Two Years and Twenty Thousand Excuses

March 2, 2008 I wrote this blog post.... about some great purple fabric that I got a great deal on.
And in June, 2009 I wrote this blog post... showing a peek at the first of two twin bags that I made out of the great purple fabric.

And today...
After many months/years of procrastination, moving the project from box to box, transporting it to Ohio and back again, sewing machine issues, lack of necessary materials, and too many other excuses to list here... it is FINISHED!!!

Now to move it one more time - to Massachusetts - so the Sibling Shipping Service can transport it south for delivery.

The rest of the bits of this wonderful purple fabric will find their way into a couple of scrappy projects currently in progress - so I will always remember the Two Year Totes.

But I won't promise that it won't happen again.

It's so nice when Hubby comes home...

Hubby was away at camp for the weekend - an adults work weekend to get Scout camp ready for the summer. He left EARLY Thursday morning, and got home at noonish today.

45 minutes after he got home, I was out the door to a quilt show.

And with him handling bedtime - I was able to get 2 more finishes (start to finishes) done, which gives me 2 more in the first week of our Waun-a-Quilt summer.

The crabby fabric of the pillowcase I have had for a while, and thought I could get the cuff out of my stash, but nothing was jumping out at me so I went back to the store and picked up one of the coordinates.

The Cars bag is from the leftover fabric from the pillowcase I made yesterday and is for the Munchkin to carry around his "Cars cars" that he likes to play with. He has been carrying them around in a bag with trains on it - and somehow that was working for him, but just did not sit right with me - not when I could coordinate things for him.

The quilt show was interesting - I went by myself, which was not nearly as fun as it would have been if I had gone with someone else - I chatted with a few people as we looked at the quilts and browsed the vendors, and I ran into one co-worker that I did not know was a quilter, but most of the time I was walking through alone.

I took a few pictures -will probably share those tomorrow.

Tonight I will just share my 2 finishes - and the first peek at Purple Miranda I.

A Purple Finish

Purple Miranda I is DONE!!!!

No pictures though - since I and II are identical I don't want to give away the surprise.

Temptation Tuesday

OK - so the competitive side of me was tempted by a quick finish and a finish a night - in addition to encouraging each other, our fearless Prolific Online Quilt group leaders are keeping score!

But as tempting as it was to finish some quick and easies that I have cut out and waiting - I went for one of the biggies...

Purple Miranda I (which is a twin to Purple Miranda II by the way) - which has been languishing, cut and waiting - since about - oh - 15 months ago...(oops!)

See - I cut them out (meant to make one but ended up with all those "there's only 7/8 of a yard left on this bolt -do you want it at 50% off the current price" situations - and had enough to make 2, and then some) - and then got my new machine so thought "hey - these would be great to free motion quilt" -and then I chickened out. I have practiced FMQ some - but these were for someone else - and on a bag it is really FRONT AND CENTER - and I was not confident.

And then recently - after fondling Lazy Girl Design's newest bag, Claire, who is not quilted but uses fusible batting, I put two and two together and decided that Purple Miranda I and II would NOT be quilted - but rather fused to fusible batting. The fabric pattern is swirly enough to stand on its own without the addition of the quilting, and I would be that much closer to having these done.

So a month later - I finally started.

And although I did not finish Purple Miranda I tonight - I have the "bagsket" part done - the body of the bag and all the pockets. I just need to add the straps and flap and cinch tabs. If everything goes well, it should be done tomorrow.

And I need to finish Purple Miranda II by the 2nd of July -it needs to catch a ride south...

So what's the story behind the turtles?

I sometimes get asked why I have so many turtles in my projects. I have bees, too - but the whole "Queen Bee" connection to that is more obvious. Lazy Sister Sue has turtles in a lot of her projects, too - but that goes back to a close encounter with a sea turtle in Hawaii -and that's her story to tell.

My turtle connection goes back to my first trip to Japan - waayyy back in 1985-86, when I was a Rotary Youth Exchange Student in the beautiful city of Kanazawa. That entire thing is another looong story, but suffice it to say I had a great time, and even went back later to teach.

The turtle "trouble" started when my class took our class trip in March to a number of historical sites around the Nara region of Japan. One visit was to a lighthouse, and I found a couple of cute tiny little turtles carved out of seashells in the gift shop. I purchased 2 - one purple and one white -giving the purple one to my best friend.

The little white turtle came home with me - and I showed it to my mom. The following Christmas - there was a carved wooden turtle in my stocking. This was larger than my shell - but the same shape and design. Mom had found it in a local antique store.

The turtle collection had begun - although it grew slowly. I really did not add to it too much until I returned to Kanazawa, and then I began adding turtles from around the region - a jade one from China, a soapstone one from Hong Kong, an antique porcelain incense burner one from Kyoto, and a fun one made entirely of carved bamboo tops - it all comes apart and each part of it spins! My rule was to purchase turtles particular to where I was. So when I ever get to Austria I will get the Austrian Crystal one - but not before then.

I really don't know how many I have- or what they all are. It would be interesting to get them all together and take a picture. I don't have them all out and displayed -they are tucked here and there around my house, and some are still in storage, waiting for the right time to come out of their "shells."

My most recent "turtle" is my Miranda bag -with fabric given to me by Lazy Sister Sue. At least this one I can take with me wherever I go. Perhaps the little guy that started this all will find a home in one of the pockets.

A Funny Thing Happened on the way to the Fabric Store

Actually - the funny thing happened AT the fabric store, but anyway....

I started out with a good list - new rotary cutter, blades, thread, and some fabric for a couple of quilt projects I am working on.

I was fine until I got in line for the cutting counter -and got spotted - by 2 of my Sister-In-Laws and my niece.

"There's nothing purple in this cart," one SIL observed. The other SIL had been hinting BROADLY that the Train Miranda I made for the Munchkin would look really good in purple, so I knew what that was all about. I'd been intending to make her one, but since there were so many fabric styles to choose from I did not want to buy it without her input.

Since the quilting fabrics were on sale - I grabbed the 3 of them and off we went back over to get more fabric - just as my number was being called for cutting!

"I'll be back" I promised the ladies at the cutting counter.

So we found our purples - and back I went to get it all cut.

It must have been my lucky day - I had grabbed a whole bunch of bolts that had just enough on them that after I put in my order, there were "remnants" left that I of course snatched up at the additional discount.

So I ended up with enough purples to make 2 Mirandas (and I just happen to know someone else that is related to me that loves purple!!), and enough of the other bits and pieces to really get to work on 4 quilt projects in various stages of progress - from planning to piecing.

AND I got my new rotary cutter. I got lots of great input from lots of people on the different cutters out there, but in the end opted to stick with the same Fiskars cutter I am used to. I've had no complaints, like how it feels in my hand, the price was right - and this great new color in their Coastal Collection will help me keep my paper cutter and fabric cutter separated.

I obliterated the gift card Hubby gave me for my birthday - and then some - but will get a lot out of what I purchased. I just can't go back again for a while - unless I win the Lottery.

Birth Month - Day 11 - Baby's Got a Brand New Bag

This is my first ever Miranda bag - another great Lazy Girl pattern. I already had the train fabric and since the Munchkin's day bag was getting a bit worn (it was a Harrods tote from Lazy By Proxy Sister Terri from her years in England) I thought I would make this for him. He also tends to be a creature of habit when it comes to his bags, coats, scarves and such - he does not like to change - so I thought perhaps the train theme of this might ease the transition.

It is hard to see in the picture - but there is actually quilting on this!!! Machine quilting! I did not go crazy and free form - I did diagonal "tracks" on the green bottom, and followed the railroad tracks on the train fabric. The inside is a fun and funky orange to match some of the train cars. I put in clips so we can cinch it in, or add the longer strap (to be made) if Mommy has to carry it for any length of time. The whole thing is short enough that the Munchkin can carry it on his own if he likes.

Now to make one for Mommy!!! - not with trains, though - I don't like them THAT much!

This is Birth Month day 11's gift - since I spent the bulk of day 11 making it!