quilting – Page 2 – Ink, Yarn & Beer

Another Bag – The Rockport Tote

Between Inktober 2018, watercolors, tasks and errands, I have been working on another bag. This one is in need of massive trimming of threads – so is the Boxy Tote – before it is done. Then, it will be shipped off to a friend of 45 years “just because”! It’s not perfect, but then nothing I ever do is, so that’s life, eh?

This bag is done with one piece of material and quilted every half inch on the body. It’s called the “Rockport Tote” from Aunties Two. The pattern is clearly written, and even better, there are videos to accompany it. If you are interested, follow the preceding links and you will find them. This project took me awhile to do – it spanned about 3 weeks, and in between a lot of stuff, I was champing at the bit to finish it. I’m going to start another one next week – bags are in the works for Christmas presents.

The bag comes in three sizes – small, medium, large. The small is tiny, perfect for little gifts and using up scraps of fabric. I made the medium size. The large is a bit bigger, but this one is a nice size to carry around. Also, I was really happy to find this ceramic Celtic knot work button in my button box – it seems perfect for the bag.

One thing I am enjoying with my time off is the actual ability to have time. If I was still working, I would be rushing and feeling pressed to finish this bag, and I think the whole project would have become a point of aggravation. Slowing down requires having time, and in the time I have, I am finding I am enjoying working on things that would otherwise become frustrations. My sewing skill is far from good, and my own rather casual approach to things doesn’t help. Still, I do have time to do handwork (hand sewing) and picking apart seams or other bits that might not please me. I have time to think about what I want to do, and time to set aside a project with the time to return to it. All of a sudden the rush-rush-rush of my former daily life is gone.

And thus, another project completed. I start a 5-week introduction to quilting class at Quilty Pleasures and another 2-day class to make another Rockport Tote. Yes, you read that last right – I figure I would make one Rockport, and then make another, learning from my own experience, as well as that from Betsy, who taught the Boxy Tote class I took last month. And, though I profess to dislike quilting, my thought is that learning how to cut and sew precisely, as needed for a good quilt, won’t hurt me or my sewing skills. I can only improve. And I know I will have a lot of fun in the process (and probably some frustrations, too.)

Boxy Tote, Part II – Completed!

Last month I started the “Boxy Tote” at a local quilt shop. This is a very complex project, encompassing fusible foam, fusible batting, stays (the things that give the top of the tote its “snap” when opened and shut), pockets, quilting, and sew on (to excuse the bad joke). It took close to 30 hours to complete! You can read about it here.

Below is a picture of the bag, inside and outside. The top side is the lining, which is quilted and has pockets in it.

And finally, here is the tote. Look at the shape of the top of the bag – flat with tapering sides. This is where the stays come in. They are actually quite handy. The zipper also is there, a plastic jacket zipper to which, on either end, tabs have been added. Without the tabs, the bag would be really raw.

As I have said, I probably would have thrown the whole project out if I had not taken a class. Others in the class have said the same thing. While the bag is great, the instructions left a lot to be desired. I rather doubt I will make this again, but the experience was so worthwhile. I learned about fusible foam and batting, neither of which I have ever used before. Inserting the zipper and stays were also valuable experiences. Having a room full of fun women (we had a lot of childbirth jokes going on, but I won’t repeat them here!) and an excellent instructor was worth it all. I’ll be doing more classes, I know, from bags to maybe some quilting, just to refine some sewing techniques if nothing else, as I do not see myself as ever being interested in making quilts – quilted clothing, yes, but not quilts. But, ya never know!

At the Quilt Show

This past weekend was a two-day event, A Quilter’s Showcase, sponsored by the Conejo Valley Quilters, and held in the gym at California Lutheran University. I went Saturday afternoon, to get out of the house, and to find some way to ignore my cold. Of course, the main goal was to see the quilts!

Quilts are both works of art, and practical ways to use up small bits of material to make useful objects, such as bedclothes or pillow coverings. Over the years – probably from the 80s on – wall hangings and other forms of quilting have evolved. Not being a quilter does not mean I do not admire the skill, patience, and creativity involved in their making. I don’t know if I have the patience for them in particular – I need to be moving, not glued to a sewing table or indoors. Anyway, enough about me – let’s look at some of the offerings!

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First, the set up was really nice. Along the periphery of the gym were the vendors, mostly quilt stores, some local, some from further away. Everyone was really nice. Locally, we have Cotton & Chocolate Quilt Company. I liked their display, which was colorful – I especially liked the quilts hanging up.

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The inside portion of the gym was somewhat of a labyrinth. Individual quilts were hung up, like paintings on a wall. Clothespins attached to the side of the quilt allowed the viewer to peer at the reverse of the quilt by using it as a handle – a good idea to keep quilts clean, and to satisfy the curious. There were a variety of quilts, from pictorial to traditional, most new, but some from the 1800s and 1900s.

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The vendors were mostly quilt stores, but you do need machines and thread and needles besides material to quilt. Businesses selling sewing machines were there – I didn’t see my favorite store, Art & Jenny’s from Ventura there – but there were plenty of other local businesses with great machines and friendly, knowledgable staff. My favorite featured hand crank sewing machines, and quite a few of them.

_DSC4604 This store is called Sew Cranky, and as you can see in the above picture, they had oodles. If I didn’t have a couple of hand crank sewing machines of my own, I would have gotten one. If you have never used a hand crank machine, it is very peaceful – no long electrical cords, slow motion, and you can take it outdoors, even if it does weigh a ton. The decals are wonderful, and the click-click sound of the shuttle is soothing. Treadle sewing machines are just as nice, but a bit less portable. And, they do have attachments which compensate for the straight-stitch only of many older machines.

Communities, such as the Conejo Valley Quilters, connect people to arts and crafts, to resources, and open one up to the variety and talent found within one’s own neighborhood. Their value may seem neglible, but in reality, our own lives become enriched from such venues, much more than we can appreciate in the moment.