Bags With Bags & A Reveal!

Here we are again, time has flitted by and I'm wondering how it came to be Sunday afternoon ... but I think we ALL ask ourselves that question every week, don't we! :0) BTW ... is anyone else tired of computer programs/blog hosts etc making changes to formats when things have been working very nicely before hand thank-you-very-much!!! SIGH! If it ain't broke, don't fix it I say ... but apparently I just have to get used to a new blogger format ... AGAIN!!!!!!

OK ... enough whingeing about computer programmers who think they know what's best for me without actually ASKING me ... I've had a busy week this week and have a couple of things to share. Firstly ... do you remember a few posts back I told you to pop across and visit the delightful Fiona of Bubz Rugz cos she had posted a pic of a bag made from my "French Shopping Spree" pattern?? Well ... we met up on Friday when our "Quilting Angels" gathered at my Home-Away-From-Home Quilters Angel and there was a big ...

SNAP!!

She had her beautifully made French bag with her and so did I ... so what do two good bloggers do? Why, of COURSE they get a third person to take a photo! :0)

Ooh! La! La! Tre Magnifique!! Here is Miss Bubz herself and Moi modelling our Eiffel Tower-adorned bags ... or as we joked while having our photo taken ... "Bags With Bags"! Tee! Hee! Hee! It's always fun to see how people interpret my pattern designs and I LOVE to see where they've added their own little touches or made little changes to make the finished project truly their own. One of the reasons that I struggle through the instruction writing process to publish craft patterns is to encourage people to be creative and to find the joy of taking 'bits and bobs' and transforming them into something beautiful and/or useful and having that lovely warm glow that says, "I made that myself!!" :0) Thanks for bringing your bag for 'Show & Tell', Fiona!! It was lovely to catch up!! :0)

Speaking of writing pattern instructions ... there's some more of my 'favourite' (NOT!!!) chore on the horizon for me this week, cos I finished the top of my PINK quilt ... otherwise known as "Blissful Butterflies". :0) It's been whisked off to the lovely Rosalie of Rose Quilting for her care and attention, but I thought I'd share a pic of the top that I took before handing it over to Rosalie. Ready???

Ta! Da!! Four pink fluttering butterflies gathered around a sweet topiary rose bush. I'm pretty happy with how it's come together and really enjoyed working on the applique, which is all hand-stitched blanket stitch. I'm gradually switching to using Cosmo threads and have to say I find them much nicer to stitch with. Added to that, these applique shapes are a bit larger and simpler than my "French Amour" quilt that I'd previously stitched, so nice and quick to stitch around. I've got a little bit of breathing space while it's at the quilters before I start that dreaded instruction writing chore, so maybe I'll stitch something just for 'fun' for a week or two. :0) What are you stitching at the moment? I'd love to see some pics and hear what sort of projects you're loving as much as I'm loving blanket stitch applique at the moment. Maybe some pics can be posted and leave me a link in your comment so we can all come and visit your stitching corner ... it's always nice to have company to stitch, isn't it! :0)

Right now, though, I'm off to finalise the applique outlines for "French Amour", which I hope to have on my web site and available in store at Quilters Angel by the end of this week. Marion and Steph have done up some kits for this French inspired pattern in the same Rouenneries Deux fabric range that I've used, so stay tuned for it's release! :0) I hope you're all having a relaxing weekend and that your coming week includes some time for you to enjoy the company of family and friends, sit, stitch, relax and daydream ... cos life is richer with all of these things in it! :0) Til next time ...

BEAR HUGS!

CHEERS!
KRIS