Friday, August 14, 2015

Letting the Cat Out of the Bag

It's been 8 days since my last post (ha, that has Catholic confessional overtones!) and here's why.  First, you know about the Folk Fest last weekend from Friday to Sunday, which was just over the top amazing.  If you ever get a chance to see Natalie MacMaster with her husband, Donnell Leahy, go for it.  Same goes for Pavlo, a beautiful, mesmerizing Flamenco guitarist.  Ashley MacIsaac did not disappoint either, WOW, electric fiddling.  Second, cue the choir, or perhaps the fiddle, I met up with Julie of Pink Doxies!!!!  Pinch me!
"pd meets mmm" Julie's Instagram caption!
She took me to Amish Country, (pinch me hard again!) where we did so many things, amongst them, visited and helped keep in business two awesome fabric stores, and ate at an Amish restaurant where I had the best homemade lunch: grilled cheese on homemade whole wheat bread, with locally made Swiss cheese, and the best pecan pie and ice cream, both homemade, I have ever tasted and most likely ever will taste in my life....

I have told a few people, as well as said it here on the blog, about the wonderful, like-minded souls I have met through blogging, women I consider very good friends, and for whom I am so very thankful.  I've heard, and got "the look" that these aren't real friends.  Well, they most certainly are.  Meeting Julie, hugging in person, as opposed to the virtual ones, although those mean a lot too, just cemented this sentiment. :-)

Of course I had to make her a Pyramid Pouch.  (a little bag...get the double entendre in the title of this post?) These are all Art Gallery fabrics, a fat quarter bundle of 16 that I picked up from Fat Quarter Shop in March with a quilt for my niece in mind.  I used them to start Cheryl's Sea Star pattern for my niece, and have a little bit of each one left over...perfect!  Julie loves pink, in case you didn't know...

I just LOVE this print.  I saved it because I only needed 15 fat quarters for Cheryl's pattern.  It's a perfect lining... However, I'd love an entire backing or a border out of this fabric!

I was making two pouches at a time, one for Julie, and one for my oldest daughter, Brianne, who also loves all things pink, has done since she was born, no lie.  Brianne's didn't quite get finished before we left, so I finished it up this morning.  Now each daughter has a rendition of my first published pattern, made by moi! Dayna's was in purple, her favourite colour, and was the prototype for the Moda Bakeshop pattern.
Exact same 32 triangles per side as Julie's, just arranged differently
Brianne's has a hot pink zipper, as opposed to the paler pink one in Julie's, as well as a hot pink lining fabric.  The zippers are from that pack I purchased last winter from Zipit. (no affiliation, but they are great: great service, and great prices too.)

The lining is leftover fabric from Brianne's pinks and oranges quilt I made her in 2007.  It's a gorgeous one, Color Connections by Free Spirit, and has a similar hand to the smooth Art Gallery fabrics.  I didn't put a pull handle on Brianne's, thought I'd see how it works without one.

Both pouches were quilted with Sulky Holoshimmer metallic thread in fuchsia - love it - tried to catch the shimmer here in the sunlight
My impatiens plants do not disappoint this year once again.  They are spectacular.
My husband's banana plants are also spectacular
The banana plants are 2 and 3 years old, and, up until this Spring, were in pots which we hauled by dolly in for the winter.  They are now in the ground.  I can't bear to think of seeing these gorgeous things die, but he says they are just too big now.  :-(  The elephant ears are finally starting to take off with the past couple weeks of warm and humid weather; we have had such a below average temperatures summer here that they haven't burst forth like they normally do.

Bag Stats
Pattern:  original design
Size: 6.5" high X 11.5" wide at the top
Fabric:  Art Gallery scraps; Free Spirit Color Connections scrap for lining from my stash
Batting: Warm 'n Natural
Quilted: on my Bernina
Threads: pieced with Gütermann; quilted with Sulky Holoshimmer
Linking up with Confessions of a Fabric Addict and Crazy Mom Quilts' Finish It Up Friday.  Too funny: both of today's posts feature a baby quilt made by Sarah and by Amanda Jean respectively. Each one is very different.
I am also linking up with TGIFF held this week at Quilt Matters.

I will also probably link this post up with Cynthia's Oh Scrap! at Quilting is More Fun than Housework.  No way.  Cynthia's post for today is also about a baby quilt she made!  Talk about the stars aligning.

24 comments:

  1. I love your bag. Great colors and design. I've bookmarked your pattern for future use! Thanks for sharing.

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  2. What a great post and what a wonderful way to spend time with an online bestie :) Amish part sounds amazing, your pouches are cute, and ever so pink :)

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  3. How awesome that you were able to meet up with Julie in person, and what a sweet gift for her. :) It sounds like a great visit.

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  4. Looked like a great trip . Yes , those who don't sew or blog don't really understand the blog friend thing . I suppose this time two years ago I didn't either

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  5. What a fun pouch! I really like your color and fabric choices. It sounds like you had a great visit.

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  6. I'm glad to hear that you two got to meet up and in Amish country?? What a great way to spend the day. I hope to make it up that way sometime. Your flowers are beautiful. Is there anyway to maybe cover the banana plants for the winter?

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  7. Sounds like you had an awesome time. Natalie and Ashley are Nova Scotians. Love the pouch. Think I'll try your pattern next time around.

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  8. SO glad you had a great time! So are we going to see a haul of purchased fabric for a Sunday Stash post? ;) Good to hear you made it back home safe and sound and didn't waste any time getting back into your sewing room!

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  9. How fantastic that the two of you got to meet in person! That is the best. Darling pouch.
    Hope the banana plants survive the winter!

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  10. I can see why you had so much fun meeting Julie. I love the pouches! I'll have one in green please:)

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  11. We visited the Amish in Tenn. A few years ago, very interesting

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  12. Oh, so much fun to meet and do a quilt shop stroll! Your pouch is great.

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  13. So happy you met Julie in person; seems like SUCH a warm and lovely lady! The pyramid pouches are absolutely spectacular, you should be so proud of yourself again my wonderful sister! The impatiens are fantastic! I'll have to have a discussion with my brother in law about those wonderful banana plants Lol!

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  14. Hooray - it sounds and looks like you and Julie had a wonderful time together! Did MacGuyver enjoy the Football Hall of Fame too?
    These two latest pyramid pouches are so beautiful - the pink triangles are a lovely mix of fabrics!

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  15. Love your new pink pouches! They are so happy! Great gifts, too. How wonderful to meet a fellow quilter/blogger in person! I have that on my quilty bucket list!

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  16. Such cute pouches. I'm just starting to think I'd like to make some, I tried a little 3-corner pouch last week and it didn't turn out too badly. Now I need zippers so thanks for the tip of where to get them. :D Your patio looks so beautiful. Don't you hate that just as everything is at the peak of perfection the season is almost over? Sad for the banana plants but maybe you can start some new ones.

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  17. How exciting to meet a fellow quilty blogger friend and what a fun area to explore together! Oh, and I have a daughter named Dayna too:)

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  18. Chiming in here after days without internet service: We had the best time! As my dd said, no pun intended, "I've never seen 2 people cut from the same fabric as you two." Thank you for the visit, Sandra, and I love, love my Pyramid Pouch in Pink! The weather was extrordinary, the company superb, and the memory Golden! Even your MacGyver had a good time here in Quilt Land. Please, let's do this again.

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  19. Awesome pattern! Love all those pinks. You look like you had a great time and the pics are amazing.

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  20. I know what you mean in getting to meet blogging friends in person. Such a treat! It sounds like you had a fabulous time. Beautiful bag, Sandra!

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  21. Cute bags and I am so jealous that you got to meet Julie in person!

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  22. Your pyramid bag is great for using leftover bits. Thanks for linking up with Oh Scrap!

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  23. Your bags are so cute! I love that your daughters both have your bag in their favorite color. And I agree with you about friends. I usually say, "My friend ... who lives in ..." I think it sounds better than "my friend I met online."

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  24. Julie and Sandra together??? That is so much talent in one room. I would pinch me too. Then hug you both and then may be dance around till I was dizzy. OK, enough now let us destroy some fabric together and come up with new ideas!!!
    Sew Preeti Quilts

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