WIP Wednesday

Two things:
1. How could it possibly be Wednesday again already?
2. How could it possibly be June 1st?

Okay. Now that we have that out of the way.

I have spent most of my sewing time in the past week working on the Amy Butler Weekender bag. Progress thus far: all pieces cut, some pieces fused to interfacing, 5 yards of piping made, exterior pocket and handled sewn to the front and back of the bag:

I may have mentioned my abnormal fear of fusible interfacing--which really just stems from vague references in pattern instructions (example: heavyweight fusible interfacing) and then going to Joann's and seeing rows of interfacing behind the counter so I can't touch anything and do some comparisons.

Thank you to all pattern designers who give me more detailed information as to the actual product you are using. Fortunately Amy Butler's pattern listed the specifics. But then you come home with a few yards, along with yards and yards of information. I decided to get it all organized for future reference. First I wrote the brand/number on a small corner of the actual interfacing. Then I got some page protectors, cut out one set of the fusing instructions, taped it to a piece of paper, along with a sample of the front and back of the actual product. Voila.All these pages will go in my super-cute three-ring Orla Kiely binder that I picked up from Target a few months ago.

My next project involves a craft organizer bag from one of my new favorite books, 1-2-3 Sew by Ellen Luckett Baker. When the pattern called for "ultra heavyweight fusible interfacing," I could feel the prickles of uncertainty start again. Weird, I know, especially to those of you who fuse on a daily basis. So I emailed her for more specific information, and within a couple of hours I had my answer. Big sigh of relief...

By then I needed a break from the Weekender and thoughts of interfacing, so I started working on my blocks for the 3x6 Mini Block Exchange. I had already decided to do the Flowering Snowball block, a block with gentle curves that I first saw at Molly Flanders here.

Monday night I was about to turn the light off in my sewing room when I looked at the block again and thought, hmmmm, I wonder if you could sew jelly rolls strips together and cut the corner pieces out of that. Out came the Sherbet Pips.

Does this ever happen to you? You have a lot of projects you are already working on and then something pops into your head, you start working on it right away, and all those other projects get shoved down the list?

Oh, wait. What am I saying? Of course this happens to you. This is WIP Wednesday after all! So go here to see what everyone else is working on this week.