Project Quilting 17.6 A Happy Handful

What a fun way to end this year’s challenge: with a small joy-inducing project. This week Trish asked us to make something that we could hold in one hand, "small in stature, but full of joy." I've had this image in my head for the past several weeks, wanting to work it somehow into a quilt.

I made a mug rug with the symbol for female on it.

I used the 'Make it curvy' templates from Betty Crockerass to make the circle with the centre cut out.

The outer edges were made with the 2.5" templates, and then to make the inner edges, I used the 1.5" templates. I used both, though just the convex 1.5" one is here. Here I'd just made the first half of the circle.

I looked at a few online images to get the plus part in proper proportion. Yes, if you look closely, you'll see both the plus section and the circle are not perfect; in fact the 12 noon to 3 o'clock quarter of the circle I reversed sewed and sewed no less than three times (ugh) and it's still not exact, but it works just fine for my liking. Yes it was fiddly working this small with curves.

I used a scrap of 'True Friends Collection' by Nancy Halvorsen for the backing.

Actually both the backing and the background are scraps from Nancy's line which I recently used to (finally) make my open hearts quilt, which was intended to be a PQ challenge, so I am considering it a bonus project! The two pinks are Alison Glass fabrics. As for the quilting, I planned to echo the circle three times, but I liked it so much and it hit me that women's hearts, full of warmth and love and tenderness ripple out into their own circles (grin) which in turn ripple out even further, dare I say from beyond the grave (personal experience). I did the outer circles with my walking foot and the inner quilted spiral was FMQ-ed.

We are emotional, caring, giving tender-hearted beings, and this is not to say that men are not, but the majority are head-centred, whereas we are heart-centred. I firmly believe, and when I've voiced this among friends, they heartily agree, that were women mainly in charge of the countries of this world, say the exact opposite ratio of men to women currently in power, there would be no bombs being made or dropped, no children and mothers being murdered, no continual aggression and desire to control. Oh there are women who are all of those nasty things, but they are in the vast minority. My husband always brings up Danielle Smith, but she is one, one horrid, self-serving, destructive woman premier amongst thirteen, not to mention all the previous premiers in our history.

The mug rugs I use are mainly in use in the summer outside on our deck when I have my afternoon tea, and both are Christmas ones! So this one will be happily used all summer, and I will feel proud and strong and worthy each time I use it. It measures 9" by 6.5". I used three Aurifil colours for the quilting, binding and bobbin thread. 

What is with the Postcard From Sweden lookalike little bag in that photo? Well I had several HSTs cut from the last one I made (a year ago!) and because I like to do a leader/ender project whenever I can, I started sewing some together, and well, kept on going, because this is another joy-filled, hold-in-one-hand project! It only took another half day to get it to completion.

Rainbow bag with a rainbow zipper in one hand! (and a small orange thread..grr which I only noticed when I uploaded this photo!)

What's better than a rainbow bag with a rainbow zipper?

A rainbow bag with a rainbow zipper and a rainbow heart-filled lining!

This one is listing in my Etsy shop; here is the link.

I had another wonderful, creative and joy-filled start to the year participating in Kim and Trish's Project Quilting challenges. Here are my six projects.

Three quilts, a tea cosy, two placemats, a mug rug and a makeup bag! All made with stash and scraps. 

Linking up at Persimon Dreams. Now to finalize this year's Quilt Along which starts in just two weeks!