September 30th 2011

Did y'all miss me?  Didja?  Didja REALLY???  Well, I'm back!  September is like the beginning of a New Year to me, and I needed to take some time to take stock, re-evaluate, et cetera.  I did that.  And now I'm done doing that.  So I'm blogging again.

I miss being a student.  Well, that's a PARTIAL lie as I am currently an Aromatherapy student.  I'm just not currently an "academic" student as in working on my Master's degree.  To make me feel better about the arrival of September without an "academic" return to studenthood, I made myself a new lunch bag.


I had this GREAT "school days" fabric, but decided it was a little TOO "school days" for a lunch bag to take to work.




So I used an assortment of "pinks" and "coffee prints".  The exterior of the bag consists of fabric strips attached to a solid layer of fabric plus batting in a "quilt as you go" technique.




Once all the exterior strips are attached, you sew the exterior of the bag together.




Then you make a separate lining.  More pink fabric ... with a "coffee" theme.




Then you sew the lining into the innards of the bag and the flap.  Yes, I followed the instructions.  (I don't usually.)




Finally, you add velcro closures.




And ... TA DA! ... Here's the finished lunch bag!  Oh, the big bright pink button on the closure flap was my idea, not in the pattern instructions.  (But I did follow the instructions up to that point!)

  There are some things I would do differently were I to tackle making another lunch bag like this.  First, I don't see the need for the separate lining.  The inner layer of fabric is already nicely quilted.  Perhaps just a lining on the "flap" part.  Second, the carrying strap/handle is currently positioned in a way that puts all of the weight on the "flap" part.  I have visions of the velcro letting go and my lunch scattering all over the place ... not to mention my favourite little glass casserole dish getting broken!  I would move the carrying strap/handle back further on the body of the bag.  Finally ... and kind of related to the lining issue ... I would create internal "pockets" for cutlery.

So what did I pack for lunch the first day I used my new lunch bag?

Homemade buns and a can of tuna.

An onion and a carrot. 

And a fresh peach.
It wasn't a particularly good peach.
I used to live in the Okanagan, so "I know from peaches already!"

 While I had "pinks" sorted out in my sewing corner, I FINALLY got around to making a cushion cover for my rocking chair.  (The cushion had been living in an old pillow case with the end folded under.)


I used the same "quilt as you go" method as I used on my lunch bag.  Notice the cat print and the word "finicky" at the centre.  I couldn't help myself!
Yes, that is "approximately" a log cabin pattern ... but the strips are uneven.  I kind of like things that are slightly off-centre!  I'm like that one little owl hanging upside down at the end of the branch while all the other "good" little owls are lined up right side up!




Looks quite nice on my wood rocking chair, if I do say so myself.



And Mizz Bootz gave it her serious consideration and ultimately her purr of approval!


 Are the fall colours as GLORIOUS in your part of the world as they are here right now?  I wish I could just bottle all those beautiful shades of yellow and gold and save them up to look at over the long winter ahead!  I'll be back soon ...