Date Night Clutch – OccasionalPiece

Beauty All Around
Quilt # 162

Before I start on my market wrap-up posts (although Sherri of A Quilting Life has a nice array of photos of her Moda contemporaries), I wanted to show you some of the market sewing I did for Sherri. She sent me some fabrics, I sent her an email with a design, then I got to work creating this little mini for her Moda booth. She has the words “There is Beauty All Around” on the selvage of her one of her fabric lines, so I grabbed a bit of that for a title. I got it wrong initially, thinking it belonged to this line, Desert Bloom, but it belonged to the previous collection.

She writes: “I love the name you gave your quilt, too; however, the selvage quote “There is beauty all around” comes from Valley…the selvage quote for Desert Bloom is “Nature’s beauty brings joy to the soul.”

Now you know them both!

It’s pattern #23 in my Craftsy Shop, and in my PayHip Shop (for EU readers). It’s a fun little mini that makes up quickly. Because it is a new little pattern and a wee little star at Quilt Market, it has a lower price for the first month, then I’ll put it back up to the regular price in my shops.

But that’s not all. I also made Sherri a clutch out of her fabric, featuring a pinwheel to match the quilt. I used Diane Stanley’s clutch pattern (she’s also known on IG as ylmommyx4), and it went together really quickly.

Next up: my Starry Compass Rose at Market, plus a giveaway!

For February’s Mid-Century Modern Bee Block, Carla asked us to make the paper-pieced birthday cake found on the Ellison Lane blog. If you decide to make this, note that the default printer settings are quite a bit smaller, so make sure your scaling is set to 100% when you go to print it out. It went together really easily. Carla’s going to have a whole quilt of layer cakes.

The Good Heart Quilters gathered together for our monthly get-together; it was held at Charlotte’s house (upper right) and we felt well feted by her hospitality. Lisa (above left) wore her quilty socks, and finished up Diane’s Date Night Clutch. We had others there, too, and we were all sewing on the Date Night Clutch, however, I got to hold Caitlin’s newborn baby so she could sew. A good choice!

This is the version I made from Dianne’s pattern. I had a box way up in the closet labeled “Japanese Fabrics,” and it held cloth purchased when I went to Japan and Shanghai China about fifteen years ago, a month after 9/11. I had put up the fabric and pretty much forgotten about it, so when I decided to see what was in there, it was a lovely surprise.

Why did I only buy a half-yard of this amazing red/white cotton?

Diane has two different versions of her clutch and this one includes the inner pocket on one side, the insert that will hold credit cards and bills, and a small zipper pocket for small items (or change?)

I’m all ready for QuiltCon now, as I have a small useful clutch to tuck in the bigger tote bags we all carry around.

And. . . I survived the grading of their first essay. I could tell you stories, but I don’t want to upset you if you are eating. I have one student that I’ve picked out as the One I Teach To. He spent a year at Cornell University before decided that it wasn’t for him (he didn’t elaborate). He’s always prepared for class, got an A on the essay, doesn’t fall asleep, and looks interested. . . like he values his education. See why he’s the one I’m teaching to? I generally like all my students, although Video Zombie Boy is getting on my nerves–turning in two paragraphs four days late and telling me it was his essay. (Right.) I’m leaving them all behind for a couple of days while I head to QuiltCon next week. I remind myself of the student I was working with in conference about re-writes, and after we’d finished, she blurted out “I’m going to see Wicked next week and I can hardly sleep I’m so excited!”