GETTING READY FOR OUR GIRLS DAY OUT !

This Saturday my aunt, mom and I are heading to the local convention center for "The Pennsylvania National Quilt Extravaganza".  I am super excited and can't wait.  The three of us went to a small quilt show at the local 4H Center a few months ago.  We had a GREAT time and it was a wonderful "girls day out". 

I knew I didn't want to be carrying a handbag around the quilt show, so I took my Pocket Pouch filled with just the absolute necessities for the show.  Since it was less than a mile from my mom and aunt's house, I left my main purse at their house and just took my license, money, keys and camera.  The size was just PERFECT!  This time, however, we will be going to a much bigger show and will be spending many more hours at the venue, and eating a meal there...which means I need to carry a lot more with me.  And I STILL don't want to carry a heavy bag!

So yesterday I pulled out some denim and two cotton materials that I really love. One is a cheery "button" pattern and the other is a pretty blue that picks up the color of one of the buttons.

I used the pretty blue material as an accent on the front of purse and the button material as the lining, with alternating blue and button material slots inside for my license, insurance cards, credit cards and AAA card. The top slot/pocket goes all the way to the bottom of the purse...plenty of room for my camera.  The main section of the purse is big enough to hold my medications, insulin, emergency sweets, glucose meter, a tiny wallet just for cash, and my dry mouth spray, dry mouth lozenges, tissues and EpiPen.  There is no such thing as "traveling light" for me, lol.  Hopefully, though, it won't be too heavy so as to make me hurt any worse than I already do!  I am going to make a long thin strap that can go crosswise on my body, so I have my hands free for shopping and checking out quilts (with gloves of course).

I like to use key rings to attach the straps to small purses, so I went to the thrift store this morning and bought 8 keychains for $.25 each.  I slipped matching rings onto large paper clips and stored them in my new accordian "hardware box" (another thrift store find).  I threw out the novelty parts of the keychains, except for this caribiner and really cute small photo album.

After the "thrift" thrift store, I went to the variety thrift store and bought a beautiful pink leatherette desk accessory for the desk in the yellow sewing room.  I know I am going to have to keep some basic sewing supplies in the room (unless I want to run back and forth to my main sewing room).  This piece was $3.50 and looks absolutely PERFECT.  There was a Ross store tag on the bottom of it!  As you can see, I still haven't gotten the desk back against the wall, or hung the curtains...but it will all get back together again...slowly. 

After the thrift store I made a stop at JoAnn's and picked up the last large skein of yarn I need to take on vacation with me so I can crochet by the ocean, and a a bottle of bead glue.  I have several beads in my sewing box that I had bought in Myrtle Beach last year.  They were a small bracelet but I cut the bracelet apart so I could use them separately.  

 

They are a great match to the button material!  When I got back home I glued them onto the front of the purse.  I have to let them dry for 24 hours before I can take a picture of the inside of the purse or work on adding the strap.   I am also going to try my hand at making a flower brooch out of the button material to pin to the strap loop.  I will use a button covered with the blue material as the center of the flower.  I've never tried to make a flower before...wish me luck.  

But the strap, brooch, and sewing together the completed blades for two dresden's of my mom's quilt will have to wait until tomorrow.  I am REALLY hurting and heading to the sofa to rest.  Our weather has cooled off dramatically over the past few days and we had rain this morning.  My body knows when there are changes brewing!  Thank goodness we are just having sandwiches for dinner.  

I'll post again soon when I have completed the purse and have completed the next two dresdens, so I have something to show you.  I have made a bit of a change in the quilt design (which will continue to happen until I put the first quilting stitch through the sandwich) but I think it will look a bit more balanced.

Take care and happy crafting.