About the day I spend making a bag

Last sunday I met with Tacha and Aylin for a sewing day. We all wanted to test the new Camp Stitchalot Bag pattern by Sewsweetness. It is a perfect bag for carrying all your sewing stuff around every ruler, a cutting mat, patterns and fabric etc, everything fits into this practical bag. It is not just so handy, no it is so damned cute. We all chose wonderful fabrics for it, at the end of this post you can see a photo of all our versions. 

But back to sunday:

We met early. We wanted to make this bag (The Camp Stichalot Bag) within this day. And we did. Finally. And I have to say, it took a long time (or was it the chatting, the Pizza and Cake eating???)

BUT EVERY CUT, EVERY SWEARWORD, EVERY MINUTE AND EVERY EFFORT WAS WORTH IT!!!

This bag is not just so practical, with all its pockets, see these see through pockets, they are so incredibly handy, its not just so big to put all your rulers, cutting mats and of course your projects in it; No it also is so damned pretty. I so love the three versions of it that we made, but I adore (!!!) mine, made from Denyse Schmidts Greenfield Hill fabrics. I had these lying around for a while now, and when I read the fabric requirements for the bag, one day before we wanted to meet, I thought "oh well I don´t have these large pieces of fabric". So I decided to make it even more patchworky.

 I had a charmpack from the line, so I whipped one piece together, for the outer pocket and for the rest I used the different fabrics which match so perfect together.

All of us three decided on some changes here and there. For example I didn´t want to have so many plastic pockets, so I reduced from four to two.

And there is still enough room for everything.

So have a look and absolutely enjoy what you are seeing. You can make one yourself. Sarah is going to release the Camp Stitchalot Bag Pattern today or tomorrow. I absolutely can recommend it.See Aylins pretty version here.

About Creativity

I have been working on a new quilt in the last couple of days. And I am so pleased!!! It is a totally new style for me and I am planning on making it even more flowery, flirty, girly. My inspiration came from the book Material Obsession Two, which I purchased recently.

After I was, and partly still am, in such a sad mood, I noticed once again how much it helps to put my energy in the creative process of patchwork and quilting. I once heard, that creative people often have tendencies to depression, or is it the other way around? Is the creativity one way out of the depression. For me it definitely is.
But one question pops into my mind then, is this working on something another way to hide before the sadness? Is it the way to avoid "being sad"?
Well anyway, at the moment it is my way to go through this time and I think there are worse things I could do.
Yesterday evening there was a huge thunderstorm here in Berlin. I soooo enjoyed that. I sat on my window sill, watched the flash lights coming closer, I listened to the wind going through the trees in the back yard, I felt the first drops of rain on my heated skin, and in the backround I heard "hallelujah".It was amazing. In these minutes, before the heavy rain set in, I felt so great and yet so small watching and feeling this nature power, listening to music which is such an important thing in my life. And then I knew, sadness will go away and it will come back... and it will go away again. This is how my life is and ever was. And it is ok. This is who I am. For me it is about how to learn to love me anyway. In every mood, in every state in every moment. I am working on that.  And in the end... I am doing a good job with it.

A new day

Yesterday went on with more tears. But  the plan to clear up and arrange the balcony was a good plan. I even sew some pillow covers. I had a few blocks lying around for a "maybe" quilt. But they were perfect for the pillows. 

I ended the day with some very earthy food ( the leaves of fresh organic beetroots, fried with a lot of garlic and tomatoes), some ice cream, candle lights, reading some quilting books, and in the backround there was some amazing  Jazz music from a street festival that is going on in our neighborhood this weekend. 

So this day of many tears ended somehow calming, when I went to bed I was calm inside, empty of tears, no energy left to cry. Thank you so much for all your lovely and helpful comments!

Today is a new day.

I will be on my way to a lake on the other side of town soon. There I will meet friends for swing dancing, outdoors. Having coffee, dancing, chatting, maybe a little swim and very hopefully  surely smiling again.