The really Big Ass Bag!

I'm wrapping up things around here, getting ready to go on vacation in a few days. We're flying, and taking my laptop and I needed a bag that both fit the laptop and a few other things and was secure, because I don't want my items rolling around on the plane floor. So this is what I came up with ~ A really Big Ass Bag, henceforth known as the Cycle Around Bag.



I have made messenger bags before, but this one is really huge. Doesn't help that my laptop is a wide screen, hence the larger sized bag. But this also needs to hold a book or two, passports, tickets, snacks, a sweater, DVDs for the kids, etc etc etc. So there you have it.



And a few accessory pouches for random other things.


The bicycle fabric in this bag is an Echino print. I thought the bikes were perfect for a messenger bag, plus I love biking anyway. The lining is Park Slope fabric which coordinates pretty well. The bag also has a divider pocket to keep the laptop in place. Test run coming up in a few days!

Just so you know, Hubby is staying home, he has to work, poor guy and take care of the pup.


In the meantime, happy sewing!

Quilting outside the box

This quilt is for my son - he's an outside the box kind of kid. He loves to build things. He'll build anything, out of any material. I'm not really sure if his brain ever stops building even when he's sleeping. If all he has is dirt and sticks, he'll build with that. Give him some legos and he'll build the most amazing creations. Lately he's been building transformers out of legos. Creations that fully transform from one visible entity to another - it's amazing to me that his young brain can even dream up these things, let alone bring them to life. He's an awesome kid.



He rarely benefits from my sewing skills, there just aren't a lot of things a fabric lovin' mom can make for an 11 year old boy. But when I started quilting, he added his name to the waiting list. Well wait no more kid, here is your outside the box quilt.

This quilt follows the pattern from Modern Quilt Workshop.


I used an assortment of guy-ish fabrics in his favorite color, blue. I'm pretty happy with the result and so is he!

The back ~


The dog likes it to!


and this guy,


Can you spot the mistake in this quilt? I set all the blocks in sideways in the long view. Ooops, oh well, it's a lap quilt and we'll just call that part, charm.

Now on to finish the other 2 quilts I have on my sewing table.

Happy Sewing!

IKEA score

Yesterday we trekked up to Portland to take my daughter to OMSI camp for the week. The lucky girl gets to canoe off the San Juan's and spot Orca's. Yes it's a tough life when you are 8. Meanwhile, the rest of her family, that's us, decided to make a trip to IKEA. I convinced hubby we needed barstools (we do) and I figured we should head on over there and check out the fabric offerings, well, among other things, that may have been my modis operandi.

I managed to score some really awesome large scale prints in grey tones which will be perfect as new tablecloths for the kitchen. These prints are right up my alley - really modern, which I LOVE. These are REALLY large scale, those top flowers are about 24" across. These prints will be great for the kitchen table.



And did you know, that you can get really cheap down/feather pillow inserts at IKEA? Well, I didn't but I was sure glad to find that out since I have a multitude of pillow outsides here that need stuffing. So as a result, I managed to finish and stuff my fade to blue pillow, which was originally slated for PTS3 until I decided it wasn't up to snuff enough for that swap.



So now we have another new pillow in our living room. Still have a few to make, but this is a nice start. Also the new pillow inserts should solve the pillow lumpies - you know when your family members leave the pillow wedged between the sofa and the sofa cushion and this, somehow over time, results in a lumpy pillow indeed? At least the feather ones are re-fluffable.



And lastly, my trip to Portland would not be complete without a visit to Bolt. It was my first trip to the 'famed' fabric shop in Portland's Art district. I did enjoy seeing the organic and japanese fabrics in person. However, I came away empty handed, which has to be a first for me, and I'm not sure but it might be because hubby was along. He thinks we have enough fabric in our house - silly!

Happy Sewing!