Creative Surge

This weekend I was feeling a wee bit creative. I had found a piece of chicken print fabric that seemed perfect for a pieced bag. I don't know where it came from--one of those common donations of scrap that I receive, I guess. The print was just right for cutting between the chickens on the border print to make the whole outside of one bag and the front for a second. I had purchased a fat quarter selection at a Jo-Ann Fabric's sale a few months ago because the stripe and prints in the package were perfect for a pieced bag, especially the stripe for a top. I was delighted that the two fabrics paired together so well.

While I semi-watched the series re-run of Project Runway I started developing the ideas for how to assemble this purse. Working with a pattern is sometimes frustrating, but when you are designing and stitching and making up everything as you go along, the process can become very complex. For instance, I forgot to stitch handles into the bag top as I added the stripe. Okey, I guess it will be a shoulder bag instead of a hand bag, and so then I had to hunt up the D-rings I had in the supply drawers--somewhere--and had to figure out how to attach them so as not to ruin the nice top trim. The handles had to be made to fit the D-tings as both sets were slightly different in size. I used batting trimmings from a friend (leftovers from a commercially quilted quilt that were just too large to throw away) in the handles, and I should have used more in the bag and trim . Lining and pockets were another creative decision and I used the leftovers from my grandson's quilt I made earlier in the summer. Then since I only had half a bag of the chicken print I had to decide how to back the bag, and how to do a pocket, or pockets on the outside as well as the inside. Then how far do I box in the bottom to make the purse bottom and sides.

Fitting in my C&M concept, I have about a 10-inch square of the back, lining and handle fabric, and a 2-inch strip of the stripe fabric left following my creative surge. It seems to me they about evened out with this project!

I'll have to post pictures of the second bag later. The camera has been used too much this week and the battery has to be charged. In the meantime, know that the bag will be visiting in Texas with my friend, Cathie, who used it today while driving me to funeral services. I have to admit it looked pretty nifty, and presently holds some holiday redwork so it will serve a useful purpose!

I also worked with some fleece and pre-print scraps during this surge, but will post about them later as the package has not been received by the intended "victims" so will post after they receive it.