My friend Debbie

I know she goes by Debra, but to me, she is Debbie.
We have been friends for almost 20 years. I met Debbie through her husband Jeff, when Jeff andI were both singing in our synagogoue's choir. Soon after, I had an adult Bat Mitzvah and Debbie offered to take photos for me. Later she would also photograph my kids B'nai Mitzvah ceremony when they were 13. I have beautiful albums that she put together that bring back the joy and pride I felt at both of those events.

Debbie is a gifted photographer and videographer. She has recnelty retired from her professional work but still makes movies for friends and for fun, and always has a packet of photographs on hand to share that she recenlty took. Yesterday when we met at the Arboretum for a lovely, lesurely summer day togehter, Debbie showed me her exquisite photos of loons in a Wisconsin lake, and a baby bird giving its first croak of life. Debbie has also encoruaged me and given me advice as I develop my interest and expertise as an amateur photographer.

Back when I first became friends with Deb and Jeff, we spent a lot of time together at our synagogue and with our familes. Deb's daughter Chris is the same age as our twins, and they went through Hebrew school together. All four of our children sang in the children's choir and particpated in holiday plays, and Debbie was always helping out with these productions. Our familes joined some other synagogue familes to have cookouts and go campling together in the summer. We were part of a warm network of friends that we met often at our synagogue. My children called this group the "Camping Familes". Even after our camping trips ended, we continued to meet for Jewish holidays and other social events. Deb, Jeff and their kids Chris and Matt came to feel like our family.

Over the years we have shared many things: happy events and celebrations as well as losses, illness, grief, and difficult times. We have helped each other out and been there to support each other. We have many, many memories from the past years. Whenever we get together, we share the current events in our lives, never glossing over the difficulties, but being open and honest with each other so we really know what is going on in our lives.

Debbie has experienced many challenges in her life, both physical and emotional. And yet she has a great zest for life and always has a joke to share or a funny story to tell. Her eyes light up amd a smile streches across her face as she waits for me to get the punchline or share in the amusement. I know that as a freind she is always there for me, and has been when I have had difficult times in my life. I treasure our friendship and know that even though she only lives in the Twin Cities half a year, now that she and Jeff have retired to Florida, our bonds will stay strong and we will continue to share good times. I also know that II will continue to learn from my dear friend Debbie.

The June bag is finished!

I had some free time yesterday and today and got to work on designing and sewing the bag for my friend Debra. After much deliberation, I selected pink, lavender/blue, and plum fabrics. I used a type of Log Cabin patter to surround the Photo, after first framing it with a dark indigo. All the fabrics are soft, think Hand-yes. I made the back of the bag all on fabric, the plum one.

I quilted the non photo fabrics with a flowery petal fabric, using a variegated purple thread. I like the way it came out. I was going to make the handles pinks, but cut the fabric wrong for the second handle, which pointed me to using the plum color for one handle. I like the effect of two colored handles.

Above, you can see the quilted back of the bag and the pink and plum straps.

The assembly went together pretty well but I had my little problems always. Despite careful measuring the lining was just a little too small. Things like that.

For the lining, I had bought a new batik fabric on an outing with quilt friends yesterday to a wonderful quilt shop called Blue Bamboo. I found a great fabric that had plums and pinks that went well with the hand-dyes.

Next, I am going to fill the bag for Deb. I'll write about that and about her next.

Selecting fabrics for the June bag

Here are some fabrics I am thinking using for my June bag. You can see the photo that was transferred to fabric and some lovley hand dyed fabrics around it. I might use a little bright yellow to pick up the sun, a pinkish fabric, and a very dark blue or purple. I am not yet sure of the style I will use.

I think I may frame the photo in a narrow bright fabric, maybe yellow. Then put strips around that of a darker fabric, maybe with a different color square at each corner, or a different strip around the top and then use that for straps.

I don't have it planned yet, I am just playing with the fabrics to see how they go together. I have not worked with hand dyes very much. I took at class at the Minnesota Quilt show 8 years ago and made a wall hanging with hand dyes. I really like it but never quilted it. It is in my stack of unfinished tops that I plan to finish. The fabrics have a soft, thick feeling to them. I think they will make a nice bag. I will probably quilt them to a batting, then make a lining to go inside. Maybe I'll use a printed fabric for the lining. I'll see if I can even include an inner poicket.

Meanwhile, I ordered some matelasse placemats that were made in Morocco to make some quick and easy quilted bags. They come if four colors and I plan to make one bag of each color, using a print fabric to make an outer pocket on each. I may try to give them to Rebecca's bookstore to sell and keep the money.

So I haven't begun to measure, cut, pin or sew yet. But the ideas are there. I hope to get started on the cutting next week.

Time to start the June bag

It is already June 8 and I have to start the June Bag of the Month. Before I left for my sons'swedding (last weekend) I decided to make a bag for my dear friend Deb. She is a photographer and videographer and she is often carrying photos, DVDs or books with her. When she came by to visit a few weeks ago, I noticed that she was carrying these things without a BAG, they were loose. So I suggested that I make a bag for her, and use one of her photographs on the outside.

Deb had given me a copy of this beautiful photo shehad taken in Florida (where she lives half the year) and I scanned it so I could print it on fabric.

I think it will make a lovely bag. I have not yet decided the fabric or style to use but I am ready with the photo which has been printed on fabric.

I think it will be a medium sized tote bag to carry small photo books, packets of photos, and DVDs. I will use colors from the photo above and line it with coordinating colors. It will be a simple but practical design. I hope to get started later this week!