Well, here's your problem

I never thought I'd be quilting, as I've mentioned. Kinda like when people can't believe they're doing heroin when all they meant to do was go party with some friends. One minute you're crocheting a flower with your granny, and next thing you know, you're Bubbs from The Wire.

I blame Stitch 'n' Bitch (the book).

Chain of events, circa Summer, 2004:

1. My partner-in-crime and I learn to knit.
2. We buy Stitch 'n' Bitch.
3. Our money magically shape-shifts into knitting needles. Lots of knitting needles.
4. We see hand-sewn needle cases being sold at our local yarn store (LYS).
4b. We see they're being sold for a bazillion dollars.
4c. We notice that all our money magically shape-shifted into knitting needles.
5. We remember Stitch 'n' Bitch has a sewing pattern for making your own needle case.
6. We think to ourselves, and out loud, "We could just make our own! How hard can it be?!"

Modifications were made to the pattern (I can't remember what they were now), and here's the one I made:


It's important to note that before this project, the last time I'd sewn anything was in the summer of 1977, and it was a brown bikini made from sand-colored Holly Hobbie fabric. I was 9. (Jealous?)

(Author's note: I found an image of Holly Hobbie just now, and pasted it here for a moment to remind you of her form. But, no offense to all you HH fans out there, *that* is a very special kind of ugg, and I just couldn't bear to keep it here. Click through to here if you must, but don't say I didn't warn you.)


Ahhhhh. Soothing colors. No ducks or bonnets. Where was I? Oh, yes.

So you'll see here that, when folded, the edges of things don't line up exactly. Turns out, the bikini-sewing didn't include the "lining up" skills I'd need 30 years later for this pattern. But it works just fine. I'm not trying to sell it for a bazillion dollars or anything.



I got a little big for my britches, did a bit of math, and made a crochet hook case, too. It is significantly smaller than the other case:


About six months after I made these, I was at my LYS and saw a needle case for sale that was made using the exact flowered fabric I'd used. Someone was biting my style! Strangely, it pleased me a great deal and just reinforced our crazy idea that we should just make stuff if we thought we could.

But then one thing led to another, sewing led to quilting, and the next thing I knew, the quilting was running my life. It's a slippery slope. You'll see.