Strawberry Fields Forever

Hello Strawberries, Popsicles, Lemonade, fresh Cut Lawns, Swimming, and Starry Skies

Sweet and Juicy Strawberries, Ready for the Picking

Now I have a matching sleeping bag of my very own.  I bound the bag in the matching polka dot, which is the same as my Duffle bag (Duffle pattern by www.ByAnnie.com).  They compliments each other so well!!  You will have to make a bag too if you haven't.  Speaking of ByAnnie, she offers the zippers by the yard and colorful interchangeable zipper heads.  I used a gray zipper track and a yellow zipper head.  What is so much fun is that the zipper track is camouflaged by the binding because it is so close in color.  It is fantastic that she offers so many colors to work into your projects.!.


I quilted this with my Statler Stitcher.  I mentioned before that it was my first project that I was going to quilt.  I had to flip the design because it was directional and of COURSE I loaded it upside down, quilted one row, then expressed "oh crap!".  I solved the problem though and was able to flip the design every other row to camouflage that.  This experience made for some intermediate quilting skills that I had to fast develop.  I learned A LOT.


The large ties look so dang cute but they are super functional.  I made them large in the child version for little fingers to knot easily.  They look so cute when all rolled up.  AND here is my little yellow zipper head -


Here are the straps that hold the sleeping bag all rolled up tight -


So here we are:  Coordinating bag and sleeping bag -


Little matching zippers -


I used tricot as the lining for my sleeping bag.  In the children's version I used flannel but I am such a heater myself that I prefer a silky smooth inside to my sleeping bags.  I pretty much just love tricot anyway.  I have a couple of my Great Granmother's tricot quilts and I really love that textile.  It is fantastically soft.  It is now on my sewing bucket list to make a whole cloth tricot quilt.  One day.  I haven't crawled inside or spent a night in this bag yet but I will get to that eventually.  I know we have some sewing retreats in the planning stages right now so before I know it, it will happen.  I might have to join the kids in a living room sleepover until then.


Another advantage of tricot is that it shows off the quilting so wonderfully -



Please let me know what you think of the quick tutorial.  I did it in a bit of a hurry and hopefully I will be able to add to it over the next little bit.  I just couldn't post pictures without something to offer in case one is interested.  Well I better go to sleep now.  Mixi Sleeps.


The little girl just could not sleep because her thoughts were way too deep her mind had gone out for a stroll and fallen down a rabbit hole.

Sleep is the best meditation.

Let her sleep for when she wakes she will move mountains.

And tonight I fall asleep with you in my heart.

I took a couple pictures of all of the stuff with the kids last year because I didn't know how long it would be before the items made their way back home.  It was a good thing because I am so glad to have pictures especially since some of them are still out there floating around!!  I even gave some away at Quilt Market at the schoolhouse so those won't ever come back.  Looking at each project I just feel such a great sense of love.  The are all so fun in all the different fabrics.  I can't wait to see if sewists just love the book.


LITTLE BIG STUFF:

Over the next few months, until the book officially is in stores, I want to just highlight some of the projects.  If you are interested keep checking back.  What better project to start with than the sleeping bags because of the sleepover last weekend with the kids.


The Sleeping Bag Details:

This is such a fun project in the book!!  The kids LOVE, LOVE, LOVE them.  I have lined the bag with flannel to make them cozy.  They have large ties for little fingers to knot easily.  They also have encased elastic for easy rolled-up storage.  I quilted these with my long arm using two layers of batting (wool and poly/cotton).  They have the perfect loft.  I could go on and on about how awesome they are.


See!  They are so cute rolled up.


The book includes themed chapters.  This Campout Fun chapter also includes a little duffle where the fabrics match the sleeping bag.  In each chapter the fabrics coordinate.  Ya have to match right.  I find myself habitually matching my whole life.  I currently love this teal color.  I have bought a lot of stuff in this color and so I am creating my own theme right now, matching my life in teal.  Speaking of themes, matching also emphasizes the theme and it would be a shame not to make all the projects in the chapter because they match, lol.


She had a revolutionary idea: She would make more time for life's truly important things.  First on the list breathing.

How sweet it is to Bee Loved.

Bee Kind.

I prefer the company of happy people that are believers in magic, and the magical people who are believer in happy.

First just do it, Then do it Better.