Shelley's bag / McTavishing pouch

I don't like making bags. Well let me clarify - I don't like reading and following directions which is usually what you have to do when making a bag. Since I do love a handmade bag and wanted one with pockets on the side, I brought the pattern and fabric for a pattern called Shelley's bag to my mom's house last week to have her hold my hand while I tried to figure out the dreaded directions.

 

Viola! After making one I probablly could do another pretty easily. I do love the pockets but would make the next one with the pockets alittle taller. Since I was so crabby the whole time making this bag I made sure the crab was front and center.

But look at what happened when I started stuffing all my crap valuable belongings into the bag!

 

Oh well, I certainly was not going to take the whole thing apart so a double line of slip stitching and all is good. It really is a good pattern and a good bag (now that the direction reading ordeal is over)

Yesterday I embarked on finishing up another overlook bench quilt and had an idea for a kayak quilt but everything I touched turned to shit the stars in the universe were not aligned in my favor for creativity.

My FMQ was getting me eyelashes and rats nests, I couldn't seem to find the right sky to go with my water.

 

 

So I threw all projects to the side and decided to watch the McTavishing free motion quilting video my mom gave me and try out the new Isacord thread that comes highly recommended by Leah Day for FMQ and the quilters dream batting that my mom gave me. This also is supposed to be ....... Well a quilters dream.

I found a beautiful batik and cut a quarter yard in half. Yes this is a practice piece but I needed some quilters joy right now so damn it am going to use the "good stuff". I had dreams of the Isacord gliding like butter through the the quilters dream batting with the perfection of angels wings.

 

 

NOT!

Now in all fairness to the Isacord, this caused me to actually clean out and oil the bobbin area, then adjust the bobbin screw which is what I should have done like a week ago because after that it did sew fine. The McTavishing is ok and looks better now that it's done. When I was doing it I thought it looked pretty bad and I think it just takes a lot of practicing and getting loose. It's not the type of thing I would do on something I was going to sell or give to someone until I am really comfortable with it. It is really fun though, very freeing and loose. If you are a doodler and write with a flourish - you will LOVE McTavishing.

 

 

Here's a video to give you an idea of what it's like in case you've never tried it.

 

I ended up making a little pouch with it. Couldn't let that batik go to waste.

Have you ever McTavished?

 

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