Bosca's Got a Brand New Bag

Isn't it cute? I whipped up this little bag for Bosca so that she can carry her plastic "clean-up" bags. It's about time she earns her keep!

This comes from a Lazy Girl pattern called "Maggie" that I got at Glad Creations. This is the larger of the two sizes offered and may be a bit big for Bosca. I'm going to make a smaller one just like it that will still hold four newspaper-sized bags.

The tiger print is perfect for Bosca's coloring (and sometimes her temperment). Since she loves cats, I lined it with a matching cheetah print.

Now I want to make her a backpack. Hey, Lazy Girl, got a pattern for one of those?

I'm Scared

My sister-in-law sent me this photograph of coffee beans. Supposedly, if your right brain is developed enough, you can see a man in the beans. For real.

If you see the man in less than three seconds, your right brain is more developed than most people. If it takes you up to a minute, your brain is normal. Between a minute and three minutes? That means your right brain is operating slowly, and you need to eat more protien. If it takes longer than three minutes, you need to start challenging your brain with more of these brain puzzles. All according to real doctors.

I've been staring at these beans for hours, and I still don't see the man. I've squinted, covered one eye, stepped back for distance, examined up close, looked away for a while and spun back quickly to catch the man in the beans. I've tried emptying my mind of all expectations of what he should look like. I've considered that my sister-in-law is putting me on, but she wouldn't do that.

Once in a while I think I see a mustache, but then it disappears.

What does this have to do with quilting? EVERYTHING! Creativity flows from the right brain. I strive for creativity in my quiltmaking. What does my creative future hold if I can't see that little jerk in the beans?

(Does anyone else see him? Everyone?)

I've Joined a Another Gang

We have a new club at Glad Creations. Actually, it's been meeting for some months now. We're making six-inch blocks from the book, Sylvia's Bridal Sampler, which is depicted in a novel, The Master Quilter. Both books and many others (all quilt-related) are authored by Jennifer Chiaverini. "Sylvia" groups meet all over the country and all over the world. Some groups even meet on-line.

As a rule, I'm not a joiner. For weeks I proudly and publicly resisted the snowballing Sylvia frenzy at Glad's. Then one day I walked past a fabric collection piling up in my sewing room and realized it would be perfect for a Sylvia quilt. I caved. My capitulation was so sudden and complete, it surprised the Glad's crew and humbled me. I didn't rest until I got Nathan to cave, too.

My collection of black and white with red is so pretty that for several more weeks it sat in a basket just looking tantalizing. It sat there so long that the parade of Sylvia blocks at the shop left me in the dust.

It sat there so long, in fact, that I bought companion fabrics to make little quilts with the Sylvia leftovers that have yet to make their appearance.

But I'm on the band wagon now. I've completed my first five blocks and am finding that it is a lot like eating popcorn, just like everyone is saying. I can't wait to make the next five!

There are 140 blocks in Sylvia's quilt, but I plan to make just 48 of my favorites and set them into a Glad Creations pattern called Lone Star in Ohio.

Meanwhile, if you have been following Nathan's blog, you know that he as passed me by miles and miles as has almost everyone else. I'm trying not to let that panic me. I've got two more years to get 'er done!