I being to plan the first bag

I am ready to begin the first bag of my project. I decided to base it on the model of a "Grandma Lena" bag. My husband's grandmother, Lena Orlofsky, made hundreds of little cloth bags, like this one. She used fabric scraps, upholstery samples, remnats, whatever she had. These little bags were treasured by her friends, by our family, and by our friends. In her loving memory, I dedicate and will create this first bag.

I measured the bag and its about 12 inches square, with a little less in height becuase of the botton having a little tuck.

You can see the inside of it at the right. It has a little fabric liner at the top. The top edge is finished with a type of zig zag stich.

Let me share a little informaiton on Grandma Lena. She was born in Roumania, and came to this country when she was four years old. Her father had already come to the US and had sent for his wife and five children, all five and under, including six-month twin boys. Her mother, Rebecca, traveled with a friend who posed as her hsuband. They were in the steerage part of a boat. Can you imagine traveling in the bottom of a boat with five children, aged five and under? She must have been amazing. After they arrived in in NY they settled into a little apartment in the lower east side. Lena's older sister died, leaving her as the oldest. She lived all her life in NY, mostly in different parts of Brooklyn. Grandma was an amazing woman. I met her shortly before I married Michael. She was incredibly handy and could fix anything. She designed cupboards and closets for her daughter's house in Long Island. She knit and sewed items of her own creation. Most of all, she enjoyed and was a whiz at fundraising for different Jewish organizations. Lena took her first airline trip to attend my wedding in Minneapolis, and her second, to attend my Bat Mitzvah at the age of 40. She took her thrid and final flight to attend the B'Nai Mitzvah of my twins when she was 94. She passed away at the age of 99, on a day that we happended to be in NY to celebrate my twins' graduation from High School. I think of Grandma Lena often and am inpsired by her. i witll think of her as I create this first bag.

I will start with 12 inch squares, as she did. I will use a purple and orange batik fabric leftover from sewing a wedding quilt/chuppah for my son's forthcoming wedding. I am not yet sure who I will give it to. That will come to me as I work.

Now, shall I model it exaclty after Grandma Lena's bag, or shoud I quilt it? I like the look and feeling of a quilted bag better than a plain fabric bag. However, since we may make more little bags like this for the wedding party, I think I'll keep it true to Grandma's sytle, this first time.

It is a very cold, quiet day here as we brace for an arctic cold front. I am enjoying a day at home by myself, and a long weekend (thanks to MLK day om Monday). I am in my quilt studio with light streaming in three windows, and I need to straightne up some of the lcutter before I begin to work. I will play music or podcasts from my computer which is also in this room. But first, I will go make myself a cup of tea and think through the steps in making this bag.