Happy Birthday Helen!

Actually, her birthday was October 2nd but I wasn't able to give her her present until a couple of weeks ago. I decided to make a duffle/overnight bag. I just happened to have some decorator weight fabric by Amy Butler on hand. I can't remember where I got the pattern but it was from a sewing/quilting magazine. Anyway, here it is:


There aren't any pockets inside but there is a pocket on each end. The pattern only called for one but hey, you can never have enough pockets.
It came out great and she loved it!

Elaine

Not my usual kind of sewing

Curtains! I don't like home dec kind of sewing and until recently I didn't do home dec sewing. A few months ago my friend Pam and I went to Franklin Mill Store in Franklin, Mass. I was going for my usual decorator quilting cottons and Pam was looking for curtain fabric for her kitchen and dining room. Actually, she's been looking for about 10 years. Anyway, Franklin Mills has a home decorator section with a nice selection of fabric and trimmings. Pam found the perfect fabric and a display window that had a style she liked. No curtain rods. Two L brackets are mounted above each window and a 1x3 board screwed to the brackets. The top of the curtains are stapled to the boards. Sounds easy. Oh yeah, did I mention that she also purchased bead trimming. No problem because she had someone in mind to make these for her. Shirley lives in CT and it wasn't looking good to have these done for Thanksgiving. Pam had already painted the kitchen and the brackets and boards were ready. Pam created a pattern for the curtains. I took the fabric home and sewed the bead trim and lining to the bottoms of the curtains. Once this was done we spent 5 1/2 hours finishing them. I'm really happy with the way they turned out. The pattern in the fabric is nice and lined up and everything looks great.
Here are a few pictures.




It was a challenge and it was fun. I'm not likely to do it again anytime soon but my attitude about home dec sewing has changed...a little bit.
Elaine