Author: agilejack

Our high temp yesterday was 106. It’s supposed to hit 115 today. This is the hottest it’s ever been in Portland–ever. We still have one more day over 100 and then it starts to settle down into the lower 90s. Still hot, but not hellish.

So I’ve been hunkered down in the house being productive. Friday night I started the panels for this bag and I finished it up yesterday. Today it’s in the mail.

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I always love seeing a piece of fabric as it’s quilted. It’s so pretty under the needle.

I had plenty of time left in the day once this bag was done so I started another project I’ve been wanting to do. I covered this little wooden box with Kaffe’s Paisley Jungle in tangerine.

I painted the box first so that the bare wood wouldn’t show through any inaccuracies in applying the fabric.

The orange paint was the EXACT color of orange in the fabric!

After painting the box I applied pieces of fabric using Mod Podge. I cut the pieces of fabric to size for each side of the box with a small overlap for the corners.

After getting all the fabric applied to the box and giving the Mod Podge plenty of time to dry in the hellish hot air outside, I sanded the box to make it smooth.

Once it was all nice and smooth, I sprayed it with a matte sealant.

Here’s a bunch of photos because it’s so pretty.

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I don’t remember when I last saw temperatures this high. Today it was 100 degrees by noon. Knowing that my dogs would not be happy sitting inside inactive all day, we took early walks Saturday and Sunday. Saturday, we were out walking by about 8:30 am. Today we were out the door at 7 am and it was already about 75 degrees and about 50% humidity.

We walked about 4.5 miles and stuck to the shady trail as much as we could. We walked a bit slowly toward the end. We were all glad to get home and into the cool house.

The temps are supposed to be ridiculously high again Monday and then it should start cooling down a bit. 95 will seem like fall compared to this!

I finished up my latest Frankenbag last night but waited to take photos outside today. Here’s the front.

I love the really scrappy and earthy feel of this one. It’s so fun to use up fabrics that were given by a good friend and end up with something so happy.

Here’s the back of the bag.

Yum! It feels like warm cinnamon.

I’m pretty happy with the lining too. This is a Brandon Mably design that I bought on a crazy cheap sale a few years ago. I didn’t have any plan for it, but it felt perfect for this bag.

GAH! So much amazing color! Makes the hair on the back of my neck stand up!!!

And I have to say, this little tag looks really good with these earthy fabrics.

I was wondering what I was going to make next and then I got a request for another bag. I am starting to think about an improv approach to a new quilt… thinking I might basically make a bunch of 17×17 inch panels, like I make for these bags, and then assemble them into a quilt. I have a specific idea tumbling around in my head. I’ll give it a little more thought…

I’ve also been thinking that I want to get the backs pieced for several quilts that I’ve made in the last 15 months. There are a few that I actually have plans for and I might as well get them ready to head off to the long armer so they’re ready for the holidays.

There are also one or two that I’ll be keeping for myself. And it makes me wonder just how many quilts I need. Maybe it’s more about how many I WANT!

I’ve received photos of another Frankenbag made by Paulette Aldrich.

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I love the red, black and white. And the pops of green on the back are so perfect! And what about that lining? It’s so cute with all those pointy ears! I also love the zipper pockets Paulette put in this bag. Very nice!

I got together with some friends tonight to practice some dog agility. Rico did a fantastic job! He loves it so much and puts it all on the line, and this is what he looks like after his turn…

THAT is a happy dog!

It was warm out there tonight but not as hot as it’s gonna get!

I’ve been trying a new type of brush on Bender and it’s really working! This is from the second brushing… and all that hair is from his butt!!!

I probably got at least twice that much out of the rest of his coat. He really needed a good brushing. I bet he feels better too. He’s going to be very surprised when he gets a nice cool hose bath this weekend!

I’ve been so busy since I last posted. I had Rico entered in a dog agility competition over the weekend and it took up a lot of time and completely wore me out!

Rico was waaaay excited to be out there competing again… it’s been more than 1.5 years since we went to an agility competition! He was so excited that we didn’t do very well, competition wise. But we did have a good time and saw a lot of friends that we haven’t seen for a long time. It was a wonderful weekend.

That’s Rico at the agility trial. He had to get his official measurement, which determines how high he will have to jump during his agility career. He is a big kid and will have to jump in a class with the big dogs. It feels odd to have it be official that he’s big!

I’ve been working on my latest Frankenbag over the last few evenings, where I’ve had time here and there. Last night I finished the body of the bag and got the lining all ready to sew in place.

This is the bag made all from fabric a friend of mine gave me. It’s all KFC fabrics and it’s a bit of a different and more earthy feel for me, but I really like it! it’s darker, but still bright and vibrant. Here’s the other side.

I’ll probably finish the lining tomorrow evening and then get it photographed and ready for shipping.

I received a big piece of red Kaffe Mosaic Circles in the mail today. It’s so gorgeous!!!

I’ve been keeping an eye out for sales since I wanted to use this as the backing for my scrappy Kaffe trip quilt. I got a good deal on this and it’s going to be perfect for this quilt.

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It’s always nice to get backing fabric on sale!

I had Friday off and had originally planned to take a drive to the coast but my friend who was going to go along wasn’t able to go. So I decided to stay a little closer to home and took the dogs for an 8 mile walk on the Banks Vernonia trail. It was a gorgeous walk and the weather was just perfect.

Here’s the boys getting a little dip in the stream at about mile seven.

We’ve got some really hot weather coming up this weekend. Our herding lesson has been canceled because we can’t work the sheep when it’s that hot, and it’s hard on the dogs and people too.

It used to be that June was still cool and rainy in Portland. It just keeps getting hotter and drier. I’m feeling very fortunate that I have central air conditioning.

I’m guessing I’ll get a good deal of sewing done this weekend as it will be too hot to do anything outside.

I continue to receive photos of Frankenbags from blog readers. It’s so much fun to see what everyone is making.

Here’s one of my favorites, and mostly because I love the story from Madeline Aron.

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I love Madeline’s bag, but I love even more that she pushed herself beyond her comfort zone. And look what she came up with! Amaze balls!!!

Here’s another bag from Birthe Aust. Love those black and whites. Birthe has made a number of these bags and they’re all really pretty!

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This next one is from Susan Cook. She’s also made a number of these bags. I love the way she used the applique circles on this one. And that black and white is all so fantastic!

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Next up is Beth Lynyard Odishoo. I love that great big star, and the colors are really pretty too.

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This next bag was made by Sharon Galli. I just love this one. It feels tailored and structured, but still soft and comfy. And I love the graphic impact of that bold horizontal stripe. So nice!

This next ones are from Linda Scarf. I think it’s two bags. These are really graphic and fun bags! I love the triangles in the first one and the big star in the third one. And I do love me some flying geese! Nice job Linda!

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And the last one for tonight is from Dosey Brown Pike. The pictures are a little dark, but I love that star with the green border! Really nice and bold! And I do love green. Looks like Dosey did a really good job of using up some orphan blocks.

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Big thanks to everyone for sharing photos! I’m having a blast seeing what others have made.

After a day of work filled with Zoom calls I stepped away from my desk at 6:30 pm. After dinner we had a nice 3.5 mile walk in absolutely perfect weather. When we got home I sat on the patio and messaged a friend about an impromptu trip to the Oregon coast on Friday. It was so nice on the patio with the scent of my honeysuckle wafting on the breeze.

And I’m really excited about a quick trip to the coast with a friend and her dogs. She’s retired now and had messaged me about maybe going to the beach with us some time and since I have Friday off from work, it was the perfect opportunity! Plus, it’s more fun when you decide at the last minute to go! My dogs will be so happy and it will be really good for me!

After enjoying some time on the patio I hit the sewing room and finished up the second panel for my OPF (other people’s fabric) Frankenbag.

Here’s the second panel.

And the first panel, in case you forgot.

Here’s both panels side by side so you can see how they work together.

I got the quilt sandwiches complete so I’ll be ready to quilt these tomorrow night after our dog agility lesson.

A couple more blog readers sent in photos of their Frankenbags. This first one is from Laura Kelly. She also sent a photo of her sweet doggo, but didn’t let me know the doggo’s name.

I love Laura’s big block on the first photo! What a great use for an orphan block. And those little spikes on the back of the bag… so fun! And I love that she made double pockets on this bag.

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Awww. What a sweet looking pupper!

These next two bags are from Donna Jackson. I just love that very bold black and white print and the cool feeling of the fabric combo. And that skull fabric on the bottom… I’ve been wanting to get some of that fabric. I love the way she sort of used it in s subtle way. Donna used all scraps for this bag and didn’t dip into her stash. I love that!

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Thanks to Laura and Donna for sending photos!

I’ve entered Rico in an agility competition trial this weekend. It’s been a loooooong time since we’ve done a trial. I’m really looking forward to it!

Here’s a link to a video of Rico doing agility at a lesson last fall so you have an idea of what kind of dog sport this is. This link is on my Instagram account so you can look around while you’re there.

I planted strawberries for the first time in my life this summer and I’m almost ready to harvest my first berry. And it’s a beauty!

I think it needs another day or two to be at its peak. I’m worried that a bird or squirrel will steal it before I get to it. I’m keeping my fingers crossed.

After fifteen months of pandemic isolation, I finally hit a wall on Friday and started feeling like if I didn’t spend some time around people I was going to lose it! It sort of made me laugh because I’m a raging introvert. It’s pretty impressive that I went well more than a year before the isolation actually got to me!

So I spent my weekend hanging out with friends and having lots of conversations. And it was fantastic!

On Saturday Rico and I had our regular sheep herding lesson, then I met a couple of friends at a dog agility trial that was being held nearby. Then I met them one of their homes and we did some agility with our dogs, then had some cocktails and dinner.

Lavender martinis! These were so crazy good! And so beautiful!

It was so good to just have fun with our dogs and hang out and talk. You might not realize that people who live alone during a pandemic don’t get a lot of face to face conversation! Go figure! It’s been so long since I was able to just hang out with friends. It felt so normal. I left my house at 11 am and didn’t get home until after 9pm!

I also stopped at the same fabric store I went to last weekend to pick up some fabric for friends…

… and a few more pieces for me…

On Sunday I met a friend and brought Thai food for lunch. Then we had another sheep herding lesson in a downpour! Rico and I were both soaked by the time we were done. I think we’ve gotten nearly two inches of rain since Saturday! And we really needed it. Coming up? Ten days of sun and heat.

I did get into my sewing room tonight and started my next Frankenbag. I needed to get moving on this one because I’ve already sold it! Sight unseen! That’s a little bit of pressure.

This one is made all from fabrics that a friend gave me. I really like the earthy look of the fabrics.

I’ve continued to receive photos of Frankenbags from blog readers.

Here’s one from Reidun Evjan Vefald. I really love all the black and white she’s used in her crumb piecing. And that pieced pocket on the interior is very cool! I also like the way she used the green fabric to finish the top edge. It’s a nice detail.

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This next one is from Margot Pritchard. I just love those great big stars! I also like the way she attached the single handle. I’ve been thinking about doing a bag with a single shoulder strap. Now I’m thinking I have to do it soon!

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That star on the left is made from cloisonne. It’s no longer in production. If you scroll up and look at the fabric I purchased for myself this weekend, you’ll see a piece of this fabric in the group!

This next bag was made by Betty Simms. She made this for a friend from her fabrics. And the fabrics are really cute. That yellow block in the first photo just makes me smile! Betty wrote in her email, “I’m having so much fun making these!! These bags have become habit-forming and it’s all your fault!!” I know how you feel Betty!

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The last bag tonight is from Susan Cook. This is such a fun bag! I love the way Susan used the different low volume fabrics with the curved piecing. And that black and white fabric at the top is very cool. And that spot fabric in green on the first photo sort of gives me chills — it’s so good!

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Big thanks to Reidun, Margot, Betty and Susan for sending photos or tagging me on social media. Can’t wait to see what readers send in next.

Stopped and picked these blooms during a field run on Sunday. I could smell it from 50 yards away. Friends on social media tell me it’s probably a mock orange. All I know if that the smell is so incredible! I brought these blooms home with me and keep smelling them! So gorgeous.

And here are some photos of Bender and Rico just because they’re such good boys. There’s sort of a theme.

They really do!

I’ve had several people ask me recently how big my Frankenbags end up being. So I took this picture to show you in context with me.

I’m not a tiny person. I’m about 5’8″ and am the size of the average American woman. This bag is a good size bag, but it’s not a suitcase.

This photo also shows how my 24 inch handles work. Someone recently said that they didn’t see how these handles could be considered shoulder straps. For me, these handles make the bag ride exactly where it should. If you’ve noticed, women typically have some curves. I like a bag that rides comfortably where my torso is smallest, at my waist, rather than riding on my hip, where I’m widest. These 24 inch handles make this bag nestle in right where I want it to. It also makes it comfy to keep my hand on the bag for security.

The other thing I like about this length of handle is that they also allow me to carry the bag by the handles without the bag dragging on the ground.

But the really good thing is that you can make your handles any length you want and they will be perfect for you.

I’ve been thinking about my next project and I think it will be another bag. A friend of mine mailed me some pieces of the Kaffe sunburst fabric in the dark colorway from her stash, which I am not able to find anywhere. So I’m going to combine it with some 2.5 inch KFC strips that the same friend gave me a couple of years ago. These are all older prints and they will be fun with this sunburst fabric. I pulled the darker strips out of the group and I like the way this combo looks.

That color way of the sunburst is really gorgeous! And I found that piece of Brandon’s Jolly, on the far left, while I was looking for these strips. I think it will make a great lining for this bag.

And speaking of looking for those strips… I nearly had to tear my sewing room apart to find them! In the process I went through nearly all my KFC fabrics and found some stuff that I’d forgotten about.

One of the pieces I found was a yard of the blue sunburst fabric! I had no recollection that I had this in my stash. Remember that I ordered more so I could line my last bag with it. Oy.

Well, now I have even more of it! That’s probably not a bad thing!

Another piece I found is this green colorway of Kaffe’s Jupiter.

It’s nearly impossible to find and has been out of production for years. I bought several yards of it a few years ago when I happened upon it in an online store. I’ve been rationing it in projects ever since. And the other night I happened upon some in a different online store and bought five yards of it!!! I’m so excited to be putting more of this in my stash. The colors are just so amazing. And green is my favorite color — this is just so good and it makes me very happy!

I also found this strip set. I don’t even remember buying this. It might have been from a Missouri Star daily special several years ago. I have an idea of what to make from this. More on this later.

In the last few days I’ve received more photos of Frankenbags made from my tutorial.

This first one is from Mary Jo Mix. This was Mary Jo’s first try at the Frankenbag and she said she had never done scrappy before. I think this is a really good first adventure in scrappy piecing! I love it.

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This next bag is from Wendy Patrick. She has a vintage green button (shown in the first photo) that she will add to the bag along with the tassel in the last photo.

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I really love how scrappy and random Wendy’s piecing is! The way she’s put the black and white fabrics in here and there is fantastic!

This last bag is from Sandra Jane Spear. She said she had a lot of fun and some not so much putting this bag together. While taking this outdoor photo she stepped into a nest of fire ants! And a few days later she sliced off part of her finger with her rotary cutter.

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I love this bag… especially knowing how Sandra suffered to make it!!! And look at the work she put into piecing that interior pocket. She’s a rock star… a wounded rock star!

Thanks to Mary Jo, Wendy and Sandra for sharing their photos. If you’ve sent me a photo that hasn’t made it to my blog, let me know! It’s been a little tricky keeping track of all these photos!

The weather here in Portland has been pretty amazing the last few days. Really nice temps, a shower here and there, and absolutely amazing skies! This photo was taken during our afternoon walk today.

Last week I finally turned my air conditioner on. Yesterday, I had to turn the furnace on again! We’re all enjoying the long and light evenings! My favorite part of summer!

I received a package of fabric in the mail today that contained some blue starburst fabric. I’ve been waiting for it to finish my blue starburst Frankenbag lining. So after dinner I dug in an got it all done.

Thanks to Wanda at Exuberant Color for suggesting that the sunburst fabric would be a fantastic lining. It really is perfect! But it’s not easy to work with! It’s printed quite wonkily (is that even a word?) on the fabric and takes some time and effort to get the pieces cut square with the little squares aligned nicely. I think these little squares are perfect for fussy cutting. A little harder to work with in larger pieces.

But they are so fantastic!

Here’s the other side of this bag.

Ooh! Look at that little peek of the blue sunburst lining!!! I love it!

And the double pocket made from Jumble.

And my favorite detail…

I’ve gone on a little fabric buying streak the last couple of weeks. This all adds up to about 28 yards of fabric. Mostly half yards, but a few yard cuts and several a little larger.

It’s all KFC fabrics. I did purchase a few pieces of non KFC black and whites that didn’t make it into this photo.

Look at this amazing piece! And I’m wishing I had bought a larger piece of this. It’s so fantastic!

I looked at all the bags hanging on the coat rack in my guest room and here’s everything that’s still in my possession. The rest have been sold.

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In addition to these are the two I’m keeping for myself. This paperweight one because I just love it and the crumb bag because it’s the first one I made and has all sorts of things wrong with it.

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And now I think I might spend a couple of evenings making some blocks for my Secret Purple quilt while I think about what bag I might make next.

After breakfast today I took the boys for a 4.5 mile walk while it was still dry. It was nice and cool and we had a great walk.

When I got home, I dug in and started making the panels for this purple bag. Then I got it quilted and constructed. I almost stopped before I got the lining done, but decided to keep going and finish it. I think this is bag number 23. I miscounted when I said I had made #20 a couple weeks ago.

I still need to put the tag on. I’ll sew that on tomorrow and take some better photos outside.

Here’s the other side of the bag.

I lined it with the green and purple jumble and made a purple spot pocket.

The colors in these fabrics are so amazing. While I was quilting this I got a view of the green strata under the lights of the machine and the colors were so vibrant and exciting!

And look how cool that stripe looks with the match stick quilting! GAH! I love this!!!

I received more photos from people who have made Frankenbags.

Here’s a cute little one from Amy Buehler who made this bag smaller than in my tutorial. It’s for her three-year-old grand daughter who will be visiting with her soon. She’s planning on having a different surprise waiting for the toddler each morning.

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Here’s another one from Michele Pintark. I love these bright yet soft colored prints combined with that fun black and white fabric. I really want some of that fabric. I don’t think I’ve ever seen it before. This bag just looks like spring time… or rainbow sherbet.

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Michelle made long cork handles and added a zipper pocket and snap closure. And I just love that fabric she used for the lining.

Here’s a bag from Jodi Smith. I just love her fabrics! Bright, saturated, bold. Really pretty. And I love Jodi’s diagonal quilting on this bag. That’s something I’m going to need to try soon!

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And those pops of pink here and there are just lovely!

Here’s one more bag from Betty. And I’m sorry I didn’t get Betty’s last name. It’s a really fun and whimsical bag. I love the great big bloom and you know the black and white fabrics make me happy.

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It looks like Betty added a zipper at the top of the bag along with a zipper pocket on the inside. This will be a really pretty and functional bag.

Thanks to Betty, Jodi, Michele and Amy for sending photos of your bags!

As we were walking this morning I realized that I the shirt I was wearing has been with me for over 20 years!

What an odd thing to think about.

And an added bonus during our walk was this guy.

He was about 6 inches long, not including his tail, and was just sitting there next to a mail box. Odd behavior for a rat. I’d be just as happy if we didn’t have these nasty little things.

On Saturday at our sheep herding lesson Rico worked these girls in a little pen. We were working on moving the sheep around tight quarters. It’s so different than working in a big field.

I think his brain hurt by the time our lesson was over. He didn’t exert a lot of physical effort, but he exerted a lot of mental effort!

And these raggedy looking sheep? They’re hair sheep. They lose their fleece every year so they don’t need to be sheared. But they look pretty rough while it’s happening!

After our lesson I stopped by a local quilt store that has a pretty good selection of Kaffe, Brandon and Philip Jacobs fabrics. They don’t carry much in the way of the newest fabrics, but you can sometimes find prints that aren’t available anywhere else.

So I bought a bunch of mostly older Philip Jacobs prints.

They’re all so pretty together. I might have to come up with an idea for a quilt using a lot of these. And I love some of the lighter shades here.

Phew. I feel so much better now that I have more fabric in my stash!

I finished up the body for this blue sunburst Frankenbag after our walk this evening. And I absolutely love this bag! Definitely one of my favorites.

And the other side…

The side views are interesting too…

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And now I’m going to have to wait to finish this because I’ve ordered something special for the lining. But in the mean time I’m planning my next bag…

I’ve been wanting to make a bag out of purples. I’m basing this combo on the coleus fabric at the very top. I will do some editing of these fabrics, but this is a good start. I may include a couple little starbursts here and there. There are a few that are purple and green.

I got some photos of Frankenbags from a couple more blog readers in the last few days.

Here’s one from Antoinette Todd. I really love this scrappy combo of fabrics. Its so casual and comfortable! And I do love those little pops of turquoise.

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And here’s another one from Cherry Naylor. I really love that chips fabric. It’s so graphic. I also love how these fabrics are a little more primary colors. I also really like the bold vertical pieces in this bag, all broken up with the little HST block on point.

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I think Cherry might be hooked!

Thanks to Cherry and Antoinette for sending me their photos!

I took a picture of the back of my hair the other night because it felt like it was getting really long. I haven’t had it cut since February 2020. That’s nearly 18 months!

I don’t remember the last time my hair was this long. And I’ve been getting really anxious to get it cut. And since I’m fully vaccinated and I have a neighbor who is a hairdresser who is also fully vaccinated, I asked her this morning if she could get me in today. She had an opening in the afternoon and this is the result.

It feels SOOOO GOOD to have it cut! And I love all the curl she was able to get out of it. She told me it will continue to get curlier as it adjusts to the cut. She cut a full three inches off of it and it’s still longer than it’s been in years. It will be interesting to see what I can do with it after I wash it.

She even trimmed my crazy eyebrows!

I’m happy to report that my strawberry plants are sort of going crazy! The biggest one is about as big around as a quarter and the pips are turning red!

I’m thinking I might actually get enough strawberries that I can eat more than one at a time!

Hello weekend!!!

I finished up the second blue sunburst bag panel this evening and I got the first panel quilted before I got too tired.

I wasn’t completely sure about this fabric combo, but I’m really liking how this looks. It’s always surprising to me how different fabrics look once they’re sewn together. That simple process of combining them all into one piece of fabric completely transforms what can seem like pieces that don’t make sense together into something that is cohesive and makes total sense. It’s like magic!

Here’s both panels together. They’re pretty similar. Small differences.

And here’s larger photos of each panel… just because it’s fun to just look at these fabrics!!!!

Haven’t decided yet which is the front and which is the back. Probably won’t know until I get the bag body assembled. Could go either way.

I might get this bag finished up tomorrow night.

I keep getting more and more photos of Frankenbags from blog readers. And I’m amazed at what people are coming up with.

Here’s one from Eve Nicholls. She made this from flannel blocks and lined it with linen. It’s all sewn by hand and hand quilted. Eve opted to not include batting because her fabrics were pretty thick and the bag had good body and structure without it.

I’m terribly envious of people who can do hand work and I wish I could do it. Unfortunately, my hands just can’t take it. I’ve got terrible hands, the result of a lot of repetitive work I’ve done over the years knitting, crocheting, and braiding dog leashes and toys.

This next bag is from Terry Perkinson. When I scrolled to the first photo in Terry’s email I literally gasped!!! There is just something about these bright and bold prints with graphic black and white fabrics that just knocks me out! In addition to that, I love the bold shapes and intersecting diagonal lines. And there’s a peek of a very fun orange lining! OOF! I love this one!

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This fun summery bag was made by Dana Olness. To me it feels like a picnic on a summer day! And I love her very organic wavy quilting. I think I need to do a few more bags with wavy lines. And I have to say that bandana print lining is so sweet! I just love it that so many people are really going for it with their linings!

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These last two bags are from Maureen Parsons. I love the scrappy approach and color combos of these bags. Plus, they’re made with batiks… and I LOVE batiks! Take a closer look at the green bag for the sweet little applique leaves. And what I really love is that it looks like Maureen is already using one of these bags! I just love it when people actually use the things they make. A large part of an item’s beauty is its functionality!

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It was hot again today but not as hot as yesterday. I’m happy that it will be cooling down over the next few days, but there’s not much rain in the forecast. We really need some rain. it’s just way too dry and way too hot her for this time of year.

Our afternoon walks have us choosing the shady routes that take us past watering holes.

But I’m pretty sure these boys might walk through fire to get their walks!