Lickety Split

Terri said I will be done lickety split and I am hoping she is right!
I made good progress yesterday.  I backstitched the bottom of the bag/top of the box and interfaced it.  Since I didn't follow directions, I was not sure if lacing this piece to my machine stitching would work.  But it did!

Here is what it looks like when you look down into the bag:

Then I slaved to get the rest of the panel stitched.  So I went from this yesterday

to this today:

Done!  It is now ready to be laced to its partner:

When this is laced together I can join it to the bag.  Happy day!  Somebody mentioned that they had a hard time envisioning how this goes together.  I hear you.  I was puzzled by this also.  After reading the directions, I think that the large panel will be joined on one side to this panel and not directly to the bag.  Hopefully, I'll be able to show you that tomorrow.

It is a sunny Sunday.  Our snow is almost all gone and I could walk outside today.  

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Pocket

I finished the pocket off!  Yeah, one more piece done.

The bottom edge of the pocket will be laced to the bottom of the box somewhere.
I cheated and sewed the bag together on my sewing machine.  I am tickled to see this piece take shape.

It is sitting on on the panels to be be attached to the bottom of the box.

There will be buttons sewn to the sides of the bag to button up the panels.

There are three things left to stitch on the Quaker Bag:  the panel I'm working on that goes on the back of the needle felt page,

the top to the box that is inside the box (it only has backstitching on it), to cover up this

 and lastly, the front and back of the notebook.  Oh, and the drawstrings, I have to fingerloop those.  I can do this!!
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Coming Together

I am tickled with my progress yesterday.  I sewed the spool compartments.  I always wondered how the spools stayed in their compartments.  Now I know.  They fit in very snugly.  They actually don't go in all the way.

I have a box!  I sewed up the sides.  I have to put some roving inside the box before sewing the bag and the top to the box on.

I read through the directions to see how everything else comes together.

I only got the smallest start on the next big motif.

I am getting closer to finishing this thing!
Here is what is left of the pumpkin pie.  It was great.

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Frigid

Today started out a frigid five degrees.  But by tomorrow it is forecast to be 53!  Maybe I'll be able to walk outside.

I got three hedebos done using the hedebo stick.  Using the stick makes the sizing perfect.  I could tell that I got better at it as I went along.
This is the first one, it's a little rough.  I have done hedebos before but not exactly like Amy Mitten does it.

Then there is the second one:

It is a bit more even.  Then the last one:

The top half of this one looks very good.
I got a big motif done on the current panel.  When I get this done, I'll only have the book cover to stitch.

I've decided to work on the spool compartments today.  They will be easy to lace together.  I'm going to look for some coordinating dupioni silk for the bag and pocket.  I think I have some - somewhere.
DH is playing soccer tonight.  I think I'll make a pumpkin pie for dinner.  Don't tell.
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Hedebo Stick

I finished the flap!  But during the stitching I realized that I had yet another mistake in the backstitching.  Good grief.  So I ended up taking out the brown letter and the green that I started on the right edge.

So here I am today:

I read some of the next lessons and this panel will be on the other side of the needle felt page.

I sewed two of the panels together.  Boy, was it good to feel like I was making headway on this project.

Today Amy Mitten is going to tell me how to use this:

It is a hedebo stick.  I am going to make a button loop on each of the three flaps of the panels I sewed together using the hedebo stick.  I haven't used one before so this is an adventure.

It is much warmer today.  I hope that I can walk outside on Friday and Saturday.

New Book

I started reading a new book.  I had heard someone say they couldn't put this book down.  Then I heard the chapters were short.  So I thought I would check it out.  The book is "All the Light We Cannot See".  The chapters are very short so I'm less likely to fall asleep!  The author says a lot with not a lot of words.  I like it very much so far.  It won some sort of prize.

I want to finish the flap on the Quaker Bag today.

I want to start the finishing process.  I have enough pieces done to start putting some stuff together.  I am setting a deadline to get this done:  two weeks.  I know I will be proud of this when it is completed but right now I'm pretty sick of it.

I made a bunch of candied orange peel.

 It is really good, if I do say so myself.
Happy Tuesday!
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Oops

I've been working on the Quaker Bag but progress is frustratingly slow.  I was able to finish the accordion pocket.  Yeah!

Then I started on this panel:

But I discovered that I miscounted the backstitching.  Am I taking out everything I put in?  No way.  I fixed the backstitching but I will put in everything I can.  I may have to leave out a letter or two of the alphabet.  No biggie.  There is a lot of stitching on this panel.

I started Monica's skirt.  I got her apron all done and ordered more floss which came last week.  This is great for when I get fed up with the Quaker Bag.  This is done on Wren Wing (?) Legacy Linen.  It is 34 count, I think.  I like the in hand feel of it.

I walked at the Y and the bathrooms are clean.  DH has gone off to soccer for an hour.  Time for me to play.
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