Patchwork pass pocket

My pool pass is not a hardy piece of plastic. It is a little business card, made of paper, and if it gets damp, it will become paper pulp.

 I was going to make a holder using fabric and vinyl. However, if vinyl gets damp, it is impossible to take the pass out. I have to take the pass out to get it initialized each time I take a class. Some time ago, Sandra, my partner in all fabric crimes, shared some cotton/linen scraps with me. I hoarded them away for months...literally months...before I found what I wanted to do with them.

 This little pass pocket has two sections, one for the pass and an larger one for tucking away a note book or some additional notices or other pool related paperwork. The pockets are made from Tilda fabric, also carefully put away until the perfect project came along. The ric rac and the little gnome label were just for fun.

The outside embellishment was inspired by the lovely work of  Elin Pellinkhof and Amy from the nanacompany. I had those little red glass buttons set aside to make cherries for .... something... I just didn't know what until I had the patchwork outside put together. Designing is like that sometimes. I am just glad I had put them aside, but kept them accessible. 

(The rallying cry of makers everywhere!)

I now have a wonderful little pass pocket that tucks securely into my swim bag. I makes me smile every time I get my pass initialed.

Sneaky peeks of WIPs and some Christmas Tilda news

A tiny peek at my wall hanging project

Quite possibly, my favourite book block

 I am a big fan of Ayumi Takahashi of Pink Penguin fame. She creates sweet and useful projects, using fabrics that I appeal to my over-riding sense of fun and whimsy, combined with my deep and abiding adoration of linen and linen blends.
I pre-ordered her book, Patchwork Please, months before it came out in April.
As soon as I saw these paper pieced books, I knew I found my Miss B's graduation present. I am not making the full quilt, but a blanket band. I have been collecting book themed fat quarters for a while now, and I settled on a few that more or less represent her book interests -- which are wide and varied. She has been a voracious reader since early childhood, and so these book blocks were tailor-made for her.
I am a beginner paper-piecer, and it was a slow go for me, despite the book's clear instructions with many photos. Patience would be a valuable asset. However, I don't have it, and so I make mistakes. Also, a lot of mess!
None of that was Ayumi's fault.
No, I did not keep the mistakes to take photos of them.
I swore some, then threw the mess away.
That's just how I roll...
After TWO unfortunate trimming accidents, and countless unpicking of the A section, I finally turned out sufficient blocks to do the blanket band I have planned. Try to ignore all those hanging threads, I haven't tidied them yet.
In a few weeks' time, I will also be posting a tutorial on doing quilted blanket bands. They are a nice alternative to making a full sized quilt, and are usually quick to finish -- as long as you are not doing a thousand other things at once.

Remember doodling on your notebooks?

Kind of love this one too!

This is the very first book Miss B loved

Remember reading Dick and Jane?

I have also pre-ordered Tone Finanger's upcoming book, Tilda's Sweet Shop. It will be mine in about 150 days. Yeah, I have no patience when paper piecing, but I can wait 150 days for a book. I don't get it either.
There are not many places to get any idea at all of what's in the book, but I did find one image. The book is a small one, just 48 pages, but it uses my very favourite colour palette, off white, green-blue and pinks. The focus is on old fashioned cakes and sweets and old world Santas and angels. Just yummy on so many levels.

Yummy new Tilda book November 2013