Shoe Bags & Stencil

Our bazaar isn't until November but with the way the weather has been I thought why not get an early start. Then if by any chance we actually do get summer and a nice Fall I won't be stuck indoors trying to get everything done. Actually we're hoping to go away for a couple of weeks in the Fall too so that's another good reason to do things early.

One of the things people have been asking for at the bazaar is shoe bags. I didn't realize people still used them - at least out here where we don't wear winter boots. But apparently they do for putting shoes in when they travel. I usually just use a plastic bag. I had this fabric that I got at the Thrift Shop for a song. I thought it was so ugly it wouldn't look good as anything aside from a nice flannel quilt back on a charity quilt. Wonders of wonders it looks kinda cute as shoe bags. So I've made 10 in two different sizes and have enough fabric to make 10 more if they need them. I also used French Seams cause I don't have a serger. If you don't know what french seams are it's very simple. They work great for pillow cases too.

It's hard to see so I put a dotted red box around part of it. You first of all sew the edges of your fabric wrong sides together. Then you flip it so it's right sides together like we're used to and sew down the seam again, making sure it's a bit wider than your first 1/4" seam. It gives it a nice finished look.

The other thing I have I got in the mail today was a stencil for hand quilting the centers of the Double Wedding Ring quilt. I think I'm nuts. I'm not even good at hand quilting. But this is just so pretty.

It looks like an awful lot of work. Angela offered to lend me one that is 4 hearts which would be a lot less work. I just can't decide. Maybe I could do the rose without the leaves. And then it has that cute rose bud to put in the smaller between spaces. I think I'll put a sandwich together with scraps and give it a try before I decide.

I have hand quilted two quilts but then at the time I didn't know that I didn't know how to do it so it turned out fine. Now that I know I don't know how to do it, it will probably take me another year. Ignorance is Bliss *LOL*

I finished my Rotten to the Core book and I've picked up a book that Nancy once recommended called "Keeping the House". I'm only on chapter 3 but so far so good. At the beginning of each chapter is a piece of advice.. or a rule as it were... about keeping house in the 1940's 1950's. The first one is from Making Marriage work, Ladies Home Journal, June 1950:

"The bride who wants to do her full job will plan from the start to create the kind of home her husband wants, and to do it with no more assistance than he willingly offers."

That would explain why my mom raised all of us 3 girls while my dad sat and said "Look what they're doing now" when my sisters would scribble on the wall with crayons. I never did anything like that of course cause I was an angel *LOL*

Overall reading about the current woman, a literal 1950 bride, has me in stitches a lot. This woman had 19 aprons! They threw her an apron party before she married. She had one apron to match each of her dresses. She put a fresh flower on the dinner table that matched how she was dressed. My goodness! Wonder how DH feels about dandelions. I'm usually in jeans and a T-Shirt (and no apron) *LOL*

UPDATE

Okay, I've done my practise piece and I think I can do the hand quilting thing. It looks a bit pulled in the back but maybe it's supposed to? I definately need to get a new thimble that fits my finger. Even though my stitches are large I think they're consistent. Be honest. What do you think?

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