Prairie Points and Hexagons

This was a Sunday of firsts!  The first time I used transparent poly thread, the first time I made hexagons and the first time I made prairie points!  Very excited about all three, I’ve been anxiously plowing through my Prairie Flower Pincushion pattern and kit I got on my trip to Olde City Quilts, and by the looks of my stitches, I’ve probably been moving a little too quickly.

The kit came with two charm packs of Moda’s Verna, 1” hexagon templates, batting and the printed pattern.   After pawing over a couple of the samples in the shop and enjoying the summery colors of Verna, I decided that maybe I really did need another pincushion.  (And, my 93-year-old Pop has a girlfriend named Verna, so I figured it was more the coincidence!)

At this point in the evening, I’m a little too tired to  finish, but stay tuned…do you think I’ll have a new pincushion tomorrow??

Eco “Beach” Tote

It’s mid-July, and I hope everyone has made it to the beach, or at  least the pool, once this summer!  I personally can’t wait for my next trip to those sandy shores, and to make my trips to the beach a little more crafty, I put a beach twist on Favorite Thing’s Eco Market Tote!

Every year for my birthday, my mother-in-law and I go on a little shopping trip.  This year, we ended up smitten with the fabric selection and wall of bag/purse/tote patterns at Olde City Quilts in Burlington, New Jersey.  Inspired by an upcoming vacation and a sample of the Eco Market Tote in the shop, my mother-in-law and I picked up the pattern and some bright, beachy fabrics to make it out of.  This large tote seemed perfect for a couple big beach towels, and an optional front pocket was a necessity for lotion and a good book.

One evening last month, we had a “girl’s night in” sewing our hearts out and into these awesome bags!  We didn’t initially intend on making matching bags, but we both agreed that the rainbow stripe fabric was screaming, “I want to be a beach tote!”  (Mine’s the one with the blue handles.)

The pattern was simple to follow, and everything went together smoothly.  We used a fusible interfacing on the main bag to make them more sturdy; however, I wish I had done the same for the front pocket.  The magnetic snap that holds it shut is a little too strong between a single piece of fabric.   Luckily, there’s no worries at the beach, and if that bag’s packed and ready to go, there are more important things than worrying about a snap!