Swoon #7 and #8

Hello! I'm back from a very fun weekend with crafty friends. I went to Birmingham to hang out with Chris, Rachel and Amanda this weekend. We chose a (fairly) central location to hang out and sew. It was a crazy fun weekend, and we were all very productive! I'll be sharing some of my other projects later this week, but first, here's my latest Swoon blocks.

Swoon #7 includes two Joel Dewberry Modern Meadow prints with my typical Kona Medium Gray.

Swoon #8 includes a Ty Pennington Impressions print with Joel Dewberry Modern Meadow herringbone. And I know I've said this with several of the blocks, but I think this may be my new favorite...

If you haven't already heard (and chances are, you have), Katy is hosting a Swoon-Along, which is 600 members strong on Flickr. I'm hoping to finish up my ninth block in the next few weeks, and get a quilt top together! You can see my other finished blocks here.

I'm linking up with Megan today!

FO: Starry Art Student Tote

I finished the Art Student Tote I shared with you earlier this week! I recommend this Anna Maria Horner pattern wholeheartedly.

My only trouble was during the cutting process. Since I made the slim version (view C), I got a little confused by the cutting diagram. I ended up cutting my main fabric (those beloved stars) wrong, and wasted some (but don't worry, I'll give those large scraps new life!).

I modified the interior of the bag slightly. The slim version has a divider wall with pockets, but since I'm hoping to tote around my laptop in this, I omitted the divider, and just added the pockets to the side of the bag.

Anna's directions were clear, but like with all patterns, reading through before starting is a good idea.
My only other modification was that I omitted the magnetic closure, mostly because I didn't have any, and was fine with not having a closure of some kind. My last modification was that I did not interface the straps.

All in all, I'm very happy with this bag. It was the perfect supplemental project this week. I started cutting fabric Saturday night, and Tuesday, I was finished!

Fabrics used: Joel Dewberry Woodgrain in yellow, Sundae Stripe in gray from Moda's Ruby, Cosmo Cricket crosshatch in yellow, Sandi Henderson Secret Garden (floral pocket print), and Dear Stella stars.

I highly recommend this pattern. When I first purchased this pattern, I thought a sew-along would be fun. I'd still be up for that, if anyone is interested. I have hopes to make the larger version.

Would anyone want to sew-along with me?

February - Photo Challenge

Having never participated in a photo challenge, I can't guarantee I'll make it through February with this, but I'm going to try! Andi posted a fun idea for February, and since the focus is crafting, I think I'll have a better shot at success!

The prompts look fun and I already have ideas for a few of them. She included a 30th day, in case you don't like one of the prompts, or you miss a day.

Andi just started a flickr group to share your photos for the challenge. Feel free to join us!