Tote and Fabric Letters for Header

Here's some other things I've been working on lately - a tote bag that folds up into a purse sized roll. There's a neat tutorial here, but it has a pocket that turns inside out over the bag. I changed the pocket just a little by adding velcro and leaving the last inch not sewn, so that mine becomes a roll instead:


It unfolds into exactly the same size as the plastic bags you get at most stores, in fact, you use a plastic bag as a pattern.


I've also been working on letters spelling my screen name, for a header for my blog. Inspiration from Tonya, of course, and the incredible header she has on HER blog. ;)


I was working on this at the quilting retreat, and also had my Seminole strips out to finish too - I'd done the larger version, but had about 20 inches more to do on the smaller size. The quilter sitting next to me thought I was making the Seminole strip for border around my ForestJane header... so now I may just have to do that.


It looks big in the picture, compared to the name, but the strip is only two inches wide, while the blog header above is about 20 x 14, without borders. Guess it'll be a wall hanging when I'm done. I was thinking back, and realized that I've been ForestJane online now for over fourteen years. Gosh, I'm getting old!

Tomatoes and Quilt Blocks

How 'bout another tomato picture to start off with? These are my Early Girl tomatoes, getting visibly bigger every time I go out and water.


I've been working on some quilting web pages and the blocks that go with them. My guild has everyone make a block for the guild president, as a thank you for her year of work. She gets to choose the block style, size, and colors. This year's pres. selected a house block, 9½ inches square, any pattern house.

The guild has a huge mix of ability levels, from beginners to national award winners. I drew the simplest house block I could in EQ, then I'm telling people they can embellish or make it more complex if they feel inclined. Here's mine:



For interested folks, here's the web page for the easy house block:

http://www.ucquilts.com/bomjune09.htm

For those of you independent quilters and blog readers who've been joining the guild's row of the month quilt for this year, there won't be a new row for June. Instead, you have the whole month to catch up! Check out our guild bulletin board if you want to see some of the rows people have done. ;)

Finally, here is the progress on the ForestJane name block I'm making using Tonya's free pieced letter making techniques. Eventually, I plan to take a pic and use it for a blog header, like Tonya did for her "Incredible" header.


Much of it is still not sewn together. The crossbar of the J isn't attached, so it will be skinnier. There's nothing sewn to the right or left of the big S, so it'll also be thinner. Only thing I'm not sure about is the space in front of the J - that flowered green fabric could be swapped for a more solid green, then maybe applique a flower (red? yellow?) or possibly a light green leaf and curly vine there? Or will that make it too busy? Does it need a spot of color? Opinions?

Website Updates

Well, haven't been doing too much quilting lately, mostly been watching the Olympics and working on web pages.

But I have made one block, here's the EQ design for my guild's block of the month. They could choose any shade of yellow, and any blue to make the six inch churn dash, then applique a red, pink, burgundy or maroon heart (or two) on it:


And the block I've made, but haven't appliqued the heart on yet, mostly because I dislike hand sewing. I think I'll do one heart with that pink fabric on the bottom of the picture:



If you want directions to it, it's on the bom page of my guild's website:

Churn Dash Heart

I've also been working on my own website, updating the contents page. Check it out if you like cats telling jokes. My favorite is the Matta Baby joke:

ForestJane's site

And I decided to try to collect all the pictures of my quilts and put them on my personal website, one or two pictures per quilt, to make a record of what I've done, quiltwise. It's a bit more complicated than it sounds, because I may have started a quilt in early 2005, and spent most of that year on it, sent it off to be quilted in November, then got it back and bound and finished it in Feb. of 2006... so does it belong on the 2005 page or the 2006 page? Right now the page is both years.

Quilt Record

I'll be working on this for many nights yet to come, I think.