back has completely left me.  It'll come again, I'm sure.... but while I was avoiding that project, I took my girls to the library.

As we were checking out our books, my little one (she's 6) commented that we should have brought a bag with us because her little arms were having trouble carrying all her books.  A library bag, you say?  Brilliant!

If the bag was for me, it would have an outside pocket and more than one inner pocket.... but my girls love to fill every pocket of every bag with doo-dads (jewelry, toys, sea shells, scraps of paper, crayons, etc) and we end up carrying around (and sometimes losing) way more than necessary.  So, this one has only 1 pocket --- on the inside with a zipper --- to hold her library card and the library receipt (so she can remember how many books she checked out and their due dates).

This little bag was a nice chance to practice my FMQ.  Of course, it's easier with a smaller piece that's only 2 layers (1 fabric, 1 batting) and no seams, but it's kinda sorta starting to look like I know what I'm doing.  Woo hoo!

Too bad this bag only took about 2 hours to make, because inspiration still hadn't hit for the backing on the black and white quilt.  Decided to make a block for a quilt I've been wanting to try forever... inverted stars.  I'm going to quilt-as-I-go and this is (obviously) the purple block.  I'm hoping to do at least 12 blocks, each in a single color scheme and all from scraps.  I'm way short on scraps in a lot of the colors, but I'll figure that out later.  (I'll also make the inside of the stars a little differently in future blocks, but more on that another time.)

Last but not least, this is a bag I made a few weeks ago, the night before we left for our cruise.  Though I have about 400 tote bags, I knew that NONE of them would work and I HAD to make one with the few remaining hours I had before we left.

The photo below shows the colors more accurately.  I pulled out my box of grosgrain ribbon and started sewing them directly onto some of that pre-quilted fabric (which probably has a name).  I zig-zagged over a few lines, straight lined most of them.  The inside is lined and has 2 pockets on one side.  Certainly not my typical choice in colors, but for a Caribbean cruise, this was perfect.

As you probably guessed (if you made it this far), even this insanely long blog post is just another way to help me procrastinate.  I suppose I should go find a useful project to work on now.  It won't be the back for Phoenix's quilt, though.  Maybe I can figure out how to make the pillow I dreamed about last night.... 

Happy New Year, everyone!

~*~ May your day be full of Love and Ladybug Hugs ~*~ 

Thanks for stopping by!

~ Kat ~