Free Motion Bag is Done

This project has been sitting around for far too long, so in the spirit of a tidier sewing room I decided to finish it before I allowed myself to start anything else.
The background is that I went on a free motion course in June  (this year). We practised free motion quilting on squares for making up into a raggy bag. Afterwards I was really disappointed with how my efforts turned out, didn't like the fabrics and was inclined to abandon it.
Then I needed some free motion practice before completing Beach Huts, managed to finish all 27 squares and by the time I got to the side and bottom gussets was really enjoying it and quite pleased with the results.This was due in no small part to the guidance in Christine Maraccini's 'Machine Quilting Solutions' as recommended by the course teacher.

 Later still I looked at putting them together into a bag and decided only 18 were useable.  I started along the *raggy bag lines but soon realised I hated the look with the fabrics and *sewed all the seams to the inside and neatened them by hand.
The final stage was to *decide on a binding and apply it. (*Pictures previously posted). Applying it was very awkward as there is a gusset on three sides so had to bind a box shape. Of course it worked better at the bottom than the top and I had to try to conceal a certain amount of rather crummy hand sewing, but I'm so relieved it's finished. I even like it now.

 I was a bit stumped on how to create a tough strengthener for the base until I came across a reference to pelmet vilene. A curtain shop sold me some iron on buckram that I thought would be stiffer when ironed. It worked beautifully because it was self adhesive on both sides so I could iron all the raw edges in, once I'd cleaned off the iron and board. That's definitely a technique for future use, not that I need an excuse to make more bags. 

 The different colours of panels on each side are total serendipity - the result of using the only decent free motion samples but they're proving quite useful. If anyone asks, I'll say it was a cunning plan! Yesterday I wore a red jacket and today an orange shirt so could just wear the best side out. Of course the binding had to work with the panels and provide a good contrast, so I went for yellow against red and turquoise and orange against brown and blue. The binding fabrics are batik scraps from my Calabash Quilt, more on that coming soon. Modelled pictures show the sewing room is back in use again

Brown and blues 

 Red and turquoise

 Just in time to beat the minimum 5p charge on plastic bags that started in Wales yesterday, yippee!

Free Motion Bag Progress

Yesterday I had all sorts of plans to go out but nothing came of them after I slipped over on some mud, got slightly bashed and felt like nursing myself so I sewed instead. 

The raggy free motion bag is no longer raggy, It took a while, but I trimmed and folded in the seam allowances and hand stitched them down as per the quilt as you go projects that I've read about. 

The result is very tidy as they say round here.

 

I like it much better than before but the colours (not my choice but from the course)  are still so dull and dreary that they make me wonder why I'm going to all this effort. 

The bag face on the right side of this picture is the worst side. Not one to waste all the work done so far, the next challenge seems to be to liven them up  with a binding to give the rest a kick, as they say in Busy Bees.

 

So after ages playing with my stash I've decided on the yellow and orange batiks left over from my Calabash Quilt. Probably the yellows on the red/turquoise side and the oranges on the dull dull blue and brown

It's really nice that so far that practically everything I have done has had a fabric link to a previous project, linking back to the original recycling ethos of patchwork 

 

 If I can get it to work, the plan is to sew in one of the painted squares as an inside pocket for shopping lists,  keys etc


I've changed the font on this now to Verdana which is Jim's favourite , hope it looks nicer. Can't work out how to make the text black, it is set on black but still come up too light a grey to be easy to read. Bold seems to be an improvement.

My first proper paint effort

After some time dithering and a bit more practice on scraps, I decided the only thing was to go for it so I have painted the back of the folded patchwork cushion which I had already free motion quilted. I used a slightly furry roller, not the dense foam as recommended by Linda and Laura Kemshall because that seemed to give a to solid effect. It looks OK and doesn't obscure the nice purple fabric underneath. I don't quite get the point if the carefully chosen fabric gets obscured. Also I chose a fabric paint as that leaves the work softer to handle and washable unlike acrylics. A stiffer effect using acrylics has its place but not here. In my enthusiasm I didn't take a before picture, here is the after. The paint is silver though it looks gold on the photo.

Inspired by that, I had a go at the Beach Hut clouds using a white perle fabric paint and a bit of silver. This is still drying but I have hopes it will be OK, so far I like the subtle effect. None of them have been ironed to set the paint yet so there's still a way out!

Lastly I have undone the free motion bag with the raggy effect block assembly as I decided that I really didn't like that way round. It will be reassembled rights side out, raw edges on the wrong side and those edges maybe bound or just zig zagged. Back to the machine for the reconstruction