Plans for the July bag of the month

I can't believe it is already July 11. I am excited to get started on my July bag of the month.

I recently made a little quilted table runner to donate to my quilt guild's annual art fair booth. Each year we make and donate quilts that are sold at the Loring Park Art Fair in August. The money earned is used to give to charities and nonprofit organizations. The table runner is made with burgundy and gold fabrics that have paisley and floral designs. The fabrics had been donated to our quilt guild and were samples from a fabric company. I have never made anyhing using these colors and had a hard time finding a good border fabric, but finally used a plain gold cotton fabric once used in a Japanese quilt. I quilted each section of the table runner separately and it came out rather nice. Here is a photo of it.

Now, back to my July bag. When my good friend Barb saw this blog she suggested I make and donate a bag to a fundraiserheld next month for an educational program for young deaf children. Barb is an audiologist and has very high regard for this school. I will provide more details on it in my next blog. I asked her to help me brainstorm an idea and theme for the bag. We came up with a Farmers Market bag, that I can fill with recipes and food products (but no fresh produce!).

I thought of my huge fabric collection which includes several fabrics printed with vegetable designs. I went and pulled them out to look at them but none of them went together well so I went online to e-quilter.com and ordered a few new pieces of fabric which should arrive soon. One is gorgeous tomato fabric, another is a panel that looks like several pieces that have been sewn together, and another is a cute green and red cherry fabric. When they arrive I will see what kind of idea comes to mind and which ones I will use.

I want to make a big tote that will hold many purchases from a Farmer's Market, with sturdy handles. I an nut sure if I will quilt it or not, as adding a layer of batting may make it too heavy and bulky. I'll determine that as I go along. If it works well, I may make two and give the second one away to a different fund raiser.