I Was Suppose To Be Yesterday… On The Witchy Stitchy Blog Hop…

It’s not even an oops, I forgot… I blundered and put the wrong bags on the living room couch for my hubby to take to work. I have to tell you the whole story for you to understand why I goofed up so badly. You see, when we lived in Italy, and I learned about the row by row experience, I was lucky enough to have several people send me some row patterns back in 2015. By that time, I was teaching Sarah how to sew, and had created a group of moms who also lived on and around the base who liked to sew. We’d meet at various houses once a week. It was one of the few times that I actually got out and about. It  was an experience I’ve always treasured. With those rows, those moms and I would create table runners and then give them to the gift shop on the base. It was pretty cool as people who made crafty type items could sell there stuff in the shop and the shop took a small commission. We had decided as a group that the table runners money would go to the school library because it was continuously low on supplies for the kids. I learned this when I wanted to get rid of some glue sticks I ordered on Amazon and they were the wrong ones, so I offered them to anyone who wanted them for free, and the school librarian contacted me. Thus… when I left, I left the patterns with the woman so they could continue to carry on the tradition we had already created. To this day, I still send row by row patterns that I collect.

Thus, when we moved home, I looked for a way to help at the bases here. I found I could still do the same thing here, so I have. However, this time, I don’t create rows, instead I create grocery bags. When we lived in Germany, I learned real fast I was going to need “fabric” or vinyl type grocery bags, because in Germany they do not use plastic or paper bags when you buy groceries. Not all shops do this, but the local mom/pop shops did. We had a grocery just below our apartment building along with a Chinese restaurant when we lived in Wuerzburg, and the apartments were right above these places. We were on what I would call the 4th floor, but the elevator classed it as the 3rd floor.  I had to make a bunch of bags to go grocery shopping, so that we could take our goods out of the store in the bags. This is part of there recycling program in Germany. I got in the habit, and when I came home, I did the same thing I just took my bags with me. I now just leave them in the car so I always have bags in the car should we stop at the store.

As I was trying to think about what to do for the gift shop on the base, I realized I could make those grocery bags. I have done this now for just over a year. I mainly use free patterns or my test patterns that I stitch myself. I make about 50 bags per month and give them to the shop to sell. They sell very quickly. Anyway, when I was taking the bags for this month downstairs, I grabbed the wrong pile, and put the ones I’d made for this hop on the top of the couch for Frankie to take and drop them off. I looked everywhere on Tuesday for those bags, not realizing what I’d done until I found the bags that were suppose to go to the shop… Ooops.. So I got busy Tuesday night making some new bags for this hop, but the applique process is the part that takes the longest. I can make one of these bags in about 20 minutes if I put nothing on it. It was around 2am when I realized there was no way I was going to finish. I was waiting patiently for the applique to be done and falling asleep at the machine. I did finish the applique part thinking ok, I’ll write Carol and let her know I’ll be late. I knew when I got up in the morning I’d get that bag done quickly.

So, I got up, and the power was out. :/ I was up by 8am, and no power… I paniced… oh my gosh, what was I going to do now… So, I sat and sat, and sat… no coffee, no breakfast… well ok, I did have some Life cereal and opened the fridge to get some milk and some Pepsi.. I had to have my caffeine fix.. ya know 🙂 Finally around 9am, I remembered I have a cell phone… I’m not someone who uses my cell a lot, but thank goodness it was charged and ready to go. So, I texted and called my friend Joan at MooseStashQuilting. I am lucky enough to have her in my contact list on my cell phone from when we met 3 years ago after we moved here. She contacted Carol for me and let her know my dilemna.

The power finally came on some time around 4:15pm and I got busy sewing. Yep, I finished that bag in about 20 minutes flat. In the meantime, I wrote Carol also and asked if she minded if I just went ahead and posted today and so here I am.. one day late, but here.

Thank you Carol for hosting this hop and understanding about yesterday… WoW… I can’t imagined how I’d been if this had been a row along day.

So, here is my lonely bag.

This is a picture of it standing.
I put my starch bottle, and my water bottle in it to make you think there are groceries in it … LOL

Here I thought you might like to see a close up of the gnome pattern I created.

This allows you to see how the bottom was done, and the bag handles.

and it’s even lined on the inside.

I do normally make these bags a bit taller, and wider. I personally like a wide handle so I cut a 5-inch strip and then fold it in half and stitch it making it a 2 1/2-inch wide handle.

I use the triangle technique on the bottom of the bag at a 1 1/2-inch point from top of triangle to create the bottom so the bag will stand. I do this prior to adding the lining. I do not do it on the lining.

I have been known to quilt some bags with Insulbrite to create a cold bag mainly for things that need to stay cold, such as ice-cream, butter, etc. Of course, you can also use it for heated things also, but I can never fit those roasted chickens in the bag. When I do this, I use vinyl for my lining usually with a muslin or solid lining fabric to quilt it all together. I use the vinyl so that if something spills, the vinyl will keep the mess on the inside of the bag.

The applique took about 4 hours total.
All done in twenty minutes flat.
I used 100% Aurifil cotton for my bag and the appliqued gnome.

Of course, as usual I am selling the pattern from the bag along with some other cute gnomes to create your own fun projects with.

and individually

and because I like to give away a pattern when you visit me during an event..

Yep, I have a free pattern here for you today

Click the image to download
This pattern is free for one week
Expires October 17, 2019
Download Expired

The artwork for the Gnome patterns were inspired by Mujka Designs.

Here is the full schedule for Witchy Stitchy

October 7

Creatin’ in the Sticks | Songbird Designs | For The Love Of Geese
Quilted Delights | Kathleen McMusing | Quilts By Joanne
Whims And Fancies | Janie G. – Hosted at Just Let Me Quilt

October 8

Selina Quilts | Vroomans Quilts | Days Filled With Joy
Elizabeth Coughlin Designs | Life in the Scrapatch | Just Because Quilts
Brenda’s Quilt Blog

October 9

Home Sewn By Us | Kathleen – Hosted at Just Let Me Quilt
Quilts Fabric and Thread Tales | Vicki’s Crafts and Quilting
Websterquilt | Seams To Be Sew :/ | Sew Many Yarns

October 10

Beaquilter | Homespun Hannah’s Blog | MooseStashQuilting
Cynthia’s Creating Ark | It’s A T-Sweet Day! | Count it *all* JOY!
Bethni L. – Hosted at Just Let Me Quilt

October 11

Just Let Me Quilt | Quilt Fabrication | Melva Loves Scraps
Patchouli Moon Studio | Ms P Designs USA | Karrin’s Crazy World
Patchwork Breeze | Words & Stitches

Ongoing and Coming Events

Events are listed in the order that they start.

Dover Publications

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Fat Quarter Shop

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C&T Publishing

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Welcome To She Who Sews at Seams To Be Sew 52 Blocks Quilt Along – Hoppy Bunny Basket When You Wish Upon A Star, You May Get A Hero… The Purple People Eater… Art With Fabric Blog Hop… 12 Days of Christmas… July 2018