A challenge & some scrap busting

At the end of August I attended "Injune's Creative Odyssey", a two day crafting feast hosted by Injune Arts in the little town of Injune, Qld.

Prior to the weekend we had been issued with some voluntary challenges.  A painting challenge and a Fat 1/4 challenge.  The Fat1/4 challenge was to make a cancer care bag using the challenge fabric.  My challenge fabric was the bright 'weave' print.

 

I was so inspired by how easy the bag was, I set to work making another from scraps from my Ribbon Boxes quilt.  These scraps were just sttitched together to form rectangles and then the bag completed as usual. The way these scraps came togethe still amazes me.  I know they 'went' together because i used them in a quilt, but to have the bag come out so bright and happy & unpredictable was what really surprised me.

 

My two bags have been sent off to the Cancer Care units in the Toowoomba hospitals along with the other 30 something bags from the weekend.

The second challenge was a mini canvas challenge.  Now I am NOT a painter but I was determined to give it a go.  This was "The effect of Odyssey"

 

however, I did not like it.  So it was painted over in the orange paint and left to think about its behaviour.  LOL

One week before the challenge was due, inspiration struck me and this was the finished & submitted mini canvas.

A much more appropriate sentiment I think. :)

.

Block Buster Weekend and a new Bag

This weekend saw my patchwork group host .....

(ignore the fuzzy bit, that is to protect personal details)

 the purpose of Blockbuster weekend is to finish something you didn't finish at a workshop, or make some progress on something that has you stumped.

Now only 4 ladies took advantage of this opportunity but check out what they made.

Colleen's Circle - (yet to decide what it will become)

 Gayle's bargello is joined up ready for borders

 Cecily completing an inherited UFO - lovely isn't it (and you can't see in the picture but the flowers are 3D)

Collen & I made a bag (yes Colleen was very busy)

and a shot of my bag in its beautiful glory.  I love the fabric, it is Divine.  It is a pre-quilted fabric and I love it.  The pattern is so rich.  I feel really flash with my special bag.

And I discovered when I packed up to come home from the weekend, it holds heaps of quilting supplies, so not just an overnight bag.

Unfortunately due to some technical difficulties with my ability to measure correctly, my bag took way longer than expected and I had to spend some intense time with my quick unpick.  This meant that I did not achieve any of the other projects on the list, but I had some great fellowship and laughs with other ladies.

Gotta Love a Deadline....

Or maybe you don't.

But I need deadlines to get things done.  My house only gets cleaned if we have visitors, I am much more motivated to finish a quilt if it is needed for an event (eg Birthday present, wedding, show entry).

This is the case with this bag.  You may recall my button tree bag from Christmas last year, well the green bag sufficed for the season, but it wasn't going to have any longevity.

So this is where the deadline comes in.  Entries for Roma Show are due tomorrow, why not fix the bag to enter into the show.

Meet "Button Tree Bag, grown up and sophisticated".

 It even has a little "stuff" pocket.  For me this usually means the mobile phone and keys.

I like it.  It is a shame however that I can't use it until Christmas.

Time for more bags

 Well my fingers have been kept busy a little bit more over the last few days & more bags have joined the bag family.  

Unfortunately for the markets we had 5" of rain yesterday and the friend who was taking my bags couldn't go due to concerns of stock damage.  Thankfully for town, we had 5" of rain.  Such is life.

So please meet "Miss PINK"

 Miss Calming Blue (with the adorable clear bubble handles)

 and a friend of mine from last year "Serious Black" who had a make-over with some new handles & is now "Funky Black".  {Funky Black lives in my wardrobe}

These bags have been great 'therapy' for me and will probably be so for a few more weeks. 

The wonderful woman who loved to knit and share her skills and love with the family (my Nanna) died last night.  She would have loved these bags & she loved that I was using my creative skills.  I will miss her greatly but she has left a lasting legacy in sharing of skills with us.

Bags, Bags, Bags

Bags, Bags, Bags  there are bags everywhere in our house at the moment.  I have been knitting to keep myself occupied while awaiting news of my ill Grandmother.  

Nanna (91) was a knitter for most of her life and has only stopped knitting in the last 5 or so years as her age has moved on.

This cow bag was being knitted when I visited  Nanna in hospital a few weeks ago.  

What do you think, cow or Dalmatian?

 Then an elegant brown, white & grey.

 And a beautiful pink/red and brown. (The photo doesn't do it justice, the brown wool is as dark as the handle). This is the front

 and the back of the same bag

and tan/turquoise and chocolate with funky handles. (once again the colours are wrong but it is gorgeous)

 and the back of the same bag.

All these beautiful bags will hopefully find new homes on the weekend as they are going to the "Roma Growers and Artisans Market" so for $25 each they will hopefully be going to new homes. 

I think Nanna would be impressed  that I have been knitting.  It is easy to do and doesn't require too much attention so I have been 'feeling' my way along the rows.

See you at the markets. (Are you impressed Susan, they are for sale)