Gerbera and Socks

 I finished my latest bag commission. It is my first bag made nearly entirely in cork fabric.

The pattern is Gerbera Crossbody Pouch, by Blue Calla Patterns. I used a rainbow flecked cork from MM Cork, in BC. The recipient chose the fabrics, from her grandmother's stash. This is her birthday gift from Grandma.

I realized as I sat down to type this, that I forgot a picture of the back.

A bit darker, because I just did this one quickly.

I used a cork overlay on the interior zipper pocket.

The other side has card pockets and a slip pockets for her phone.

It also has a carabiner for her keys. 

I hope she enjoys her new bag. Grandma is going to visit her at her university, next week, and will deliver the bag.

Meanwhile, I finished a pair of socks that I started in May.

They look kind of odd. I think they need a light blocking. The pattern is called "Make Your Heels Strong". It is free on Ravelry. The yarn is some clearance bin sock yarn I found in my stash. The advantage of these socks is that you don't have to pick up any stitches. Not sure I will make them again.

The garden is loving all the rain. since our plants are in pots, their feet have a chance to dry out.

You can see our blueberries at the top of the picture . This is an experiment, for this summer. They have set fruit, but we might just be feeding the birds, if they get them first.

Wild Fires are raging to the North of us. I think of those who have to evacuate, and of course, the animals. We just have to deal with bad air.

Today, I'll clean up the sewing room, ready for the next project.

Washed Out Canada Day

 Although we live in the National Capital, we leave the big show downtown to the visitors, and enjoy something quieter.

Our favourite little Canadian was dressed in her patriotic bandana. She was planning a day in her pool.

Meanwhile, off in the official celebration, our Prime Minister announced that Canada would be in Eurovision, next year. 

However, just after 1:30 in the afternoon, the sky started to boom. The rain started to fall. It was very dark. The people at the downtown festivities were told to take shelter. The storm went on for hours. The main highway, just east of us, became a lake. In the end we set a new record for a single day in July, of 118 mm of rain. 

In the late afternoon, I saw a rainbow. It was rather faint. In a few minutes the clouds turned dark again, and the rain started again. 

I spent some time, playing with a new knitting pattern.

This is Floral iCord Garland, a practice pattern for Floral Bouquet Shawl, both by Xandy Peters. 

The sun is out today, and it is very hot, and of course, very humid. I'm hiding inside. 

I'm making progress on a new purse. I have to keep reminding myself that even 15 minutes is progress. I hope to have it done by the end of the weekend.

Have a good weekend. 

Solstice Unboxing

 It is the summer solstice here, and of course, it is rainy, again. All the rain has made everything green and lush. The picture on the left is early March, and the right is this week, standing basically in the same spot in the yard.

I promised a Quilt the North unboxing, so here it is.

This box's designer is Andrea Tsang Jackson, from Halifax. This looks like a fun box.

As always, the box is beautifully presented. The first thing you see as you open it, is a piece of clear vinyl. I had already removed it when I took this picture and it is currently sitting under a couple of bins in my sewing room, to flatten it.

A designer card, and some information about Halifax, and Andrea's favourite places.

This is Andrea's pattern. It is a project bag, with a vinyl front and a quilted back. The design looks like a twirling ribbon, and we have paper piecing this time. Not everyone's favourite, but I enjoy it.

The highlight of every box, for me, is the designer's choice of fabrics. This box had a bonus.

We can choose to make the bag in either solids or prints. Isn't that great. I can see making one bag with the paper piecing in solids and a second one, with some additions from my stash. I'm loving those Anna Maria fabrics. 

We got some nice Maritime swag.  There is a card with a print from a Halifax artist. There is a rope bowl, from Warm, Woolie, and Woven. There are tags with kisses on one side, and made with love on the other. The tags are designed by Andrea.

Of course, Monica , the creator of the Quilt the North boxes, sent us another block for our Canadian collection. This is a lobster claw.

And finally, the zipper I teased you with, last time.

I have a purse to make this week, but I think I will follow it with this project.

Confession: While preparing this post, I realized that I never did a March unboxing. I'll try to do that later this week.

Happy Solstice!

It's June

 After about 3 weeks of spring weather, we suddenly turned to summer. We have been having weather around 30C. I am not a fan, and it makes my sewing space much too warm. We have a couple more days of heat, in the coming week, then it is predicted to be more moderate.

I have nearly finished my Sunshine Crossbody Bag, and it ended up bigger than I wanted.  I love to look of it, but I wanted something just for making quick trips and errands.

This is the front.

The back has no zipper.

Lots of pockets, for a phone, cards, and other necessities.

It also has a leash for keys.

After I finish the pressing and add a strap, it will be off to its new home. 

Emmaline's Bags has a new wallet pattern, and when they offered a kit with everything except the thread, I just had to get one.

You buy the pattern separate, because you can use it again and again. The kit is a great idea if you don't have a lot of vinyl or cork scraps and want to make one. The pattern looks easy, so I can see making more than one.

I finished my baby socks.

The yarn is leftovers from a pair of socks earlier this year. I was surprised when the socks turned out to be identical.

The new Quilt The North box arrived today. I am among the first to get it, I expect, so I'll wait to post my unboxing, however, one item in the box is exciting.

There is a zipper! This won't be the usual Quilt the North Project.

I have a couple of handbags to finish in the next while, but I am excited to do this project, too.

Apple Blossoms

 

The apple trees are blooming. The backyard is perfumed in the late afternoon. Hopefully, we have lots of bees to pollinate them and give us food for the birds over the winter.

The weather has been crazy. We have had frost warnings with near freezing nights, after a couple of days in the high 20's. It's hard to know how to dress.

I started a shawl, when we first got Daisy and the Olympics were on TV. It was slow going, with a puppy to keep an eye on, so it pretty much got forgotten. Last week, I decided it was time to let it go, so I frogged it, and will use the yarn for a different shawl. 

I started a new one, and it is going much better.

The pattern is easy to follow, and I'm enjoying it.

I've also been working on a new purse for me.

This is the front. I showed the alterations I was making to the pattern on my last blog. Things are mostly fitting together. It's amazing how the bright rainbow zipper just blends into that fabric.

I was asked for baby socks. I need to keep a pair in stock at all times, apparently. I discovered that I had started a pair, for waiting room knitting, that I had forgotten about. I'll finish them and start a new pair for the stock. My friends keep having grandbabies and great grandbabies.

I will close with Princess Daisy, sitting on her throne, looking very regal. The only thought in her mind is " I think I smell BBQ'ed chicken."

Daisy and I wish you a happy week.

Tulip Time

 It's Victoria Day weekend in Canada. In Ottawa, it is Tulip Festival time. Since the end of WWII we have covered the place with tulips. This week, Princess Margriet of the Netherlands was here again, to enjoy our tulips. If you didn't know, Princess Margriet was born in Ottawa in 1943. 

Here are some of my tulips.

Not much sewing done this week.

We had two of our big trees removed. They were diseased and we felt that they were unsafe. We were sad to see them go.

As you can see, the replacement was planted about 5 years ago, knowing this was going to happen. It is a native Basswood and will start to spread, now that it has more sun.

The machine that took the trees down is amazing. The operator stands on the ground, and a crane arm with a large clamp and circular blade can grab the tree, and cut off the piece it is holding. Then the cut piece is lowered gently to the ground. This seems so much safer than older methods.

I went shopping for new shoes. This is what I wanted.

They didn't have them in my size, so this is what I got.

Why are grownup shoes so boring? I want shoes that sparkle when I walk.

I finished my April socks.

And started my May ones.

They have a different heel, I'm waiting to see how they fit.

The pattern pieces for my new bag have all been altered, and I need to get the fabric cut out and sewn.

They are threatening weather in the high 20's this week. I have long felt like spring is just about 3 weeks, here, at the beginning of May. Then, poof, it is summer. Hopefully we will have a day to clean up the sunroom, before it gets too hot.

Try Not To Make The Same Mistake Twice

 I finally decided on the fabric for my new bag.

That feels right. I haven't had a cat bag for awhile, so it seemed time. In my sorting, I found two pieces of the paw print fabric, so I thought I'd use the smaller piece for the lining of this bag. The cats have been in my stash for about 6 years, I think. It was recently re-released, in darker shades. I like mine better.

I'm going to make the Sunshine Crossbody Bag.  Its a free pattern from Bagstock Designs. 

https://www.bagstockdesigns.com/collections/pdf-sewing-patterns/products/sunshine-crossbody-pouch

As I was preparing the pattern pieces, I had a couple of memories, of bags past, that I need to consider for this bag.  This bag has a front pocket, and I like that for my phone. I made a bag and then got my current phone, and the phone didn't fit in the front pocket. So I checked the zipper size, measured my phone, and thought there wouldn't be a problem.

Then I remembered a passport wallet I made for a friend, where after careful measuring, I discovered that I couldn't fit the passport in, because the zipper pull shortens the opening. So I marked the seam lines, and then marked the length of the zipper pull and slide.

Then I laid my phone on the seamline, with the bottom at the mark for the sipper pull.

I think that needs a little  more fabric.

i added 2 1/2" to the front piece. Now it looks like the phone will fit. Now I just need to find all the pattern pieces that I need to 2 1/2 inches. I'm so glad a remembered that before I cut anything.  And, yes, I decided to go with the bright colored zipper instead of the pastel.

Daisy had a puppy party this week. She invited her litter mate, Luigi, and his family for a playdate. It was a beautiful spring day, and everyone had so much fun.

The children had fun, and can't wait to do it again. I think there will be more puppy playdates, soon.