Saturday, August 6, 2016

Flower Waltz Bag & SAL Updates

So finally I have left behind the world of the Blackberry.  My company has switched over to a different phone system and they are replacing the mobile devices of those of us who were still on the old system.  I got a nice surprise in the mail, a new Galaxy phone.  I think I finally have it set up how I like it, but I do miss the nice Blackberry keyboard.   Meanwhile, the phone is bigger than my Blackberry and it doesn't fit well inside my smallest sling bags, the ones I use on a long walk where I really carry nothing but phone, Id, credit card and tissue.  

I recently finished stitching "Flower Waltz" by Prairie Moon and had planned on using it for something that I no longer was interested in.  So I made a bag in the style of all my others, but a little smaller, yet large enough to hold the essentials comfortably with the larger phone.

I stitched it on 32 count MCG linen using my own DMC color choices.  That fabric is nice and sturdy so it makes a good bag.  I used heavy craft interfacing, but no batting or fleece.  Ready to go for my 5 mile Sunday walk.  My Sunday Jazzercise class lost their lease at the space they had so the walk is my substitute exercise on Sunday morning for now.


All caught up on the July and August designs for the Snowflower Diaries Joyful World SAL.  Just a few color changes for July, mostly to get a good pink for flamingos and little more contrast with brighter yellows.

For August, I made a few color changes as well, but the large changed involved the blue flowers that were charted as lazy daisies.  I found it way too difficult to do those on 28-ct Monaco in over-one stitching.  So I changed them to French knots. French knots are not always my forte either, but with 2-strands they at least didn't have that tendency to pull through to the back side.   Now the flowers remind me of hydrangeas.  When I was a kid, our next door neighbors had a black and white collie named "Lady" and they had two hydrangea bushes as well.  We used to call them snowball bushes. 


21 comments:

Vickie said...

Oh Annie. Your bag is so very cool. Flower Waltz is really, really neat. I have never, ever seen that pattern before, and I love it. :D How happy! It is great!
I hear ya on the lazy daisies. I thought I would die trying to finish them!! I did them on on 25ct one over one. blech.

Robin in Virginia said...

Love your new bag! The design makes me smile. Way to go on getting the July and August blocks stitched up! Enjoy the rest of your weekend!

Jackie's Stitches said...

Your new bag is so cute! I love the stitched piece.

I had a blackberry a few years ago and the keyboard drove me crazy - I have big fingers/hands. Could never get used to it. The touch alphabet works so much better for me!

Mini said...

That's a lovely sling bag. The stitching is lovely.
Congrats om finishing July & August designs. The french knots looks so beautiful.

Preeti said...

Lovely sling bag !! Your July and August stitching pieces are very cute:)

Margaret said...

So glad you have the new phone -- hope you like it! The Blackberry keyboard must have been nice though. Love the bag you made for the phone. So nice! Love the August block too.

Hetti said...

Very nice is the cheerful Flower Waltz bag. You begin to walk with a smile Annie ;-))
You feel the Summer in the July and August SAl. I love the blue hydrangeas in the french knots and Lady is so cute!
XXX Hetti

Jane said...

Oh, I like August! Love the new bag too, fabric beautifully complimented by your stitching

Gina E. said...

Love the bag! Agree with Jane that the fabric matches the blue of the threads perfectly.

Anonymous said...

Your bag is SO pretty. Love the blue fabric and the blues in your stitching. Really nice. Love your July and August as well. They are really cute small pieces. Hugs!

Karen said...

Love your new bag, Annie, the colors are so vibrant! I also like the changes you made to the July and August pieces as well, especially the French knots.

Von said...

I've thought about finishing up a xs piece as a little bag like yours - it looks great!

Penny said...

I love your bag, Annie! Such cheerful colors. Every time I see one of your bags I tell myself I'm going to try one - ha, ha so far hasn't happened. : )I love the new SAL additions - you did a wonderful job on the French knots! And that is such a sweet, perky little dog.

Carol said...

Hope you are getting used to your new phone, Annie--poor Blackberry; all the companies seem to be changing from them. My son's company just went through the same thing.

Love your new bag--especially the colors! I'm sure it will come in very handy on your Sunday walks, but I do hope your Jazzercise class can find a new space to lease. I know how much you enjoyed that!

Good for you for keeping up on the Joyful World SAL--lovely changes to both and I'm very impressed with all those French knots (not my forte either!!).

Stay cool now--can't imagine this summer without AC!

Desiree Ehleiter said...

My company switched from Blackberry about 7 or 8 years ago, and I have to tell you I still miss the keyboard! Your lucky that they moved to Android - I hate my iPad/iPhone.

I really love your bag. I so envy your crafty ability to make that! I'm excited that I was able to make a birthday card :-)

I hate french knots, but that change looks gorgeous! I was thinking snowball plants as soon as I saw the pic!

Jo who can't think of a clever nickname said...

Love the colourful Prairie Moon design. I've not seen that one before either.

Great work on your Joyful World too, your French knots looks really good. Your colours are lovely as well, very cheerful.

Brigitte said...

What a perfect way to use the Flower Waltz motif. I have always admired this sort of bags and remember that you have already made some of them. And each time I see one of them I think that I have to make one like these as well. Oh well, one day.
And you are up to date with Joyful World. I love your version of August with the flowers that look like hydrangeas.

Cindy's Stitching said...

Annie the bag is beautiful. You will get used to your new phone. Thank you for your kind words. I am catching up on my blogs.

Astrids dragon said...

Your bag is adorable, love the Flower Waltz.

I like your idea of the French knots. I'm doing mine on 32 over one, and that sounds so much easier. Both months look great!

Sheryl said...

Gorgeous new bag Annie, and just love the colours of the Flower Waltz design, so pretty. I also like your brighter colour changes on the Snowflowers patterns. I was way behind with the SAL but due to the summer hols etc, I´ve ground to a halt :-(

Firebook Fiction said...

Your bag you made is BEAUTIFUL! All lovely stitching.
love Annette