Saturday, May 30, 2015

Zip It Up

Birthdays are fun and my Magpie friends are always up for a celebration! We go out to dinner and exchange gifts this time for Karen and Kathy F.

I can't just buy something to buy it, so I looked at all of the local quilt shops, but nothing seemed to be just right. And to paraphrase the Grinch...'I puzzled and puzzled till my puzzler was sore.Then I thought of something I hadn't before.'  I'll make something for them; something they'll love...a zippered pouch it will be like a dream from above.

As all of the Magpie's know; Karen's favorite color is orange and boy do I have some awesome orange fabric in my stash. Been waiting for a good reason to use it (it's the kind of fabric you gotta have but really don't want to cut it...oh come on, admit it...you know what I mean).

So I pulled out the fabric  and decided to embroider her name on it:


I didn't want it to be plain on the back, so I inserted a fabric like the one I'd used on the front.


Now I had to quilt it before I assembled the bag. But what color thread?  hmmmm. I know (after I puzzed again)...my metallic copper thread! Cool look with orange fabric.  So I changed my needle and loosened the tension. And followed a tip I'd gotten from a fellow quilter, don't rush; stitch slowly. Otherwise friction could build up; that's why metallic thread can seem to break so easily.


Well, that was fun! What now...Oh, decorative stitches! Yes and with the same metallic thread:


Next decision was for the inside of the bag. Something similar but contrasting. hhhmmm. Ah, purple! Quite the color combination! Add a zipper and it's almost ready to wrap.



Karen collects pieces of costume jewelry and uses them in her compositions. She actually brought some to a Magpie meeting  and let us each select a piece. Then she challenged each of us to find a way to integrate into a project. I love the look and I'm happy to say Karen did too!

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