Helllooooo . . .

Sometimes I just need a long break from things, in this case, blogging.
I haven't been doing much quilting, but I did get the embellished bag finished. I started with two pieces of found fabric, the same pattern of leaves in two different colourways and made from a heavier cotton. Last summer I stumbled upon a few boxes of various upholstry samples being offered gratis. I rooted through them and came away with some wonderful pieces, including these two.

I envisioned a backpack bag that was slim and folded like a paper bag. I started altering the fabric by running some beautiful, multi-coloured metallic thread in an ambling pattern all over the front piece. On the back piece, I used a lovely variegated green thread. I really like both these threads and they are both from Gutterman. I found the metallic easy to use with no breaking or fraying. On the back piece I also used some brown to zig-zag over the stems and other colours to outline the leaves. I did the leaves in more detail on the front piece using colours that blended with the leaves in rayon thread.

Then I began adding some beads. I have beads from my mother's collection (she had LOTS) and some that I have picked up here and there, and I used them in a few of the leaves and some of the flower buds. I found some great beetle beads in metallic blue/black and wondered how many to add. I was thinking of having a line of them up a stem, but after adding just one, it seemed fine, so I left it alone.

Also in the boxes of found fabric were several small pieces of silk and I used two of those to make the body and wings of the dragonfly. I used beads to fill out his body and the same metallic thread to outline the wings.

I lined it with a nice cotton fabric that I bought at a yard sale last year - 10 metres for $5!!! Can't beat that.

I ran into a problem when sewing the top edge hem as at the corners the wad of fabric was just far too thick for my little Bernina to get through. So far I have just left the corners unsewn.

Overall, I'm pretty pleased with the way it turned out, but because I know it can't be washed I have been very selective about when and where I use it.

This week I have started on a 40" X 40" lap quilt for my daughter. I'll write more about that anon.