I had fun making this bag. The lining has 3 pockets on each side. The fabric is quilt shop quality and the bag sits beautifully. I think I improve the options and style with each bag I make. I get comments from friends who say they like the bag to be able to close and have lots of pockets. I take their advice and add the things when possible.

I am like a whirlwind when I sew. Thread and pins are flying. My dogs know to stay out of the way when they hear the buzz of my machine. I have a lead foot when driving my car and I have to say that it is all systems go when I use my sewing machine. Put the pedal to the metal is my motto. I want to see the finished product. I attended a class today to learn about all the bells and whistles my new sewing machine has. I cannot wait to try them on my own time. I learned how to decorate with embroidery thread and ribbon. I plan to make some purses and try out these techniques. The fabric will be flying this afternoon!

I have to do a little cleaning before I sew. There are threads embedded into the area rug that sits under the table where I sew. I have to lug out my big vacuum and work at every thread to get them to surrender to the sucking of that machine. Or I use duct tape and get the threads picked up. The Dirt Devil AccuCharge would be so much more handy in my sewing area. It is Energy Star efficient and that means it isn’t using up valuable resources like my big vacuum does. I suppose I could go back to using duct tape to pick up all those threads and really save energy. I would rather have a cordless Dirt Devil AccuCharge vacuum. Besides, it is just so cute!

If you ever have a chance to go to a seminar put on by Pat Knoechel, please go. You will laugh and learn. She is an easy going person who has a way of explaining things that make things seem simple. She was putting pieces of fabric together and they made up patterns as if by magic. She was naturally funny. I cannot explain how she made us giggle. It was the way she moved her hands and talked. You just have to go. You can find her schedule on her website at Creating With Color. You will be inspired to put colors together that you had not considered. You will want to put together new quilt blocks. She spoke for a little over an hour and I thought 15 minutes had gone by.

If you don’t see me for awhile, here on my blog, it is because I am busy sewing. Or, I would like to be busy sewing. Tonight I am attending a seminar given by Pat Knoechel, sister of Eleanor Burns. If she is half as funny with her quirky ways as Eleanor Burns is, this is going to be a fun presentation. I have heard that she brings tons of projects that have been used in Eleanor’s television shows. They must use reputable international shipping services to get their huge trunks where they need to be. You thought that International Movers only relocated furniture for people who were relocating? Well, they do and they do a bang up job. The quality of service in an international move is like no other when you use International Movers. They are but one company recommended by Relocation.com. Relocation.com has all the necessary resources to assist you with your big move.

Back to tonight’s show. Pat will surely inspire me to try new things in quilting. She will teach how to use a new ruler designed to make both scallops and waves, as well as how to perfect old techniques. I am excited and will be back tomorrow to tell of all I saw and learned.

I cannot wait to see the movie Marley and Me. It stars Jennifer Aniston and Owen Wilson. The movie tells how a family learns important life lessons from their adorable, but naughty and neurotic dog. Based on the memoir by John Grogan, you can listen to excerpts and read about the book on the website. You have to visit and look at the photographs. They are so cute. We love our pets don’t we!?!

I am boxing up my old sewing machine and shipping it to its new owner. It is kinda sad but it was part of the bargain for buying my new machine. I have been digging around trying to find proper packing material. I hope the buyer of my machine doesn’t think I haphazardly wrapped it and shipped it off. I just don’t have the proper materials on hand. I want it to be secure so it isn’t damaged along the trip. I would much rather leave the packing to a reputable firm like MovingOrbit.com. They come in and pack everything with the upmost care to prevent breakage of your precious items when shipping on their moving trucks. You can check on their website for pricing to have your items moved or you can find out more about doing all or part of it yourself. Their website makes it possible to make informed decisions about your next move.

I loved making the little prairie points bag so much that I decided to make it in a larger version. Now I might interest a purse lover who would like to have one for themselves and one for their daughter. I love the cowgirl and bandanna material I used for these bags. Mom went to the fabric store for me this morning to pick up more of the bandanna material. When she gets back, I can make the handles and put the decorative buttons on and this bag will be finished. I took special care to put lots of pockets inside this bag. There are 3 on each side!

The small bag is 10″ wide by 7 1/2″ tall.
The larger bag is 14″ wide by 8″ tall.

If you are like me with my coffee, you love to sit down with a nice cup of tea. It is your moment to relax and do something for yourself. I would like to give all you tea drinkers a bit of valuable information. Not all tea comes from reputable sources. To be assured you are buying tea from a business that is committed to promoting sustainable agriculture in India and paying a premium market rate to farmers, buy from Organic India. All of their teas are certified organic and provide Indian farmers with a living wage. It is important to buy tea, herbs, herbal coffee and wellness sets like triphala capsules from company who cares about impoverished farmers in India. The story about this company is inspiring. It is good to do business with a company that is truly making a difference in people’s lives.

I was so happy when my friend called to say she had finished machine quilting my quilt. Now all I had to do was put on the binding. Mom cut the binding for me. She cut it on the bias so that the stripe would be angled along the edge of the quilt. Here are pictures of putting the binding on. If you look closely, you can see the beautiful quilt design that Sue quilted. I love the pattern she chose.

I was thrilled at my last appointment with my doctor. She took me off a medication. My legs had been swelling and had doc concerned. It seems that wearing medical legwear has been better for my legs. I have been reading a friend’s blog and learned some diabetic facts that had me concerned. Under my doctors care, I can rule out diabetes but need to watch my health habits. I have to be careful what type of hose and socks I wear. If you are on your feet a lot like I am, you might want to check out Americal Hosiery. They are an excellent source for medical leg wear to help your legs feel better.