My Applique / Artist Tote

I'm going on retreat soon and on this retreat I'm bringing only hand work.  I don't think I'll even tote a machine with me this time.  I might even bring some knitting.  I have several patterns to choose from to finish/start and even design.  :)  So I needed an applique project tote.  Something that had an ironing board in it and something large enough for a cutting mat as well as a place to hold my blocks nicely so they don't get wrinkled up.  :)  Then I decided to add a thread holder to hold all the threads I'll need for my projects and of course I added a couple pockets!
So this is my prototype... this one is mine.  I will be making a pattern soon but after making this I decided I'd make one smaller for the pattern.  Not everyone thinks bigger is better and I think more people would like one that is more manageable.
So here are some pictures of my applique tote.  Enjoy

Willcox & Gibbs ....OH YEAH

Here is my new baby, due to arrive in a week or so...
I am super excited!   I'm actually going to try to use it to make something...stay tuned.  :)

My Quilters Bee Bag

So I finally made this bag and the pattern.  Takes time cause there was a lot to figure out.  I hope you enjoy it! You can get the pattern here on Craftsy 

All of this fits in this bag

okay this is a random bunch of junk that I loaded this bag with,  two rulers, a cutting mat, several scissors and rotary cutter, my gloves, all my Janome attachment, pack of frixion pens and a pack of permanent pens, add a quarter, add and eighth, small ruler, a few surgical scissors, bobbins, over 100 sewing machine needles. Two rolls of wool 13 spools of thread, small embroidery scissors, thimble and a bunch of other junk. :) I can get absolutely everything I need to take with me to Bee except my sewing machine. :)

And here is the bag closed with all this stuff in it.

I finally made my new applique thread bag!

I made one of these a while back and it worked great!  but there was no room for any new thread :(.  I kept saying I would make a new one but kept putting it off for other projects.  You know what I mean don't you.  Well here it is.  It's much bigger now and I'll use my old bag for my vintage silk button hole threads (these are great for embroidery btw)  You can get the pattern here on Craftsy
Anyway here are the pictures of my new bag!

Look closely, can you see that you do not need to take the spool out to get a length of thread.  This is a super bag for hand applique projects!

Ugly Charms turned into a quilt that looks like CD's.

I'm plugging along trying to use up some fabric.  You have to use up some to have room to get more!  So the other day I decided to go through my stray charm squares and use up the ones that I didn't like.  You know, the ugly ducklings of a stack.  :)
So this is what I made with those squares.  In the end I was surprised that I LOVED this quilt.  Looks like CD's to me.  So here is what you can do with your ugly charms!  I quilted spirals on this quilt using my walking foot.  Not the best job but that's okay I got some practice doing them.  It took FOREVER.  :)