Extreme Sewing

I was invited to crash the Thimble Pleasures quilting guild retreat this past weekend. The ladies of the guild are some of the most welcoming, talented and generous women I have ever met. They are also rowdy, foul mouthed and lots of fun. The weekend was filled with sewing, socializing and fabric shopping. I had a blast even though I was scolded for turning in early (at 11pm) on Saturday. I could tell some stories but I get the impression that what happens at the quilting retreat stays at the quilting retreat and I definitely want to be invited back next year.

I'm not working on another quilt but I did finish up a couple of projects this weekend. First up is the Chemisette Handbag.

I love the pattern but I found the finished bag was smaller than the photo suggested. It's still a very usable size, just not what I was expecting. The pattern was fairly easy to follow although I used a different gathering method than the one described and added a key fob. I definitely plan to make the bag again but next time I will play around with the inside pockets to make them a bit more functional. I prefer a zippered or sectioned pocket.

The second project is a "humbug bag" which has a funky triangular shape. No pattern for this one since I had my own personal tutorial from the lovely & talented Kathleen Murphy but there's a tute for a similar project here. This bag can be made in any size and is a great project for practicing quiliting techniques. I should also mention the gorgeous print fabric on this pouch was a gift from the fabric fairy. I admired it at one of the shops and the next day a yard of the fabric mysteriously appeared in bag. I absolutely love it and just in case the fabric fairy is a reader I wanted to say thank you.

All in all it was a great weekend. I learned a lot and was inspired by all the talented women of the guild. I'm definitely thinking there is another quilt in my future. If you are looking for inspiration I encourage you to check out Kathy, Kathleen and June's blogs.