Friendly Sunflowers
Well hi there! As I’m sitting down to write this post, I wondered about the date of my last post. November 9th?? Really?? Life has been a bit off-kilter here as of late, and my post writing mojo has been on vacation. So maybe this week I can catch you up a bit. Let’s start with some friendly sunflowers, quilted up by Eva and me.
If you were following me last year, you’ll remember Eva. She joined in on the Stay at Home Round Robin SAL hosted by Quilting Gail. I posted Eva’s progress each week, since she does not blog nor is she on any social media. You can see Eva’s SAHRR quilt here.
Eva and I keep in touch via email, and we chatter away like we’ve been old friends for quite awhile. I enjoy catching up with her and her busy life. Back in July, Eva wondered if I’d like to make this sunflower block with her. This block is a free pattern from The Crafty Quilter, and it’s a fun little twist on the usual sunflower block. But what did Eva and I do with our blocks?
Eva got pretty creative, making a yoga tote with her block. It turned out really cute!
I like her little fussy cut red flowers in the corner blocks, don’t you? Here’s a photo of the back of the bag.
Eva used old jeans and left over fabric from a king-size quilt she made. I love the improv side of the tote! And look at the fun little addition inside:
Those happy fabrics inside the bag, and using the jeans pocket, too! What fun. Eva says it is an XXL bag for her yoga classes – this photo shows her yoga blocks next to the bag, so you can see the size.
I’m sure she will get lots of use out of her new bag as she heads to her yoga classes.
Meanwhile, I wasn’t nearly as creative. I opted for the easy route and just turned it into a 12-inch mini quilt.
I did have some fun with the quilting, using my walking foot to do some straight line quilting. For the back of the mini, I used a fat quarter that I didn’t know what else to do with. It is not a very pretty fabric, but works fine for a backing.
Eva and I are cooking up another idea for something to sew up together, and it will be something a little different and fun. More on that in a future post.
I hope you enjoyed seeing our friendly sunflowers – thanks for taking the time to read my post! I’ll try to post more this week and catch you up on what’s been happening in my quilt room.
Wendy
Doll Quilts and Gowns
37 Comments
Barbara J Stanbro
Oooh…cute bags. I love what you did with your quilting. I was just thinking about you yesterday, and was thinking it had been a while since we’d heard from you.
eva
Barbara, thank you very much for your comment. the colours Wendy took and the power of her mini is really lovely. And I love that she shows us how to use fabric for the back. We all may need some power for the next weeks… 🙂 and can take it from the sunflower pictures. 🙂
Brenda @ Songbird Designs
Fun blocks and I love Eva’s bag! Those jeans pockets make great additions to bags! Good to hear from you Wendy.
Eva
Brenda, indeed – it was fun to make .. but to be honest, I did a mistake, seam ripper on duty, and one needle broken in my machine in combination with some other topics to be done, took me (!) longer to come to an end. So I am very grateful that Wendy hat time to post with all the Thanksgiving activities and Christmas time ahead!
Sandra Walker
Well you know I love a good bag and that one is awesome! I think it’s important and always a fun little ‘secret’ for the owner to have a bright and happy lining in the bag and lots of pockets for sure. I love the Kaffe Fassett fabric that you used for your sunflower centre – it’s perfect. So nice to sew across the miles with a friend.
Eva
Hallo Sandra, oh yes… thousands of miles… but it makes so much fun to do it together. And I love the fabrics Wendy takes!!! We had fun with showing the fabrics each of us decided to take for the common project. Thanks for your comment
Diann@ Little Penguin Quilts
I remember Eva and those neat sunflower blocks the two of you made! Fun to see what you each did with yours. Whether a tote bag or a mini quilt – the fun is in the making, right?! I love the bright colors in yours and that pretty blue sunflower print Eva used. Hope you had a nice Thanksgiving, Wendy.,
Eva
Diann, thank you so much to remember… yes, same to me.. to see the other idea … a mini
the blue sunflower print has much power – you are right. 🙂
karenfae
I’ve been beginning to wonder if you retired from blogging 🙂 nice to see you back, neat sunflowers!
Yvonne @Quilting Jetgirl
It’s so fun to have quilting friends to sew with, whether in person or remotely thanks to technology. Eva’s bag is really large and looks fantastic. How smart to use a pocket from jeans for the inside pocket. As I’m not much of a bag maker, I wouldn’t have thought to do something like that and would have probably opted for a mini quilt myself. I hope you had a very Happy Thanksgiving and have fun in your next collaboration together!
Eva
Hi Yvonne, oh yes – if Corona had one good thing, than that I was looking youtube all nights and train my englisch with looking quilting videos and then found Wendy’s blog. Thank you for your nice comment. Normally I do these pockets outside! But in this case I would destroy the srappy piece in the middle.
This bag will not be the last one, because really big bags for the Yoga equipment are only the ones from the company from Sweden with the big I at the beginning and an A a the end…. and I love to have an unique one. Yes – guess the fun can go on!
Vicki in MN
Yay, so glad you are posting again;) Both of you ladies made fun projects with the sunflower block. Love how you quilted your mini.
Eva
Vicky – yes – I am very thankful that Wendy is so kind to give me room in her blog.. it is her blog! So I am really really thankful to have this wonderful friend!
Nancy @ Grace and Peace Quilting
Sunflowers have got to be one of the happiest flowers in the world!!! I enjoyed seeing how you and Eva made and used yours, Wendy, and Eva!!! Super cool bag! And we all need another mini for the studio!!!
Eva
Nancy, thank you – I never thought about that – but you are right. .. sunflowers gave us power, the power of a summer .. food for the birds. …. thanks for your compliment.. and yes, Wendy’s is a lovely mini! 🙂
Laura
I do remember Eva and the sunflower blocks! Love both projects! How fun to have someone special to play with, Wendy! 🙂
Eva
Thank you Laura!! 🙂
Bernie
These are great Wendy and Eva! So fun to see two very different uses for the same block. Now I am curious about the next joint project!!
Eva
Hi Bernie, Thank you … yes…. we are as well curious about the next joint project. But first, guess – we all have this christmas time with long to do lists on our tables…. but then, January …long January weeks will come. Hope your machine is back well??
marissthequilter
I think it’s fantastic that you and Eva sew together on different continents, and with such delightful results.
I was thinking today that I hadn’t read a post from you for a while, Wendy, and then your sunflowers popped into my inbox. Thank you.
Eva
.. and with you Mariss … we are on the third continent! happy summer time!
🙂
Rochelle Summers
Wonderful projects from the two of you. Years ago, I used the pocket from a pair of jeans on my bag. It was during the time I explored machine embroidery (not for me). My husband detaches the pockets and backing fabric from worn out jeans and sews them over the holes on the legs of another pair of jeans to extend the life. Sometimes he has two additional pockets on his leg. I’m glad you and Eva have found time to quilt together.
Eva
Rochelle, that’s a funny idea of your hubby! never though about that …. thank you for your kind comment.
laura bruno lilly
Eva – you’ve been holding out on us – what a fantastic sunflower tote. That bag is my kinda bag! The surprise inside pocket is a bonus for sure and your use of denim integrates well with your fabrics of choice.
Wendy – that Kaffe print center is perfect in your depiction of a sunflower. Of course the supportive fabrics in lime, purple, orange & yellow add to a sunflower’s personality IMHO!
Well done, ladies and kudos to you both for becoming sewing buddies.
Eva
Laura, thank you for your nice comment. I love the Kaffe print in Wendy’s mini as well very very much. And the applause is as well please for Wendy’s work. We love the contrast, big bag and mini … to show what could be done with fabric. haha.. kudos is a word I loved to learn in this year !!! 🙂
not only sewing buddies… I learn so much language items from and with Wendy! I am so great full for this!!
laura bruno lilly
🙂
Cindy Pieters
What a wonderful bag! Wendy your mini with the straight line quilting looks great, I like the backing fabric.
Eva
Hallo Cindy, thank you for your comment. Yes – I love the quilting in Wendy’s mini very much too!
this I can improv and learn much from her. 🙂
texasquiltgal
Love both versions!! Isn’t it fun to see how different our minds work in the creating of the same project? I love the denim pocket in Eva’s. Your colors are right up my alley. I guess the most important question is, did Wilbs get to examine, approve, and test the mini?
Eva
Thank you so much for your comment. Same question was in my head…. long time no picture of Wilbs the quilt checker…. :-))
may be to cold now? and his new nest is so pretty warm and cosy
Katherine Duquette
I was just thinking you hadn’t put a post up lately. The blocks are wonderful and using jeans for the tote is a great idea. Old jeans have so much character.
Thank you for sharing Eva and your sewing adventures with us. Keep up the creative juices and happy sewing to you both.
Your backing looks like Benertex Fossil Fern?
Eva
Hi Kathrine, thank you for your kind comment. The backing was from Missouri Quilt Company and a friend ordered in the States and another friend fly .. and I loved it because of the sunflowers and wanted to have it for this project. No I think it is not Fossil Fern, it was a cheaper fabric – but for inside ok.
Helen
What a great idea for the jeans pocket. I saved so many of them. You just never know when they’ll come in handy.
J Mur
Congrats on finishing up your little sunflower projects, you two! Nicely done.
The Morning Latte
Well how fun to work on little projects together, even though miles away. My sis and I used to do this occasionally but I guess we kind of dropped off of it. We’ll have to work harder at that! Both flower blocks are cheery and fun, and that little denim pocket is pretty smart. (Btw, I have a whole drawer of “meh” fabrics that I go to for mini backings!)
Kate
Very cute and practical yoga bag. Love your mini quilt too. Looking forward to seeing what you decide to tackle next.
Kathleen McCormick
How fun that you and Eva did this sunflower block. I like both projects, each for their own beauty. Eva’s bag is delightful for yoga or whatever and I love the jeans pocket. Your mini is adorable. I swear that backing fabric (fossil fern) reproduces in scrap drawers!