My Bear Quarry Tote

Noodlehead's latest pattern is called the Quarry Tote. I've made many of her patterns and couldn't wait to get started on this one! The pattern has 2 sizes - this is the larger of the two and finishes at 11" tall.

The outer fabric is a linen print that I picked up at QuiltCon and the inside is quilting cotton. I clearly love, love the bear print from Ruby Star Society. The pattern had instructions for the mesh pocket and I added the inset pocket.

For the inset pocket, the fabric was placed 1" from the top of the lining and the drew the rectangle 1" from the top of the wrong side of the pocket fabric, 1" from each edge. Rectangle drawn for stitching  was 1/2" tall.

The bag is turned through the front outside pocket so I was able to configure the lining in a way that the bears were right side up when you peak in.

I very much enjoyed the entire construction process - perhaps because the bears were staring at me the whole time and they make me smile! This bag will be perfect for events like QuiltCon where I need to carry more stuff. Next up is to make the smaller sized one as an everyday bag.

Have a wonderful day! Patty

Granny Square Blanket is Done!

Ta da! My granny square blanket is done and I am in love. (Temps need to cool a bit before it will be put in use!) (This photo was taken at Dix Park in Raleigh.)

When I was a kid, my grandmother taught me to knit. You might consider it my 'gateway craft' that got me into handwork of all kinds - cross-stitch, embroidery - and then quilting. I like the portability of knitting and made many hats, scarfs and even the occasional blanket like this one for my Mom and this one for me! 

This fall, I wanted to attempt to crochet and, thanks to YouTube videos, started making granny squares using a beautiful 32 color pack of Cotton Chirps from Purl Soho. Working with all this color was exciting. One of the best things about granny squares for a new learner? If you mess up, it is easy to pull back a few stitches and then just restart.

the 'wrong side'

The afghan finished at 52" x 52" using 169 granny squares set in a 13 x 13 grid. A slip stitch was used to join the squares. The border was a row of single crochet followed by a row of double crochet.

This actually was my second crochet project. The first was a blanket made way back in the late 70s. (I was only a toddler of course!) While I found a photo, I am not certain where the actual afghan is! There are a few boxes in the attic that perhaps on a non-summer day I will open up and peek inside.

Have a wonderful day! Patty

Double Wedding Ring is Done!!

My double wedding ring quilt enjoyed some time at the spa and is now home and on the bed! I am just thrilled with how this quilt came out.

I used these templates and overcut the blocks to allow for better accuracy after trimming. Before I started on these blocks, I practiced with my Pantone challenge entry - Orange Overload! For the orange quilt, I didn't like all the bulk that came together at the seam so decided on adding 1" sashing between the blocks.

The quilt is 92" x 92". The FMQ pantograph is called geometric diamonds. The background fabric is a Painter's Palette solid called Colonial Blue. The pints are primarily from either Ruby Star or Zen Chic.

The new quilt completely changed the look of the room. The prior quilt which I called Pure & Simple was made in 2012. As you can see from the photo below, after 13 years of use and who knows how many wash cycles, it was ready for retirement! 

2012                                                                           2025

Have a wonderful day! Patty