Barbara Douglas- Stone Cottage Designs http://www.stonecottagequilts.com 

Supplies:

5/8 yard-3/4 yard fabric

Thread

Sewing machine

General sewing tools

This is a great way to use up those “what was I thinking” fabric pieces under a yard.

  1.      Cut one 22” x 36” Bag Panel ( Width may vary from 18”-22”)

   Cut two 3” x 20” Handle Straps.

2.      Using the two 3” x 20” handle straps, fold in half lengthwise. Pin, and stitch along all raw edges, leaving an opening in the long edge. Turn handles right side out using the opening. Press handles flat. Top stitch around all edges.

3.      Using the bag panel, fold the end toward the back ½”, press. Fold the folded ends again ½”, press.  Pin and stitch along the inside folded edge. These two ends create the top edge of the bag.   

4.      On these finished ends mark for handle placement. Along each 22” edge measure in 6” from both raw edges, pin-mark. 

5.      Pin handle ends to the front side of bag at pin-marks.  Match the handle ends to the top edge of the folded edge. Be careful not to twist handle.  Repeat with second handle. 

6.      Stitch across the handle ends along the top stitch line of the bag panel. 

7.      Fold up the handle strips. Pin in place. Secure the handles with a crisscross stitching. 

8.      When handles are in place. Fold the bag panel in half with wrong sides together matching the side edges and the top finished edges.  Pin sides in place. Stitch the side seams using a scant 1/8” seam.  Turn the bag wrong side out. Press seams.  

 9.       With right sides together, using a 3/8” seam, sew over the pressed seams creating a French seam for added safety.  The French seam makes a nice finished seam.  (All seams may be stitched on the wrong side using a ¼” seam and a safety zig-zag stitch or serger.)  Repeat with the second side seam.  Press the bottom fold of the bag to use as a guide in step 10

10.  At the bottom corners, match the finished side seams to the “pressed” bottom-fold, creating a triangle of the corner. Measure in 4” from the point of the triangle.  Using the ruler draw a line across the point as a stitching line.  Pin in place.  

11.   Stitch along this drawn line.  Sew a second stitching line ¼” from the first, in toward the point.  Cut off the point just beyond the second stitching line. Reinforce this cut edge with a zig zag stitch along the raw edge over the second line of stitching. 

12.  Turn the bag inside out and press.  Your bag is ready to fill with groceries.

For  a PDF verson Go Green Grocery Bag

July 21- August 3

Join my self and 13 other designers for 14 days of summer fun projects sponsored by Cotton Spice Magazine 

Join me here August 3rd for my fun “Go Green” project. Or click on the Summer-Sun above for the wonderful variety of projects lined up for you that are not only Fun, but won’t take a lot of time

Stone Cottage in Spring Time.                                 

Side view of Stone Cottage. We spent 4 days planting the gardens, flower beds, hauling compost and shoveling the red mulch. It was worth every aching bone and muscle.

So much warmer than Stone Cottage in Winter.

Just Teddy is now up on the website  This Crib/Youth throw features a full size 26″ applique template, which means no taping sheets of paper together.  It is 40″ x 48″ and includes applique template for a 14″ x 18″ doll quilt.

Tammy F. used Stone Cottage Designs Tessellation Revelation pattern in these beautiful fall colors.   These are favorite colors of mine. 

Just Gorgeous Tammy,

Barb

Thursday May 1st Stone Cottage will be hosting the 8th annual Quilt-y Fundraiser for Midland County Shelterhouse, Midland Michigan.

For more information go to Stone Cottage Designs website http://www.stonecottagequilts.com  Newsletter Page

We have the Slight Mystery quilt project, the ugly fabric auction/ which includes Quilt notions, books and hand made quilted items.

It is great fun. To see pictures of last years fundraiser check out the newsletter page.

Let me know if you are interested in joining us. Even if you aren’t a quilter or a sewer. We have lots for you to participate in. -Barb

 In early January I put out a “call for blocks” to create a quilt for a couple that lost their home four days before Xmas, December 2007. The home is just up the road from us, yet we hadn’t met before. I received blocks thru February, from 18 donors, from across the US and one from

I began searching for just the right batik fabric that would pick up the eclectic colors of the blocks and came up with a “in your face” red/colorful zig zaggy print, along with a light zig zaggy print and blue black batik.  Its pretty bold but works for the blocks.

I called the Schmidt’s yesterday. Diane called me back this morning and told me that my message put tears in her husbands eyes, then when he had her listen it left her crying.  Diane came over to my studio this morning where I took photos of her with the quilt. We cried together a few times, while we established a quick friendship.  This  photo  is one where she is trying to not start up again. The one I got a smile in, was too blurry to post. She really was very happy with the quilt.

The original plan was to have their home finished in April, but complications with the powers that be, has postponed it until the 1^st of July. She says on July 4^th they are having Fireworks.   

Diane is a seamstress and says the new house will have a room dedicated and set up for her sewing. She lost her good machine and is looking forward to getting it  and all her tools replaced.

Since she hasn’t lived in  Midland for very long  so she hasn’t developed ‘sewing’ buddies here and is looking forward to getting into quilting.  Yay! Another convert.

So to all of you who donated blocks… Thank you!!! Thank you from me and thank you from Diane and Terry. I got enough hugs to pass them around to all of you.

I sent all the envelopes and notes home with Diane. She is so touched.

Thanks so much,

Barb

  Hibiscus/leaves 10″ across.   

I have been working on a couple projects for for quilt market.  The Hibiscus will hopefully be part of a coat if I can get myself to finish it.   The fabric is a Robert Kaufman Cotton/Silk blend.  It is lusious.  I love making hibiscus.   I am using Presenci/Finca brand Perle Cotton #16.  It is such a fine thin Perle cotton that it goes through the top of the machine, using a denim/topstitch needle.  Both the Hibiscus and the Presencia Logo quilt began with a diagram then all the stitching was done using straight stitching or freemotion stitching, not a embroidery machine.   The Egyptian Lady is approximately 18″ in height

Fire Within is a pattern by request. Many requests.  It started out as a challenge piece for the Indelible Spirit Challange through Fiberarts Connection of So. Cal. http://www.fiberartsconnsocal.org/  The origianal piece is called Rain of Tears Spiritual Growth, and told the story of persevering through clinical depression.  Fire Within is what came through the other side of the depression. The pattern has a full size 33″x 36″ pattern sheet. Pattern is approximately 45″x 54″.  If interested in  Fire Within contact me before it goes up on the website and recieve Free shipping.

This thread Presencia El Molino hand embroidery rayon in the bobbin gives a lovely luster to the serpentine stitch, as does the La Paleta machine rayon in the leaf/flame quilting.

Logged Elegance is a variation of my Festive Elegance in Quilters World Magazine December 2007 using a similar shape but more detail.  Contact me if you are interested in Logged Elegance before it goes up on the website in Mid April and recieve free shipping.

 Or check it out Batiks by Design at Chicago Quilt Festival. http://www.batiksbydesign.com