Art Deco Women in a Crazy Quilt Purse

I have finally put the finishing touches on my new crazy quilt purse. So far it is my favorite: black, white and gray with red on white or white on red in 1\4" strips between each piece. This really sets off the pieces so that they stand out as individuals. The art deco women who are the theme, were a fabric gift. This is also a purse full of grateful memories. Of course I do 'fancy' machine stitches on the edge of every piece or either side of the strip between.

I also lined the front so that it could become a whole pocket that is closed with Velcro for those things that I want to keep separate for the usual stash of 'necessary stuff' that seems to weigh me down. I'm working on minimizing, but not making a whole lot of head way.

Purse front featuring 3 of the art deco women.

Purse back.

Purse sides.

Purse inside showing full front pocket with velcro closure and 2 pockets in the back for pen and note paper.

I lined the closure flap and the inside of the front pocket with this wonderful fabric which was a gift. I put my name in yellow on the front. It is under the flap when closed. I just had to have my identity tag.

Christmas Star Block

I don't come from a traditional quilt background. I come from an art background with limited sewing skills. When my guild announced last month that they we were each going to make blocks for Christmas quilts, I panicked. What if mine wasn't good enough. The colors were predetermined: Christmas red, Christmas green and white on white. It was the white on white that cause me so much trouble. Half the time I put it on the wrong way. I found it more than enough of a challenge. I don't ever want to use white on white again where I have to worry about which side is up. I've never ripped out so much on such a little piece: 12" square. At any rate, I threw it on the pile last night at our meeting. I wasn't the best, but I was far from the worst. In fact, I feel rather good about my contribution.

Christmas Star Block

PS. I also showed my 'Blast Off' quilt. I was thrilled with the response. It was also fun to see what every one else is making. This is my first time with live [not over the computer] quilters. I'm really having fun with this group. There is a lot of diversity. Everyone seems to appreciate that. If you are not in a guild or a group, I encourage you to seek one out

Crazy Quilt for a Baby

This is my first baby quilt. Therefore, I looked at LOTS of designs. Many were very cute; most were done in pastels. My priority was for the quilt to be interesting to the baby. I went through my stash of specialty prints. I pulled out all the really interesting ones, especially if they were bright colors. Some were black and white, but that worked for me too. I usually buy seasonal prints when they are on the BIG sale. Then I added some wild stripes and bright colors. In my mind, it had to be a crazy quilt because of the diverse sizes and shapes of the interesting bits that I had. I also pulled out all of my gross grain and washable ribbons and other decorative items, like rick rack. Then I looked for bright colored thread.

The first start was awful. It got totally out of shape. This time I used a firmer backing fabric and carefully pressed, especially if the seam was covered with trim. As I assembled the pieces, I did decorative stitches [machine] to hold the seams firmly in place. My starting point, in case you can't find it, is the little girl on the ad. She resembles the mother very much. I also added a pocket and put in a firm, sewn 'teething chew'. I made these by taking some flannel, doubling it twice and then covering it with fabric and stitching it many times to make it firm. I gave one to the baby right away, as she was teething at the time. She used it immediately.

Even though the colors aren't bright, I had to include a piece with sewing supplies.