Quilted bag completed

Just before Christmas Kaye gave each of the WI craft group, a small piece of fabric, with the only information that it was to form part of a small project to get us started once we reconvened in January. Kaye does so like to keep us on tenterhooks! All we had to do was to bring a fat quarter of some matching fabric. Even though I tried and tried to get it out of her, she would not let on what we were to make.

It has taken just three weeks to complete, and I have been amazed at how a small flat piece of fabric, can be given strength and definition with quilting. I enjoyed the hand quilting, which would not be passed by a purist, since I used different coloured embroidery threads to bring out some of the flower and leaf details, and used deep blue to trace a diamond pattern on the background pattern. I also pulled on the thread to help bunch up the quilting to give the shapes more bounce. The lining includes pockets: some narrow for knitting needles and some wider ones for scissors, tape measure etc. I used several embroidery stitches inside the bag. The attachment of the circular bottoms to the bags was pretty difficult for me. Each new project is advancing my sewing technique, which less than two years ago, was limited to repairing hems, and sewing back on buttons!