Project Bags and Labels

Guess what came in Monday's mail?!?!?!?

slim, small envelope, from France

100 labels

It took a couple days to fill the order (they did it in good time).  It took 24 hours to get from France to US, but, it took 12 days to get from NY to my home.  :(  (no speed records set for the US Post Office).

Here is some 'up close' of the labels.  Sorry for the blurry pictures.  I tried several times, but, the labesl came out blurry every time.

'Teapots2Quilting' on the front

underside of label 'by Cheryl Parker'

*OOPS!*  I forgot to include a link to the labels. Ikaprint is the company, and they are out of France.  Here are the labels that I ordered. 

I was ready for those labels to arrive!  I got started stitching the labels and binding onto all 10 Project Bags.  It is a slow process, since I'm not used to stitching BOTH sides of the binding down by machine.  All those Clover clips and fussing with everything made my arms sore.  I got 2 bags done on Monday afternoon.  The first two bags are using one of the 'Ugly' fabrics from my little quilt guild's Ugly Fabric Exchange.  The 'ugly' fabric is the wild flowers showing thru the window of the bags.  Both of these bags are the same, except that I quilted the flower fabrics differently.

First 2 Project Bags finished, with labels

up close of one of the bags with the label on the left side

On Tuesday, I stitched the rest of the labels on the bags, and started stitching the bindings on.  I got 6 more bags finished.

These two bags are different fabrics.  One used the orphan blocks from the freebie table at my large quilt guild.

one of these bags is not like the other.....

treadle fabric thru the window

using orphan blocks to make this bag

These next two bags are the same, except that the zippers are different (one pastel, one hot pink).  I got these fabrics a few years ago, when I got 3 large bags full of fabrics at the local thrift store.  I've been slowly making projects with some of these fabrics.

sewing themed Project Bags

up close of one bag

If you want to see the backings I used for these project bags, check out this post.

It is a well known fact that I collect vintage sewing machines (and sew with them, too).  When I find sewing themed fabrics, I HAVE to buy some.  Since the majority of my vintage machines are Singer's, you can guess why I had to have some of these fabrics.

Singer fabric bags

first Singer bag

second Singer bag

These last bags are made from several different sewing themed fabrics that I've collected.  They aren't the same fabric line, but, I thought they went well together.  I got up this morning, and stitched the last bit of binding down on each of these bags.

last 2 project bags

first bag

second bag

10 Project Bags FINISHED!  I got the pattern from By Annie.

pattern

I'll make these again, but, I did make some changes as I made these bags (added fusible interfacing to zipper fabrics, and used the 'main' fabric for what shows thru the window, not what is on the back (that won't get looked at).  I also decided to use a solid piece of fabric on the bottom, instead of piecing a strip of fabrics. 

Oh yes, these Project Bags were made on my 1939 Singer 221 Featherweight, Betty Sue.  I did 'cheat' and did the machine quilting for the backings on my Janome 4800QC.  I do love 'needle down' while machine quilting.

Betty Sue, stitching Project Bags together

 Hopefully I'll be off shortly, to sew with friends at a local quilt shop, Sewing Etc.  I'm waiting for the AC man to arrive, and fix our AC first. 

Waiting.......

I really have been stitching, but, now I'm 'waiting' for my new labels, so that I can finish stitching. 

I saw these Project Bags on Stitch All Things, and I've been wanting to make these for quite a while now.  I finally ordered the pattern.

I got all the pieces cut out, and the backings quilted last month (post). I prepped 10 different Project bags.  I've stitched them all together EXCEPT for the binding.  I ordered some labels, and, they were printed and shipped out quickly, BUT, the USPS isn't interested in getting them to me.  It only took 24 hours for them to get from France to New York, but, it then took 6 full days for them to get from NY to Chicago.  Now I'm waiting for them to get the 40 miles from Chicago to me (it's been 4 days so far).  I think they are walking them here.  I need to get these finished by Thursday.  I do wish they would 'walk' them here a bit faster. 

10 Project Bags, with binding ready to be attached

stitching them on Betty Sue

I did change something, most of the way thru.  She doesn't line her zipper flaps, and, the fabric tends to stretch.  After attaching 6 zippers, I decided to add some fusible interfacing to the back of the zipper flap fabric before I sewed the zippers on.  MUCH better! 

I have been doing some other stuff, while waiting.  Remember this lovely machine from Deborah?

Post WWII class 15 Universal

They just don't make any paint (that I can find) this color.  I finally settled on a paint that is several shades lighter, for the hand crank.  I also didn't like the black spoked hand wheel, that I had to use.  The original hand wheel (solid, so, can't use a hand crank with it) was that light cream color.

original solid hand wheel, and showing black spoked hand wheel and black hand crank

I tested the paints, to see if they would 'stay' on the metal.  I loved the color of the little paint, but, it scratched off the hand wheel.  Only the spray paints worked.

testing the paints

spray paints I used

I finally got both of these painted and attached.  Don't look too closely, since my painting skills leave a lot to be desired.

painted hand wheel and hand crank

painted hand wheel and hand crank

Sew much prettier now!  I have more exchange blocks to make on this machine.  This will also be fun to show off at my next demo, at Lyon's Farm, in September.

While waiting, I've made more binding for placemats, hand stitched some large hexie flowers, and have been working on family reunion blocks, etc. 

Annie's Ruby Slipperz is having a sewing challenge.  She wants us to sew at least 30 minutes, 6 days a week (you get one day off each week) for the month of May.  I think that 30 minutes of sewing is the LEAST I've done each day.  With all the hand sewing, I've gotten way more than 30 minutes a day done.  Making 10 project bags took up most of a couple of days (no string piecing, since I had to keep changing the thread colors).  I've stitched while watching Dancing With The Stars, on NCIS night, while waiting for car repairs (oil change and a recall fix).... 

Now, if the USPS will just deliver my labels, I'll have LOTS more stitching to get done, and will finally have some finishes to show.

Hope you have a fun and productive weekend!