A Little Gardening and Black Bag Progress

I got the panels for the KFC black Frankenbag quilted over the last couple evenings and sewed them together this evening.

That’s supposed to be the back of the bag, but I like it better than the front. So, I’m changing this to the front. It really only matters in my head! But I am liking this better as it progresses. I will make another one out of these fabrics and will do some different things in the piecing to make it different. Some ideas rattling around in my head.

Here’s what was the front of the bag. Now I’ll consider this the back.

I pulled out the black faux leather I bought a month or so ago and whipped up some handles. This bag really needs black handles.

Here’s a photo with the fabric I’ll use for the lining.

I got my garden in today. I stopped doing ground gardening when I moved to Portland. I have terrible dirt here and I got tired of all the garden maintenance throughout the summers. So I switched to growing a few things in containers. What I really want is tomatoes. Everything else is just window dressing.

Several years ago I had my yard guy pick up some metal stock tanks and we planted some tall bamboo in them, hoping it would eventually shade my patio on summer evenings. The bamboo failed to thrive after several years, so we dug it out this spring and planted trees instead. We put some good dirt in those tanks and I had him pick up another larger tank, and he got them all ready for planting on Monday.

In the large tank I planted four tomato plants and three pepper plants.

The tomatoes are all cherry varieties. It’s really hard to grow regular size tomatoes up here. I do have pretty good luck with the smaller varieties.

The peppers are one jalapeno and two sweet varieties.

In one of the smaller tanks I planted mixed lettuce. In the other one I planted ever bearing strawberries.

A friend of mine kept me in fresh garden lettuce all last summer and it really made me want my own. And I’ve always wanted strawberries. The guy at the garden store told me that I would actually have strawberries this summer! I’m really looking forward to that.

My yard guy mixed some fish fertilizer into the dirt and someone found it irresistible and ate some dirt last night.

So I have fences around all the tanks to keep bad dogs out. He’s going to be in real trouble if he helps himself to strawberries or tomatoes!

I got a few more photos of Frankenbags from blog readers. This first one is another one from Kris Cook. She said she has been saving the last of this cherished Anna Marie Horner fabric and decided to make this bag for her sister. She said it shows how much she loves her sister!

It’s really a beautiful piece of fabric. Kris made this bag a little smaller, at her sister’s request.

Here’s the back of the bag with some fun crumb piecing.

And here’s the lining. She added an extra pocket with makes this really functional.

This next bag is from Lynne Hummel. It’s a fun combo of batiks and black and white prints. And you know how much I love a graphic black and white fabric!

Here’s the other side of this bag.

I really love this black and white swirly fabric.

This next bag was made by Rose B. She said she had fallen into a quilting slump and this bag may have saved her.

That makes me so happy! I know that I was getting a little bored in my sewing. I’ve been having a lot of fun with these bags. They allow me to try different things without much risk. And they are quick and easy to finish.

Thanks again to everyone who has sent me photos. I’m having a blast seeing them and you’ve all given me a ton of ideas!