I got a beautiful piece of fabric in the mail today

I got the beautiful piece of fabric in the mail today from Carole. Thank you so much Carole!! She thought it would go well with my collection of African fabric. I laid it out on the floor to get a good picture of it. You can see Jenny's feet just beside the fabric. As I was looking at it I thought it would make a wonderful bag ( maybe a couple of bags!!) The picture doesn't really show it off that well. I think I see a project in the future!! It certainly is a wonderful addition to my stash!!

I have been spending most of the day to today working on the diaper bag. These are all the pieces I have cut!!!

I haven't counted how many pieces there are in this bag - I bet there are over 60 - I should count them. I have been following the blog "Gone Aussie Quilting" and Heidi has made many of these bags - so I have been emailing her lately for advice. She has been very, very helpful!!

Jessica choose the fabric for the bag - it is an Kona Bay - Seattle Bay - Butterfly print in eggplant.

Jessica was looking at the various diaper bags online and they were around $60.00 -- "Don't buy a diaper bag" I said " I can make one much cheaper than $60.00 and it will be much better" Well I hope this will be better because it is certainly not going to be cheaper!! This pattern calls for almost 4 yards combined of the three different fabrics, 2 1/2 yards of Decor Bond - 3 zippers and various snaps and pull cords etc -- plus the pattern. I sure hope it turns out!!! I was think of making a "test bag" first - but I decided against that - and I am just relying heavily on advice from Heidi. I could not find the recommended Pellon Decor Bond interfacing - so I am using something from my LQS and I am a little nervous about if it is the right stuff and how well it will hold up.

I have spent most of the afternoon ironing on the interfacing. Of course I used my brand new Rowenta iron and placed one of the pieces of interfacing on upside down!! Then I spent 20 minutes scrubbing off the glue with those little tiny alcohol swabs - you know the little ones that nurses use to swab your skin before they give you the shot and then take home 2 -3 in their pockets at the end of each shift --- they do come in handy. But the iron has to be really, really cool before you try to use them!!

And here is the final picture of the Monkey quilt. The entire flimsy is together now. It really was a group effort. Even Jim got involved and suggested the off setting of the blocks - which at first I didn't like, but now I like it better than the blocks in the centre - they seem to blend in a bit more off set like that.

The snow is pretty much all gone now and it has warmed up quite a bit. I don't know what the weather forecast is for this weekend. I am working three days - all through the weekend - so I won't see what it is doing outside anyway. I doubt if I get anymore done on the bag until Monday.

I had better go - I am trying to post this and cook supper at the same time and the kitchen is starting to fill with smoke......................