Quilt Festival is almost here!

Hello there

As I start typing this post, it's Sunday August 4th and Maggie is on a train on her own from London, after spending a few days with my mum and Step dad house-sitting for my sister in Surrey. My mind is elsewhere other than sewing but I really want to get a wriggle on with making this bag, as I'm off to the Quilt Festival on Thursday and I want this bag specifically for that. I'm doing a Karin Hellaby class in the afternoon and I have to take a few things such as a cutting mat and the one I use at home is far too big to carry with, so one of my sisters bought me a smaller one for my birthday. That is still 24"x18", so a large bag is required. 

Why does my life always seem so complicated?!!

Anyway, I got the fabric I wanted from Fabric Rehab last week (fingers crossed that I win the competition they had open, where all I had to do was make an order in the set time period).

Considering today's circumstances, I set to cutting the fabric and of course I made a mistake at the very first cut, despite writing down my basic instructions. I cut the sew retro fabric at 17" high instead of 22"! Not impressive!

I then of course had to think quick and I decided to use some plain cotton fat quarters I have in the stash as borders, to make up the measurement issue! 

As I type I've got the border sections drying, as I did a quick colour fast test on them.

I had wanted to do an idea I found on the web and put it on Pinterest, which is basically a ruffled vertical section for the front but I really don't see me getting enough time for that this week.

Pocket or no pocket?! 

I'll only publish this post when I've finished and you can see what I got time to do. I'm off to do the straps now and check my phone for texts from Maggie and walk the dogs and and and and.... you know how it goes! :-)
                                           ------------------------------------
It's now 8.30pm on Wednesday August 7th and I've only just finished my bag. This is the first chance I've had to do anything with it since Sunday and even today I've been out and about in lovely Delamere Forest too. 

I've made more mistakes with this bag than I will probably ever admit to in public; one big, but most just silly, thankfully. I had to increase the size of it since Sunday's version, so it's all just been designing and sewing all at the same time.

Progress not perfect remember! :-)

Come on boys, help me out here, 'get out of the way!'

The reason I had to make it so big,
was so that it fitted the cutting mat I need for
the 'Sew Simple Pineapple' Karin Hellaby class I'm doing there

I'm glad that I decided to make the top stitching decorative,
for the inside as much as anything else

Oh for crying out loud! Move! :-)
At least this photo shows one of the side panels,
which gave me such a hard time.

I love the straps too; making them two-tone,
fits in perfectly with the patchworky feel
of the whole bag

This fabric makes it all worth while

I had wanted to put buttons  down the red panels and some fabric roses would've tied in with the fabric too but I've just run out of time. I've had to cut my fabric for the class and get the other class requirements ready whilst the photos uploaded. I now need to get some cash and petrol and then shower and bed, as I've got a 7am start to try and avoid as much rush hour traffic as possible.

Can you sense my excitement/nerves? 

Good! :-)

Take care out there

p.s Maggie got home ok and had had a really good time away and the train journey had been easy, other than some guy sitting opposite her with his music on too loud in his earphones! .....That's my girl! :-)