I’ve been working on a new quilt project, working from a photograph I took in Lake City, MN, on the weekend of our WAQG quilt retreat last month. It’s a photo of sailboats in dry dock, near the marina in downtown Lake City.

I printed the photograph out on my printer on 8.5 x 11 paper (it’s taped to the wall on the right).  I then made a tracing of the major design lines in the photo. I took the tracing (along with two other tracings of other photos) to FedEx Office, where a man there was happy to enlarge my tracing to 36 x 48, and print it out for me.  The enlargement of each tracing cost about $9.50, which I think was a deal, considering all of the work it saves to enlarge the picture.  After taping the enlarged drawing to the wall, I covered it in more tracing paper, and have simplified the drawing some, so that it is pieceable.  This photo shows freezer paper taped over a section of the tracing paper, so that I can transfer the piecing lines to the shiny side of the freezer paper with thin Sharpie marker, to make the fabric templates.

I’m almost to the part of the project where I get to play with color and fabric, but all of this setup work really does make the assembly part easier.  All I need now is a really large piece of foam core, or some other substance that I’ll be able to pin the templates to as I audition fabrics.   It might be time to head back to the hardware store and look at what might become my next favorite quilting tool.

And, the mark of a good garment (IMHO), an interesting lining:

As I am preparing to go on a long weekend with WAQG friends, I am doing a little bit of archaeology, uncovering layers of stuff, and seeing what I can find, so I can take a portion of the studio to Frontenac.

These pictures make me more of a candidate for one of those reality shows about hoarders than it does for Pokey Bolton’s  Studios Spring 2010, but it gives you an idea about what kind of archaeology I’ll be doing.

Working in this room really is like archaeology… peeling away a little layer after a little layer, finding fabrics or notions or things that have been with me for many years.  Here’s hoping that with more time to work in here, I’ll figure out the best way to organize things.

So far, in the bag to take on the trip:

• The vegetable quilt I started on last year’s retreat and have barely worked on
• black and white fabrics collection for making another vest, or a black & whites quilt, or working on this year’s challenge
• a few interesting door prize items
• Building Materials fabrics, for a potential raffle quilt for Habitat for Humanity silent auction
• Laminated cottons for making waterproof shopping bags

That should keep me busy for most of the weekend, I’d think.  We’ll see.

I expect that Studio Archaeology may be a theme for the next couple months.  Perhaps some organization will ensue?   Stay tuned!

Hip Waterproof Tote

I started with a pattern (The Mighty Tote, by Susan Fuquay, copyright 2008  American Quilt Retailer) that I got as part of a goodie bag at Bear Patch Quilting Co. in White Bear Lake, MN.  That’s also where I spied and bought the lovely laminated cotton you see in the photo.

Of course, after reading through the pattern, which makes a 12″ x 12″ x 12″ bag, (which won’t fit in my shopping bicycle’s baskets), I forged off on my own.   After a couple attempts at measuring standard brown grocery bags, making the thing taller,  adjusting the size of the piece to leave open for turning, etc., I now have some new dimensions.  I’ll probably publish these later after I’ve done the math for the cutting layout, etc.  I plan on doing this for our quilt retreat in March.  I’m debating whether or not to put a Peltex or cardboard, plastic mesh piece in to make the bottom firmer in the next iteration.  The bag is fully lined with the same laminated cotton (or in my case, one bag has a contrasting lining of a leafy pattern).

Why is laminated cotton so cool?  Why is it perfect for shopping bags for me?  Why does this pattern rock?  Because if the milk leaks or fruit gets mushed in the bag there are

• no stains

and

• no extra laundry

because I can just rinse these puppies out under the faucet, or wipe them out with a wet cloth!

All this, and I think they will be a great fashion accessory with the Mary Poppins bike this spring.  (Even though I’ve started to use them already.)  They can also be used as an impromptu cooler, if you throw in the ice or ice packs.  I can also see this as the hip new pool accessory among the swimmers I know for toting suits, fins, goggles, etc.

What are your thoughts regarding solid bottoms vs. bags that can be rolled up, dear readers?  I can see pros and cons to both arguments.