Final NYC post...for now

 The quilt is done. The first one I have made since the 70's when all quilting was done by hand. My previous post shows my start and how I just wanted to jump in and make these fun blocks, but then...

 I had no idea how I was going to put them together. Originally I thought that using the yellow taxis on black fabric would make great sashing but after some discussion with a quilter friend and others I settled on a more subtle arrangement with gray. I did include one little taxi on the front. Can you find it?

 Mimic-ing streets, I quilted two lines of gray quilting and a yellow line down the centers. I'm not happy with the rippling, but considering my lack of foresight the thing is not (IMHO) horrible.

Here is the back where I included more of the rushing taxis and the I (heart) NY logo.

My favorite thing is the binding.  I didn't have enough of any one fabric so I pieced a bunch into narrow strips and then cut them on the diagonal to create bias. 

 But I still had some bits and pieces left so...

A pillow pair (front)

                                                        Back of smaller pillow

                                        Closeup of snap detail on back of larger pillow
                                                 These are now in my Etsy shop

Now I am getting really busy sewing up all kinds of things for a little craft fair in August.  This stair rail is right outside my sewing room and this is how it looked in January.
I have now started using the blue bag myself but the enormous dot bag is still there buried under some of the many others I have made.

Sometimes I am asked what I make when people hear that I sew.  Pretty much anything. I have a low boredom threshold.

Still hanging out in NYC

The fabric has me hooked and I have been messing around with using up more of the New York fabric  I showed you in the last post.  It is being made into a mini-quilt or wall hanging and I thought I would be done by now.

Way back I used to quilt all the time by hand.  Now quilting has been transformed for the machine age and I still can't get it done by a deadline.

 This great little magnetic guide is really helping me maintain the 1/4" seam.

The quilt is using the old 9 patch block and each one is totally random because I am too anxious to get down to sewing and lack the patience for meticulous planning or following directions!

                              Each block will be machine quilted with different patterns

 All the others are done with straight lines EXCEPT this one. It is my homage to the Guggenheim.

Here you can see the stitching from the wrong side.  I just used fusible batting and they will be attached later and quilted to a backing along the sashing lines.

To be continued...

In a New York State of Mind

This week was spent sewing up some of the great fabrics I bought during my visit to NYC in May.
I stopped in to City Quilter just to acquire this fabric. It was right across the street from theChelsae flea market so that  made it easier to get hubby to go along to ANOTHER fabric shop.

Hard to photograph, but there is machine quilting in various patterns
through each of the fabrics.

The first is a large tote with nylon web handles. I used New York Line by Line Day 
and New York Line by Line Night
These two fabrics are exclusively available from City Quilter but you can order online. I had the advantage of not paying shipping.

The cute little taxis are running around on TIMELESS TREASURES fabrics. The rick-rack print which I see as tire marks is from an Amy Sedaris fabric line I LIKE YOU which I already had stashed away.

I just think  B&W is the best for NYC.
Both sides may look the same at first glance but look closely. There is more night than day on side 1 and more day than night on side 2.

So I guess you would carry it differently depending on time of day??

I made the little I (heart) NY by downloading  and resizing it. I used Lesley Riley TAP paper to transfer it to the little patch of fabric.

The bottom of the bag is boxed at the lower corners and the bottom is stabilized with plastic canvas. I hate saggy bags.

The lining fabric has had all the selvedge cut off and I failed to note it except the description was that it was Japanese - y. I think it looks like fireworks. The yellow is actually metallic gold. Usually I avoid glitter and metallic so this was a great use for it. Don't you think it kind of lights up the inside so you could see your stuff easier?

There is a yellow zipper pocket and a black and white drop in pocket.

My latest sewing plan is to work with a fabric until it is all gone and then I won't have to deal with the scraps, but I have made four items and I still have a lot left of the NYC night and day and not much of  the taxis and the zig-zags.  This smaller one is more of a handbag. The day fabric forms an outside pocket.

The web for the handles is backed with the tooting taxis which also gives a faux piping on the webbing side.

                                                                                                                    

                  The recessed zipper needs to have a tail so I covered the end of it with a little I heart NY         tab. This can be tucked out of sight inside the bag if preferred.

I

Then a bag that can go into another bag. This time 

a decorative grosgrain ribbon is added.

The taxis are not two different shades of yellow but apparently my camera thinks so.

Finally, (for now) there is a wallet to coordinate.

My favorite part is the little yellow metal snap to keep it closed.

There are credit card pockets and a zippered section.

                         

                                         Here it is laid out flat showing the whole outside.

Here is a link to instructions to make it which says the early step of installing the zipper is the hard part. I disagree. The hardest part is when you have all those layers flipped right side out and you have to neatly top-stitch all the way around. You are warned to GO SLOW.

If you like these but hesitate to sew them up, stop by my Etsy shop 

CHERYLTHIMBLEFINGERS where they will be appearing shortly.

Now a post script to last week. The tablecloth top afforded some scraps 

so here is what has become of them.

Patting myself on the back for making these with no pattern.