Tuesday, February 12, 2019

Wooly Totebag Challenge....


...if you know me at all....you know that I can't resist any challenge related to or using design and fabric of any sort!!!


So last Fall when I the Moda Wooly Tote Bag Challenge was issued...I jumped on the wagon....ordered the kit from Fox Cities Quilt Co.....put the kit on the shelf....


...and didn't think about it again until very early one morning after loading hogs. The thought popped into my head---"what if"--a very dangerous thought!!! What if I turn a quilt block design into what I put on the front of the tote bag!! Finally I had a plan---three days before the deadline!!


I pulled a selection of upcycled wools from my stash plus a charm pack of hand dyed wools from Primative Gatherings. Plan starting to come together.


The block pieces were cut out using the line drawing of the block printed from Electric Quilt.


...and stitched down with matching Aurifil threads.


I was a little concerned about stitching through the thick tote bag wool from the kit...but not to fear!!! My Bernina stitched a triple straight stitch perfectly through the layers. I decided to live on the edge and not back the block pieces with any fusible--just placed them down and went for it!! Worked great.


The more I looked at the quilt block design--the more the heart didn't feel right to me. The block was seeming to tell me that it wanted some flowers in it's corners!!
AccuQuilt Circle die #55484 to the rescue!!! Using two layers of wool, I had many adorable 1" circles cut in not time!!


Aurifil thread again....and seven 1" tiny perfectly cut circles....


...fold and pinch wool circle in half....push onto a threaded needle with knot at end of thread...


....keep adding wool circles to needle...


...pull circles to end of thread....


...gather circles....arrange into flower shape...push needle and thread through the back a few times to secure!! There you have it...an adorable little seven petaled flower. Keeping the thread attached to the flower, I simply handstitched the flower in place on the totebag in groups of three on each corner of the block.


What a great afternoon of creating I had doing this challenge!! Finished just in time to enter!!


Imagine my delight upon receiving an email it was selected as one of the finalists that needed to be sent to Moda for another judging!!! Super cool!!! Like I always say...some one has to win!!


Well today this box came in the mail....


...so it isn't one of the final 5 that will be showcased at Quilt Con next week....


....but it did come home with some great consolation prizes!!!!!


Thank you to Moda and Wooly Felted Wonders for such a fun contest. Can't wait to use the tote bag when the weather gets warmer and maybe some spring flowers are up!!

Accept the challenges so that you can feel the exhilaration of victory.
--George S. Patton

What interests me in life is curiosity, challenges, the good fight with its victories and defeats. 
--Paulo Coelho

8 comments:

chrisknits said...

How adorable is that tote! Great idea with the flowers.

Jennifer Fulton Inquiring Quilter said...

I would have picked yours in a heartbeat! So adorable! Love how it really shows off the use of wool. Oh well, with consolation prizes like that it's hard to be sad. Awesome job! Thanks for sharing it on Wednesday Wait Loss.

Bonnie said...

Your tote is adorable. Hadn't thought to use my Go dies on wool. Something new to try. Thanks.

Clipping Path Service said...

Absolutely fantastic job you have done here. And Thank you for sharing with us

Heide said...

This is fantastic! What great little project.

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