Note to Self...................

Even if ironing Heat N Bond onto the backside of fusible interfacing sound plausible..............

never
try
it
again.

as promised.............

A few posts back I posted a picture with some black and yellow scraps showing under the current project, so here is the finished bag!  Above is the bag with the handles in progress.

Those handles were hard, but worth it!  I covered some plastic tubing from Lowe's and the big guy helped me use a tube connector section to hold them together.  The bag book suggested taping them and then stitching your fabric tube over that, but it wouldn't have held very well at all.  The tube connector was a tough thing to push through, especially with the problem wrist on my left hand, but eventually I figured it out, I took a hairdryer to it to soften it up! 

And here is the finished black and yellow ruffled bag!  As Lady Lee would say...... "how stinkin cute is that?"  I'm working on another one using up scraps that will be in a very springlike colorway.

Miss V loves this bag!  The only problem is that I used a solid black for the lining and it's hard to see inside!  I could get her one of those little key chain flashlights I suppose!  I saw some very expensive bags at a department store once that had a light that went on inside when you opened them up.  Of course then I had to wonder if you could get one with a remote too..............

Still bagging along!

 Remember those calendar tea cloths that your grandma probably had hanging in her kitchen?  I have been watching them in vintage re-sale shops and it occurred to me that it would be neat to do something with ones that are from special years.  Oddly enough, as soon as I decided I wanted to pick some up to do something with them, the first one I came across was one for me!  What are the odds on that really?

So here it is as I was starting to cut it up........

Then I added some vintage fabric from my grandmothers stash........... yes I come from a long line of fabric hoarders collectors.  Then I found some cute ball fringe in the stash I inherited from a non family member.

And Viola!  a new tote. 

And the back of the tote.  The big guy suggested I embroider a circle around my birthday on it, but I think that might be a bit much.  ;-)  I never knew I was born on a Thursday, kind of cool!

Tomorrow (or when I get back on here) I'll blog my next vintage textile totes.  Bet you can't wait huh???

Bagging it

I've been working on some bags that a co-worker wanted for some Christmas presents. I forgot to take pictures of the ones for her girls, but here is the one I did for her mother in law.

She said her mother in law likes Victorian things, purses, stuff like that.  I dug into my stash of tapestry vests..........remember the 80's? and did a sort of crazy patch tote with those and some antique crochet and beading things that I had in my various stashes.  It's so GOOD to use stuff up!!

Then I used my new French manicure kit on my nails.

I am finding it amusing that I painted my fingernails to look like fingernails!  Who thought that one up???

and yes, for those observant friends, that is a new bag in parts under my hand......... just wait for it!

Another great retreat!

I was back at St Anthony's last weekend, so no sewing for me, but here are some pictures to share...

Seriously, could the sky have been any bluer?  I did not enhance these at all!

Love the roof lines on the old section of the monastery.

A volunteer came while we were there and brought pumpkins.  A truckload of them!

View from the upper balcony.  Too bad about the power lines.

It has been such a wet summer in Wisconsin that there are about a zillion varieties of mushrooms everywhere.

I could have taken more pictures, but my camera decided it needed a retreat too.  sigh.

My pretties and more baking

Look at these lovelies!!!!  Rumi from the http://luckyfrogblog.blogspot.com/ Lucky Frog blog and I did a little private swap.  She offered to knit me those cute red wavy's there on the left.  You use them for quick little wipe jobs in the kitchen, I offered to make her a tote bag.  I thought that was pretty good, then lo and behold when my package came there were two more gorgeous knitted pretties!  See the little brick wall?  It's so cushy that I use it in my fruit basket to keep my fruit from getting bruised, and the beautiful white star stays right there on our end table/trunk.   Thanks Rumi!!

Then since the weather was so cool, I did some baking.............

pumpkin pie seemed like a good idea since it's fall.

And I made a turkey and broccoli quiche for dinner...............

And since there was crust left, how about an apple pie?

Yeah the big guy and Miss V thought it was a good idea too.

Lovely Lemon Bars

One of my baking talents is lemon bars.  The entire secret (besides cooking with wine- see my glass back there?) is to only use fresh lemons not bottled lemon juice, and (duh) real butter.

What you see here (besides my wine, yum) is enough lemons to make a two pans of bars.  I believe in a LOT of lemon.

Here is the crust going together.....

Crust is baked, now to pour in the filling..........

2 pans out of the oven............

ingredients for lemon glaze, more lemon juice, melted butter, and powdered sugar.

and here you go, one for YOU!