In the Studio: Donations and a Granddaughter

 The women in my guild are generous.  Several gave me fabrics: look at this bounty…

Now I’m thinking I might have to up my output.  I have fabric for the rest of my life - and beyond! 

But the best thing in the studio this week was my younger granddaughter Natalie.  She wants to learn to sew.  As we got started in the past two days, I was reminded of Camp Quilt with my nieces when they were teenagers - all are now in their 30’s,  Leslie even now still sews and has my old Husqvarna! And then I thought of Cristina as she learned to sew.  And she now has my straight-stitch Brother, an absolute workhorse. The Good Sewing Fairy even made a nighttime visit, just to straighten out a few things! Although Nat’s main goal is clothing, we chose a simple bag for her to learn the sewing machine - it’s not easy with threading, bobbins, needles, etc.  But she made great progress.  

This purse has a front zipper, an inside pocket, and an adjustable strap.  The satisfaction of completing a project, especially in two day? Priceless.  I can’t wait to see what she wants to do next!   

Tuning Forks - a Repeat Project

My Chicago Modern Quilt Guild comes up with different ways for us to play.  In September I began a bee with 8 guild mates.  Each 6 weeks one of us would be the queen bee and tell the others what they want us to do.  I took the first reign and asked my mates for tuning forks, a nod to my father and brother who were piano tuners.  True confessions: I did this before and loved the results.  But Thomas Wolfe was right - you can’t go home again.  Although I asked for a neutral background and a darker fork of either 3”, 6” or 9” wide x any length. The variety of what I got was greater than anticipated.  I finally put all the forks  on the design wall - here it is.  Even John looked at this and suggested maybe it wasn’t worth finishing.  

Interesting observation.  But no!  I’ve been watching Project Runway,and I will make this work.  I started again. And this time I gave the forks some breathing space.  Ah, better.

And today I actually joined all the forks and am almost pleased with the results.  Like so many of my quilts, somebody’s gonna love this - it just won’t be me.   I am very excited by what my bee mates are doing.  We’ll have a great reveal in June! 

 

The Sweet Smell of Completion: Sloan Bag by Sew Sweetness

          This Sloan Bag by Sew Sweetness, Sara Lawson, is gorgeous.   

 Here’s how it started: 

Some additional shots of the completed bag…

This bag is one the most complex bags I make, and I love getting lost in the process and the total concentration it takes.  But now?  Time to move on! 

Sloan Bag - Day 4 - almost there…

 The thought of completion is a great motivator!  I couldn’t wait to get started this morning.  And it’s been a productive day.  But I also know when it’s time to stop for the day.  Assembling the outer bag parts is tricky because of the many layers and the curves created by the side pieces.  The best advice I heard for this part of bag making is that seams do not have to be continuous. 

Tomorrow’s task is to assemble the lining pieces and then attach the outer to the inner!  😁 

Nat’s Sloan bag - Day 3

 So almost all the parts are ready to be assembled.  The two big pieces of lining need zippered pockets - and I’m almost there.  Tomorrow is also top stitching all the straps and attaching them.  The final step will be assembling the zippered collar for the top of the whole bag.  And then…😁.

It’s cold cold cold out, and it’s going to snow tomorrow. perfect weather for sewing! 

Nat’s Sloan Bag - Day 2

 

Today was a fiddly day and preparing the various parts.  All the straps are made, and so are all the pockets.  And the bottom of the bag is ready.  Each one of these items needs interfacing, and the straps additionally needed some visible fleece for body.  The side pockets have a snap closure - had  to get out the hammer for these snaps!  The front pocket has a zippered compartment and is also a slip pocket. The bottom piece looks simple but actually has four layers - the actual fabric, interfacing, a layer of Soft and Stable (the foam), and a layer of Peltex, something to add additional body and stiffness for the bag’s bottom.  

I’m thankful for all the fiddly bits - there’s no time to wratchafratch about Trump’s latest acts of idiocy or  the Bears’ loss last night.  And it’s fun to see the bag slowly come together.  Tomorrow? Topstitch and attach the straps,  cut out the lining, and add the lining side pockets and the lining’s two zippered pockets.  

Starting 2026 with a Sloan Travel Bag

Trying to keep to a schedule is hard but necessary.  Early January I completed my monthly commitment of a dozen purses for Sew Powerful.  And once those were done…

I resorted to an old safe sew, A Trip Around the World, in a color palette I don’t often work in.  It’s now hanging and ready for a backing, batting, and pin basting with no particular deadline.

And now?  It’s time for a luxury project - a Sloan Travel bag.  It’s one of my favorite Sew Sweetness patterns, and I make them only for very special people.  The next several several blog entries will be a daily journal of this bag’s process and progress.  The special person is my granddaughter Nat.  We met at Sew Modern Chicago in Arlington Heights and spent an hour touching and combining various fabrics.  And here’s what Nat has chosen.

Once I got home I couldn’t wait to get started.  The feature fabric is a woven cotton, and like with all cottons used for bag making, I interfaced it with SF 101.  This iron-on interfacing gives the cotton a bit of body and helps it to wear longer.  There’s a sample strip that is transparent.  Next to it is a strip of Soft and stable, a thin foam substrate that gives the bag shape.  There’s next task is now to actually machine quilt the feature fabric to the Soft and .stable foam.  After experimenting with a couple of different thread colors, I found one that works the best.  And there is a little sample of that to the right of these strips.   

When I was in the classroom and teaching research skills and papers, the kids often got overwhelmed by the task ahead.  And I assured them we would break it down and go step by step.  Bag making requires the same type of assurance.  Are there a lot of steps?  Yes.  But broken down and doing tasks one step at a time will result is a fabulous finished project.  

On the design wall there is an orange-ish grunge and “rum raisin” grunge.  These will be for the accents - the straps and the side and front pockets. Everything is atop the ombré lining which is just gorgeous.  I’ve found the necessary 1.5” rectangular rings.  And zippers?  I’ll decide on colors as I get more into the bag.  And something  wonderful happened as I was preparing what you see above: I’ve fallen in love with these fabrics.  I don’t have a handle on Nat’s taste and tried very hard to keep my personal taste out of it.  And I left the fabric store feeling ok about her selections.  But now?  I can’t wait to really get started.  

Today’s a busy day so no sewing.  But tomorrow and Tuesday are frigidly cold with nothing on the calendar.  Perfect for sewing! 

Christmas 2025: End-of-the-year Wrap Up

This news is the biggest!  What do you notice about the  picture? Yes - that is my right hand, and I am totally left handed.  But my left thumb has been very ouchy, arthritic and overused. This inflammation means no quilting.  But it’s what I do every night. So 8 weeks ago I started my journey to ambidexterity. The first few nights were awful - I couldn’t even hold the needle.  I kept referring to my left hand so that my right hand could see what it was supposed to be doing.  And , my right-hand quilting is now pretty good! The best bonus is that I can switch hands for a change of direction.  My thumb is still ouchy but can handle a wee bit of quilting, 

Both hands have matching protection!

And this has been my practice piece for right-handed quilting! 

This recent finish pleased me a lot.  It is my Summer 2025  project.  I cut 8.5” x WOF strips from various grunge fabrics and spent summer evenings holding just long thin batted and backed strips and quilting.  I thought I would  go for  a corner log cabin layout.  But it looked so plain.  So I cut the yellow quilted strip into 8.5” squares and began to fool around with this layout. I used what Sharon Peterson calls reversible quilting and what others call quit as you go QAYG.   You can see the grey connecting bits in the front.  The back I almost like even more - see picture below.  For backing I used any low-volume fabric, and I love the effect. 

This is nothing but a fabric I love.  Marcia Derse is the designer, and I have loved her work for over 10 years.  I don’t know what I am going to do with it.  But I love it and will figure something out.  

And look below.  Purses.  Always Sew Powerful purses. This was the December dozen, which means I sent off 144 purses this year.  And I already have the beginnings of January’s dozen on the design wall.

The good quilting fairy has been whipping up various pouches and zip clutches. And some have already been gifted.  It’s a luxury to just play in the studio with fabrics and zippers and create fun little things! 

Last year I did a big bed quilt for stepdaughter Jen.  These pillows are from her leftover fabrics 

This is my 100 Day project. Quilt Buddy Lauren suggested this project to our guild.  10 of us have responded, and each of us gets to determine what they want their project to be.  Some, in the true spirit of 100 Day Projects, are working on something daily.  But I have tailored these 100 days around a black and white scrap project with the outcome being a useable quilt.  Here it is in its pin-basted form.  And currently I am quilting it and figuring how to incorporate some hand quilting   See the picture below?  My eye needs help.  So I am experimenting with stitching around the nine big blocks in the center of the blocks. 

And here’s the end.  This picture above has three of my favorite things in it.  First, my grandson under the quilt.  Second, my grandson taking the picture - look in the mirror.  Third, this quilt.  I love it, I loved making it, and I love that Ryan wants it and how good it looks in his apartment.  I also love that Brandon is sleeping on the sofa bed we passed on to Ryan. The same sofa bed where the boys and I used to have sleepovers. 

This holiday season was good.  I prayed last year for one more winter.  And that will be my prayer again. The holidays are constantly changing and evolving.  While we may yearn for traditions  and faces of yore, we must constantly  adapt and look forward. Here’s to 2026. 

A Glorious Six Days: The Best of Winter

 Even though it’s early December,we've had winter weather complete with snow.  It started the day after Thanksgiving.  Our dinner was small, and of course there was football.  Which meant I had the day to sew! Same with Friday, Saturday, Sunday, yesterday, and today.  All I’ve been doing is sewing.  Sew happily.

The class I took in October with David Owen Hastings on shibori quilting was fun,and I’ve finished my quilt top.  After the class at Quilters Quest, I left my Husqvarna for a badly-needed DNC.  And it is working superbly.  I’m working on matchstick quilting it.  It’s an interesting technique, and I doubt I’ll repeat it.  But it’s satisfying to do.  

Meanwhile I’m getting familiar with my new Bernette.  I made this Swoon Denver backpack to see how the machine does with straps and layers.  And of course the machine is superb. 

To further test this new machine I’m working on this Quilt-As-You-Go ode to grunge.  I spent the summer hand quilting these 8.5 x WOF strips.  And now I’m connecting them.  Lots of layers.  This is a great technique, and I’ve written a tutorial on it.  But it is sewing through a lot of layers.  A lot! 

But here’s been the really big news: I am learning to quilt with my right hand!  My left thumb has been very sore - repetitive use.   So to let my left hand heal I’ve been practicing with my right hand.  And here’s what I’m working on…

This quilt is huge  I’ve been running straight stitches along the white sashing,  while quilting right handed does’t feel natural yet, I no longer feel like the needle is going to jump out of my hands.  Sitting under this quilt, practicing quilting, during the winter when it’s been snowing, having a husband who will leave the house - glorious days! 

Something New in the Studio: A Sew Powerful Prize

WARNING: THIS IS A LONG READ

 I started making purses for Sew Powerful in 2016.  Intrigued by the mission of menstrual hygiene education for junior high girls in Zambia and fascinated by the purse pattern, I threw myself into purse making.  Here are some of my first purses.  

If you go through my Instagram account @moquilt, you could probably get a number of how many purses I’ve made.  I’m not a counter though, so I haven’t done that.  But I estimate I’ve made over 300 purses, probably more.  Some months I would do a purse a day.  My rhythm the past years has been to do 12 a month.  Someone asked me who pays for the fabrics and strapping I use.  I do.  And I’ve been asked how do I get these purses to California where they are packed in shipping containers for Zambia.  Well, I ship them, paying the postage.  In the first 7 years shipping a box of purses might cost $40 to $50.   But Sew Powerful is now a recognized charity for the Give Back Box, a charitable shipping program.  Now I can send a box of purses for $20.  I too support Sew Powerful through monthly giving.

We know the financial need at Sew Powerful is great.  And these needs have been identified by the community it serves. There is a constant assessment of needs.  In addition to the menstrual hygiene aspect of Sew Powerful, the organization has supported needs the community identifies.  Not enough soap has been an issue.  So there is now a soap cooperative that employs local me.  There’s a sewing cooperative which makes uniforms.  There’s a farming cooperative which provides food for kids who are undernourished. In addition to serving communities in Zambia’s capital city Lusaka, Sew Powerful has begun working in Livingston, the city that’s at the base of Victoria Falls. 

Every year sew Powerful holds a fundraiser.  Our purses are meaningless unless there is also $10 worth of supplies that go into them before they are given to the girls,  I’ve never participated - my reasoning: people I know are already so generous and supporting what’s important to them.  But this year I responded to the email calling for fundraisers because there were more prizes than fundraisers.  Fine, I thought.  I’ll give this a try.  After all, who can’t use a new pair of scissors or one of those nifty scissors sets?  I set a goal of  $500.  And thanks to my sister and my husband, I reached that goal the same day.  I had to keep upping my goal because people were so incredibly generous.  My final tally was $5500.  

Sew Powerful also did a great job with the fundraising communication.  We were easily able to keep track of how much money we were raising and how many purses we committed to making.  My goal was 24 purses, but my final count was 36 purses.  We were also able to see everyone’s fundraising tallies.  The top fundraiser who raised 15k won a trip to Zambia.  The next two fundraisers were eligible to the next big prizes of fabulous sewing machines.  But these two women both fundraised last year and won prizes so they refused prizes this year.  So I became eligible for one of the terrific sewing machines,  I chose the Bernina Bernette - it is a straight stitch powerhouse.  I can’t wait to make a bag or backpack and let that machine glide through all the thicknesses.

After a month during which I waited patiently, my Bernette just arrived,  and boy oh boy is it ever sweet! I can’t wait to get to know it better.  So far I’ve wound a bobbin, figured out the threading, and have done some sewing.  And today I’m starting a backpack to really test out the machine.  Il, wait a week or so before starting my December purses! 

I’m thrilled but also a wee bit embarrassed.  I am not a part of Sew Powerful for any individual gain.  Yet I’m beyond delighted with this machine. Over the years as I’ve gotten new machines I’ve given old ones away.  My niece in Colorado has my first trusty Husqvarna. My buddy Cristina has my old Brother straight stitch machine.  And two others have older machines of mine.  This new Bernette will allow me again to be generous with an older machine - a granddaughter is talking about learning to sew!

Years ago when I was very new to  Sew Powerful, I wrote an essay “So Fiddly But Perhaps Worth It” which was published in “We Are So Powerful”.  At that time I was using the intermediate pattern which had an elaborate flap with an elastic pocket.  The effect was lovely but it was difficult and laborious to do. Shortly after a beginner pattern was published with a much simpler flap, and I took to that pattern very happily! I love that my sewing is productive and has a purpose.   I’m thankful for this Sew Powerful mission and knowing that I am having a positive impact on young woman and the future of their country.