My friend Eilleen

The December bag was donated to a non profit group suggested by and in honor of my friend Eileen, so it is time to say a little about this dear person. Eileen is a tiny woman with an enormous heart. She is the most generous person I have met. Despite that fact that she lives on a small retirement pension she is constantly giving to others. She not only makes monetary gifts, she gives of her time and energy. She picks up breads and pastries to donate to food shelves, several times a week. She organized a quilt project for patients at a Kidney Dialysis center. She buys quilts to donate to our Quilt Guild's annual sale at Loring Park, which is used to raise money for several non-profit community programs.

I have only known Eileen for a few years, but we have recently become close friends. She is better than a stand up comedian, and constantly makes me laugh (deep, hearty laughs) with her story telling and impersonations. Last month she spent a week in Mexico with Michael and me, and we had a great time together. This included a lot of laughing, as well as good times eating and drinking. Eileen loved Mexico as much as we do, and she motivated us to use our limited Spanish and get to know the people around us, learning the names of taxi drivers, street vendors, and waiters on the beach. She defnitely enhanced the quality of our experience, and I would love to travel with her again.

Eileen is more than a generous volunteer and natural comedian. She is a skilled and dedicated teacher. She is trained in Special Educaiton, sign language, ESL, and early childhood. Although now retired, she has returned to her former school to work with the students there part time. Even if the school had not be able to pay her, she would have continued to help out anyway ,becuase that is the kind of person she is. She is a life long teacher and I know that she has touched many children's lives in ways they will never forget. She is also a devoted mother and grandmotherand I enjoyed learning more about her family as she searched for the perfect gifts for them on our vacation.

This year (2009) Michael and I are going to try to do one service project together each month, to help those in need in our community. Eileen has not only inspired us to do this, she is helping us to locate places in need of our time and effort. The world is a better place because of Eileen, and I am very proud to have her as my dear friend.

I just can't stop making bags!

It is still December and I have made one final bag for the year. I was shopping at Anthropolgie with my neighbor Kris, and I saw some vibrant, semi-quilted placemats. I folded one in half and could see that it had the potential to make a cheerful, colorful little bag. I bought it, brought it home, and tried to figure out the design and handle. It already had a perfect lining, so I just sewed up the sides, added corners to the bottom, and attached some plain wooden handles using yellow grosgrain ribbon. And here it is, just as cute as can be. I am not sure what to do with it (the perennial problem). I might take it with me to Mexico to use as a purse, unless I hear that someone has fallen in love with it and would like to claim it for their own!

The December Bag is ready to give away

Here is my cute little December tote bag. It is made from woven placemats I bought in Puerto Vallarta, last winter. The outer fabric is from two matching, multi-color place mats and the inside lining (see below) is made from two yellow placemats.

I took the multi colored place mats and pinned them to plain white flannel, then quilted them with a simple criss cross pattern. I used flannel, rather than batting, to keep the bag light weight.

After the bag was made, I decided to fill it with Mexican food items. It is now full of tortilla chips, salsa, guacamole mix, mole mix, refried beans, Spanish rice mix, and taco shells. I even added a bottle of hot sauce. I attached a card (hand stamped by my friend Carol) and it is ready to go.

Where is it going? To the Freedom in Wheelchairs program in Hopkins, for their holiday party and fundraiser. This is a non profit organization that supports people in wheelchairs. My friend Eileen told me about this group and she is donating two more filled bags to their fundraiser, which is next week.

So there it is, my last bag of the month. The project is complete. I feel good that each month I made and gave away at least one bag. It is not a big thing to do but it was my "giving" program of the year. Now I am thinking about a new program to begin next year, maybe with my husband Michael. We are heading to Mexico for a vacation and I will do some thinking and planning about our new project while we are there.

Happy Holidays and Happy New Year!

Four November bags are finished!

For November I made four bags to donate to Rebecca's nonprofit bookstore: In Other Words (in Portland, Oregon). They can sell these at the store and donate the money to the store (which always needs money!) These four bags are made from quilted place mats from Morocco. Each bag is made of two two matching, solid colored, quilted place mats. First I sewed pockets on them so there are big, roomy pockets on each outside surface of the tote. Then I sewed black cotton webbing on to secure the edges of the pockets and also become the handles. I found this pattern on the Internet, but it did not include a lining. I wanted to add a lining. So I made a fabric lining the same dimensions of the tote, and sewed it in as the final step. For the blue bag I used the same fabric for the lining and the outside pockets. But for the other three bags I had to use different fabrics for the pockets.

Here is the orange tote, showing the different fabric for the lining:

The bags were fun to make and fairly easy. But even so, each one has at least one big flaw so I am afraid that they will not bring in much money for the bookstore. I am also not sure if we will fill them with anything, because that would add to their cost and I think that might prevent them from being sold. I'll consult with Rebecca when I see her at Thanksgiving in a few weeks.

The placemats have a very tight quilting pattern (they came that way) and it makes for a nice looking bag. I tried out the blue one (which I made last month) and it worked very well as a tote for papers and a laptop at a meeting I attended in DC last month.

One of the nice things about this project is that it used up some very old pieces of fabric from my stash, which were used as lining an pockets. They came from a box of fabrics that Rebecca labeled "Browns and crap colors" when she sorted and organized fabrics for me three years ago. These fabrics were bought early in my career as a quilter and do look quite different from the colorful French and batik fabrics I tend to favor these days. But I must admit, they look very nice as linings and pickets of the quilted tote bags.

It pleases me to see the four bags hanging on my fabric board, and to know that they are finished except for cutting a few stray threads. I am eager to make my December bag or bags, which will be donated to a fundraiser for People in Wheelchairs. This was suggested by my quilting friend. I had bought some colorful woven placemats in Mexico last year, and I want to make these into tote bags. They are different from the placemats Iturned into the February bag. I will have fun figuring out how to turn those into attractive totes, and Eileen will fill at least one with products from Mexico for the silent auction.

The Farmers Market Bags have been given away!

I have just given away the second ill-fated farmers' market bag, along with a copy of Local Flavors cookbook by Deborah Madison, to my cousin Cheri. She was here this weekend helping to celebrate my son's wedding (held last June in NC). She admired the bag when visiting my quilt studio and exclaimed when she saw the cookbook, that she had been looking for a copy. So it seemed like she was the logical person to receive the farmers market bag and cookbook. Cheri offered to make a donation to our neighborhood fundraiser (since I had originally made the bag for that purpose) but I suggested she give a nice donation to the charity or nonprofit organization of her choice. She suggested In Other Words Bookstore, where Rebecca works, which was listed on Harlan and Paula's gift registry as a place to make a donation in honor of their wedding. So In Other Words will get a little boost to help it keep serving Portland (see Inotherwords.org).

I am so glad that the two Farmers' Market bags have found good recipients, and now I will focus my efforts on the remaining months. I had planned to make a bag for the fundraiser for the American School in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, that is run by Michael's cousin Jerry. That will most likely be my December bag. For November, I have a few choices for non profit groups here in town. I have made one "place mat" bag (photos still to come) and have a few more lined up to make in different colors and fabrics. But I am so busy for the next two weeks it may not happen until life calms down again in November.

October Bag Giveaway

I am very happy to have found a recipient for one of the September farmers market bags I made, originally for the Fulton Neighborhood festival. I gave it to my cooking teacher and guru (for over a decade), Robin Asbell. I first met Robin when I enrolled in her Vegetarian Thanksgiving cooking class at my neighborhood over 10 years ago. My children were vegetarians at that time. I learned how to make vegetarian entrees, a terrific cranberry chutney, and a creamy tofu pumpkin pie. I went on to take several more classes from Robin at various locations: community centers, cooking schools, and Whole Foods. I took many vegetarian classes (Chines, Indian, Thai, Italian) as well as classes that feature regional cooking (Tuscany) or foods from our local farmer's market. Robin is so wise and knowledgeable about food and cooking. Every time I take a class from her I walk away with a better understanding of cooking, ingredients, and cultures of the world. Last year Robin's first cookbook was published" The Mew Whole Grains Cookbook" (see her website at robinasbell.com). It is a gorgeous cookbook, beautiful color and photos, but best of all, fans tic recipes. I have given copies to just about everyone I care about who cares about good food. She is publishing a new vegetarian cookbook next year and I can't wait to get my copy. I love the recipes Robin creates because they are healthy, feature whole grain and whole foods, and offer unique combinations of ingredients. For example, her African mock chicken stew combines peanut butter, yams, and millet, as well as many other ingredients. Her squash tart is topped with aged Gouda and toasted hazelnuts. These are just a few of the recipes she has created that I have made again and again receiving rave reviews.

Yesterday Robin came over for for tea and we had a wonderful afternoon together. She was giving me advice about my food writing and cooking memoir and we managed to talk about many things revolving around food. Since she is a passionate patron of the St. Paul Farmer's Market, I decided to give her one of the farmer's market bags. I gave her the one with the orange pumpkins on it and she said it matches her hair (see photo above). I also gave her the copy of Local Flavors, the Deborah Madison cookbook which she did not already have.

That night at my quilt guild I received information about two non profit organizations that have silent auction fundraisers. So I should be back on track with the next bags I make.

Bags to giveaway

October is here and I still haven't given away the two September Farmers' Market bags. I have my monthly quilt guild meeting this week and I will bring them for show and tell and see if anyone knows of a fund raiser I can give them to. I have roasted and pureed the two pumpkins, cooked and eaten the squash, and used the two jars of honey. So all that is left to fill them with are the two Local Flavors cookbooks.

I haven't made another bag since the quilted placmat bag last month, and now it it is already mid October. If I can't come up with another person or place to give it to, I guess I will see if my daughter Rebecca will take it back to sell at her bookstore and keep the money as a donation. This is a busy month with my kids coming home, my son's in-laws visiting us, a post-wedding party for my son and daughter-in-law (see first January post), and then a workshop in DC.
But I hope to make at least one more quit led bag this month!

Nearing the end of the project

It is hard to believe that I have only three months to go of this Bag of the Month project. I have so many ideas and materials still waiting to be made into bags to give away! I finally tried out a pattern for a bag made from two quilted place mats. I had bought the place mats online: 4 pairs, each pair a different color, and very tightly quilted. They are made in Morocco and promised to make lovely bags. I made the first one with the dark blue place mats, using my own blue and black floral print for two outer pockets and lining, and using black cotton webbing for the handles. It came out very nice (Photo to come in my next post). I have plans to make three more bags with the remaining 3 pairs of different colored place mats. I am thinking of giving them to Rebecca to sell at her bookstore (In Other Words) to raise money since they are always in the red. I wonder if anyone would buy these quilted totes. I'll see what Rebecca says when she comes to visit next month. Then there is November and December and I don't have any ideas for projects to give away. Plus, I have the two farmers' market bags from September still sitting here after I rescued them from the flooded silent auction.

a big disappointment

I went to the neighborhood festival on Saturday, eager to see the two farmers market bags on display, brimming wit goodies.
It had begun to rain so I went to the park building, assuming the silent auction was indoors. It was not. I was very surprised to see a big set of tables outside on the sports filed labeled Silent Auction. And everything on them was getting wet!
I located my two, sopping wet and bedraggled bags. Luckily the cookbooks had been removed, but there was not mention that anyone bidding on the wet bag would also get a lovely cookbook to go with it, as well as the honey, pumpkin and squash, all dripping with rain.
I felt so badly to see my little creations suffering so. I cam home and told Michael, bursting into tears as I related the sad story. He gallantly returned to the park and rescued by bags and located the two cookbooks (they were damp as they had not been removed from the bags until after it had begun to rain). I wiped then dry and put the bags on my laundry rack.
So now I have two farmers market bags to donate somewhere else. Any suggestions?
Please let me know!

My friend Carol

The two September Farmers Market bags I just finished are dedicated to my friend of 33 years. I met Carol before I even moved to Minneapolis to begin graduate school. Back in those early years in the Twin Cities she was one of my first and most constant friends. I remember many evenings at her cheerful and colorful home eating homemade lasagna, bread, and cookies.

When I was pregnant with my twins, Carol loaned me all her hand me down baby clothes and paraphernalia since we had no money to buy baby things. She used to visit me often when I was home with the babies, offering friendship, support, and encouragement as I struggled to deal with parenting two difficult babies.

Later in life after admiring Carol's beautiful quilts for years, I was inspired to learn quilting. Carol has been a great teacher and mentor in this area ever since.

Carol is a gifted and creative quilter who is known for the brightly colored fabrics she uses and her gorgeous, one of a kind quilts. She has long been making house quilts such as this one which won a prize at the annual Minnesota Quilt show a few years ago. Whenever I see brightly colored fabrics I thick of Carol, and even have a big plastic bin of fabrics in my quilt studio labeled "Carol Colors."

Carol has a big heart and an incredible capacity to provide care and comfort to people through her friendship and endless supply of homemade chocolate chip cookies. Even when dealing with family and health challenges in her life, she remembers my birthday and anniversary with a beautiful hand made card and a plate of her famous and freshly made cookies.

When my husband andI were looking for a place to live and start a family, Carol suggested the Linden Hills/Fulton neighborhood that we now live in. She has sent her sons to the local primary school and High school and has taught and been involved in Southwest community education for many years. Therefore, it seems fitting to dedicate these bags to her, and I hope they raise some funds for our shared neighborhood, even if they are not made in Carol colors!

Two September bags

Here are the two farmers market bags for September. I am dedicating these to my good friend Carol (more about her to come). She lives in the neighborhood and these bags will be auctioned off at our neighborhood fall festival fund raiser.

These bags went together quickly. I had bought the fabrics earlier in the summer. Both have vegetable prints. They are lightweight and roomy and should be useful when buying produce at the farmers market. I went to the Mill City Market yesterday to buy things to fill the bags. For each bag I am using the things shown above: a nice organic pie pumpkin, an organic delicata squash, a jar of single source honey from a local farm, and a copy of one of my favorite cookbooks: Local Flavors by Deborah Madison. I have made many of the recipes in this book and they are fantastic. A great way to cook local fall vegetables.

Time to sew again

I can't believe September is here and I need to get going on the September bag. I have agreed (volunteered) to make TWO bags, again farmers market bags, for my neighborhood fall festival and fundraiser. I am going to make them quickly, and keep them light and functional, like the August bag. I have two cute fabrics to use, one for each bag. They should go quickly. Tomorrow I plan to go to my local farmers market to buy some things to put inside them: honey, maple syrup, wild rice, etc.

It feels like ages since I have used the sewing machine. I had to evacuate my quilt studio to have it painted (a lovely golden yellow) and now it is all reassembled and nicely organized. It looks too neat and tidy for me to start making messes again. I think I'll cut out the fabrics tonight and then start sewing this weekend, after I get bobbins wound and threads chosen and all that good stuff. I have been listening to great music on pandora.com while I sew. You create your own radio by selecting the artists you like. It is so great because you hear all your favorite musicians and you also hear others that you didn't know. Most of these I really like. But if you don't like a song being played, you can give it a thumbs down and it is stopped and a new one starts. Better than radio and even better than i-pod shuffle!

Right now I have created four stations and the one I play the most is a mix of Garbage, Ani d'Franco, Dar Williams, and the Cranberries. It also plays Edie Brickell, Alanis Moriseete and others that I was not familiar with but enjoy, and now they serenade me as I work in my quilt studio (where my computer is also housed). I think I will also set up an Irish music station to remind me of the wonderful time I spent in Ireland last month!
OK, now to cut out fabrics and get started.

On vacation in Ireland

I am in Dublin enjoying the cool weather here with a little bit of sun each day. I have not been thinking about bags or quilting but I did stumble upon a fabric shop that had some nice prints but not quitling fabric. We will be a few more days in Dublin and then on to the west coast for a hiking trip. When I return it will be time to start on the September bag which I will make and donate to a neighbrhood fundraiser. Now, back to sightseeing!

August bag and more

I actually made the August bag in July because I knew I would be busy or traveling much of August. So here it is! it is a second farmers market bag. This time I used a colorful citrus fabric, made a big roomy bag, and did not quilt it, just lined it. The bottom is a bright print of green limes, the top and handles are a fabric of lemons. The inside lining is a darling little print of different vegetables. I only placed on item in this bag: a new cookbook called Minnesota Home Grown, a cookbook about local chefs and recipes. It has gorgeous photos and enticing recipes.

I gave this bag to Kathryn to take up to Camp du Nord to contribute to their silent auction. This bag was donated in memory of her son Danny who died at the age of 12 and who loved Camp du Nord. Kathryn and her husband Tom go every summer and help out in a variety of ways, such as teaching people how to use kayaks. I think she is there this week and hope someone like and bid on the bag.

I am heading to Ireland for a vacation with my husband so I won't be posting for a while. I will be on the lookout for bags and fabrics. Last year when we were there I met a weaver on Clare Island who gave me many of her beautiful handwoven fabric scraps. I made two tiny quilts from them.

Last week I was at a conference in Denver and my colleague Rob gave me a bag of fabric scraps from all sorts of vintage fabrics used by movie companies making period films. I think some of them will end up in a bag.

When I return from Ireland and get over jet lag I will start on a September bag to be donated to a fundraiser for my neighborhood fall festival. I am starting to think about that one already.

my daughter Rebecca

Last night I had the thrill of seeing my Virginia Woolf bag being bid on at a silent auction for In Other Words bookstore. I am in Portland, Oregon visiting my daughter Rebecca who manages this bookstore. It was really great to attend the annual "Lit Feast" fundraiser, meet so many of Rebecca's friends, and see her in action as she worked tirelessly behind the scenes to help the evening flow perfectly from activity to activity. I was overwhelmed by her many fans who told me how much they adore her and what a great mom I must be to have produced Rebecca. I felt like a celebrity as I was exclaimed over by yet another person when introduced as "this is Rebecca's mother"/. The Virgina Woolf bag that I made and donated to the silent auction, was created in honor of my daughter. I will share a little about this amazing young woman of whom I am so proud.

My little girl, now 25, has made this city her home for the past 3 years. She chose to move to Portland after college after a careful search of places where she thought she might want to live and where she would find like-minded people. On a hot July day in 2005 she drove to Portland with her dear friend Rachel who would join her on this new adventure. They camped in the basement of my cousin Suzy's house until they could find an apartment of their own.

On her first visit to Portland Rebecca discovered In Other Words, a nonprofit feminist bookstore. She immediately went in and asked about a job. She told me that this is where she wanted to work but they did not have any positions, and only needed volunteers. As a recent college grad with a women's studies major, she was attracted to this unique store and community center. She volunteered, then became the textbook manager, and then the co-manager, a job she carries out with expertise and dedication.

Rebecca is an extremely competent person. She has had many jobs during her life, beginning in high school when she worked at the bakery down the street. She has worked at garden stores, flower shops, and food coops. Wherever she works she impresses people with her strong work ethic, her intelligence, and her commitment to professionalism and solving problems.

She is also someone who goes after what she wants in life, and gets it. Just like the way she wanted to work at In Other Words, and at the age of 25 had worked her way up from volunteer to store manager.

When I looked at my daughter at the event last night, i felt incredibly proud of her. She is such a fiercely strong and principled Peron, who is also warm, loving, and good natured. Despite having the most gorgeous long, thick, dark wavy hair I have ever seen, she cut if off last year to experience life with short hair, just to see how she would feel and how the world would treat her without her one of a kind beautiful long tresses.

For many years she was a devout adherent to vegetarianism, and yet when it became advisable for her to add fish and meat back to her diet, she quietly made the transition, shocking all of us who were so used to her staunchly refusing to eat "anything with a face." She is a wonderful cook who appreciates good cookware and appliances and even when making minimum wage always bought the best, organic ingredients.

She is passionate about music, and has always been my songbird, who loves to sing, write songs, play her guitar, or listen to music. She loves the Portland music scene and has become good friends with her music idols, another sign that Rebecca is not afraid to go after her dreams and make them come true. She volunteers at the Rock and Roll camp for girls and is going to be an adult camper there to experience playing in a band.

I marvel at the adventures and accomplishments of my daughter, who has traveled the world with a backpack, turned down a proposal of love and commitment from her first love, resisted temptations in the material world, and succeeds in living in the moment without always worrying and planning the future (unlike her mother). She is like me and she is different than me. She now talks about hiking the Appalachian trail next spring and I know that if that is what she wants to do, she will do it.l

I am grateful that my little girl and I share a deep love and closeness and I know she is always there for me, even if we don't chat on the phone every day. She always remembers the things that are important to me like writing a personal message to me in a birthday card, giving me little gifts that she knows I will like because she knows me so well, giving me head rubs when I am tired and have a headache, or asking me questions about my life and how my spirits are. She is warm and friendly to my friends, amazing people at how well she can communicate and interact with the older generation.

I watch Rebecca with interest, as she makes her way in the world. When she is happy, I am happy, She is in a good relationship now that makes her happy and secure and I am happy for her and welcome her girlfriend with pleasure.My little girl never fails to amaze me, warm my heart, teach me, amuse me, and make be eternally grateful that she is my daughter.

Note: the photo above shows the bag at the auction. My cousin Suzy donated a beatufiul English bone china teacup and saucer, I filled it with English tea and biscuits, my neighbor Kris donated a handmade writing journal, Rebecca donated three books, and I added a card made from a photo I took of irises.

My friend Barb

Now that I have given the July bag to Barb, it is time to say a little bit about her. I met Barb 28 years ago, just after I was married. Michael and i were living in a duplex near Lake Calhoun and I was an avid runner. A friend from New York, Susah, was visiting us and she introduced to me to Barb, whom she had net in graduate school, and who lived in my neighborhood. I was told that Barb was a marathon runner, so I was intrigued. I think we made a date to run together the first time we met, and soon after we became good friends. We ran together at least once a week and Barb encouraged me to try longer distances, getting me to do a 10 mile run. While we ran, we talked about our lives, our friends, our jobs, and our passion for cooking and good food. Barb introduced me to the neighborhood food coop which I promptly joined. Once a month we would volunteer there together, talking the entire time that we cut, weighted, and labeled cheeses. . We never seemed to run out of things to talk about.

A few years after meeting Barb, I gave birth to twins, and Barb became their official godmother. Soon after she fell in love and married Lon, and I was, a bridesmaid in her wedding. Over the years our friendship has grown and deepened, as well as experienced some challenges. We have shared many life events, celebrating together, and also helped each other through difficult times. During the year of my vision loss and eye surgeries Barb was always there for me, and even encouraged to me to get a second opinion when facing a risky surgical procedure. Thank goodness she did, because the second doctor advised against it.

Barb seems to know everyone in the Twin Cities and wherever we go together, she aways runs into someone she knows. She also has lots of family in town and gives so much of herself and her time to her family, especially "the elders": her mother, mother-in-law, and uncle. She hosts all the major holidays at her house and thinks nothing of cooking for 30 at a time. She is also a very giving person who devotes her time to many good causes and programs.

She is a dedicated, highly skilled, and hard working professional, is extremely frugal, and is a very principled, ethical, and selfless person. I admire her, learn from her, and value her as a friend. I was delighted when she nominated a school for the deaf for one of my bags of the month, and I hope the Farmers Mare kt bag I donated brings in a good contribution to this important educational program. This bag was made in honor of my long time friendship with Barb.

Photos of the July bag

Here is the finished bag. I bought all these great fabrics of fruits and vegetables and had a terrible time figuring out which ones to use and what pattern. I finally chose this cute yellow and blue print that has citrus fruit on it. I added a yellow fabric with blue flowers for the top and a blue fabric with little green flowers for the bottom. I used another blue and yellow floral print for the lining. For the handles, I used blue plastic webbing. The fabric already had a pieced look so I quilted it using criss crossing diagonals. I like the finished result and hope it will be a good bag to tote to a farmers market. I made a second bag for my August bag of the month but that will be in a future blog. Next posting will be about my friend Barb.

The July bag is finished!

The July bag is finished and I am planning to give it to Barb today. Since it is a farmers' market bag, I have filled it with goodies that I bought at the Mill City Market, my favorite farmers' market. They only sell products that are grown or produced in this area, and most of the produce, if not all, is organic or grown without pesticides. It is open Saturday morning and I love to go with my big empty bags and see what has been harvested that week. Last weekend I bought raspberries and blueberries, finally ripe enough to pick. I bought sugar snap peas, pea pods, radishes, cucumbers, kale, mint, spinach, and basil. For the Farmer's Market bag I bought a special jar of clover honey, a bottle o real maple syrup, a package of wild rce soup, some homemade fruit and nut crackers, some of Edna's famous caramels, and a bag of granola. I also bought a frag ant soap. Into the bag I am also putting two cards: one with a recipe on it for Mexican gazpacho, and one is a card made from a photo I took in southern France (shown below). I also put in the bag a new edition of one of my favorite cookbooks. Local Flavors by Deborah Madison, which provides delicious recipes using seasonal ingredients from farmers markets. I was going to upload photos of the finished bag but my batteris are dead and I am recharging them. When I upload them in my next post I will also write about my friend Barb, becuase I made this bag in her honor.

A little setback

I was waiting for my vegetable fabrics to arrive to make the July farmers market bag, and was sewing a black and white table runner, when.....
Ouch, my machine sewed my finger. I don't know how I managed to get my finger under the needle but it went right in and broke off, leaving a 3/8 inch piece embedded in the index finger of my left hand.
My husband drove me to Urgent Care and after an x-ray to verify the location of the missing needle piece, the doctor did a little surgery and this is what my hand looked like. I had two stitches and the wound is healing well so they should come out next week.
In the meantime, the lovely vegetable fabrics arrived and I am playing with them, arranging them in different combinations to try to figure out which I will use in the new bag.

July bag

I will be donating a "Farmers Market Bag" to a fundriaser for the Northern Voices Oral Deaf school fundraiser. This event is in August, and raises money for a preschool that effectively helps deaf children learn to talk and use their hearing with hearing aids and or cochlear implants. My freind Barb reports that they work the kids hard with fun activities so they are about 2 years above grade level by kindergarten. They need to start strong,m and have some slack because with a full active classroom of noise it gets harder to hear when they are mainstreamed with normal hearing kids. This way they come in strong, and have some room to regress as they get accustomed to working and listening in noise.