St. Patrick's Day--Totebag---- and SL

I feel like I'm gasping for air on this St. Patrick's Day-----

• taxes are finally done (all but the paying of course)
• things on the home front have been attended to (like it or not)
• No knitting whatsoever has taken place
• National Quilting Day was celebrated in RL and SL
• The adorable bag has been finished
• Still no pics of the new haircut
• Not much spring in the air
  

So much for the short list!

After the taxes were organized, compiled and we met with our accountant (who is great) I did promise (again) to use a computer program of some sort that might get things better organized. I promised and have already decided to break the promise. It's like childbirth, you forget the pain relatively quickly after the main event and get back to other things.

Around the house the leak on the roof was repaired----- but what was left behind was the damage to the ceiling and wall in the bathroom. If it were not MY bathroom I could much more easily ignore it, but alas, it was mine. The full allocation of down time has been spent scraping, sanding, taping, and gooping the area. It still needs a final sanding and then repainting. I'm telling you, my next house will not be such an old lady that needs constant maintenance and upkeep. I myself should the the only one that requires such attention!

As I moaned to my knit group yesterday afternoon, I have not knit a stitch in way too long. I don't know if I'm just in a rut or if I need to just give up and say that I am not going to be a two at a time sock knitter, give up on the tangled balls of yarn and the endless futzing, and go back to what has always brought me pleasure. The joy (for me) is just kinda' gone and I really hate that. Ack. I have to say that I did love being at knit group as always, RMS provided fresh motivation indeed. She is one of those wonderfully prolific knitters who always has such enthusiasm for our 'sport'. R is knitting a fabulous sweater from the Summer 2007 Knitter's and I found a little square neck top in the mag that is SO cute! Maybe that will break the spell. We met at a new venue, just a few blocks from the coffee shop where we were too frequently run out by music, we tried a gelateria and coffee shop. Delightful to be sure! How can you not enjoy hanging out and nibbling on a Tres Leches Gelato?

Because I have already admitted that not one stitch of knitting has happened, at knit group I brought along my bag in progress and put the final handwork touches on it. Because somehow I believe that a bag has to stand up by itself and be constructed within an inch of its life the inside side seams as well as the bag bottom seams had to be finished using coordinating bias strips of fabric. The front and back of the bag were machine stippled as one piece with the pocket attached later. Because it was "lining-less" covering up the raw seams was the only choice. Despite Yoel's thought that the inside was the outside, I had chosen to make the outside of the bag "smooth". It is done and quite fabulous and will go to live with my daughter, a gift for her birthday. I was clocking time in this bag to see if it were Etsy-able and have to tell you, it would not!

Inside pocket---- I couldn't stitch it on because the front and lining were quilted together. The pocket was 'fused' on with heavy duty web and then hand whipped for security.

The exposed seams, covered with coordinating print, covers the mess but also looks really cute.

Cute bamboo handles!

And finally, the other side. Both "front's" are different, yet coordinates. The size is about 12" high and 18" wide, not including the handles.

National Quilting Day was on Saturday, I was at work wrangling brides but considered the machine stippling of the patchwork bag as quilting and I did get into the sewing room for a bit. And I managed to pop into a couple of quilt group meetings in SL (Second Life). Is anyone else a SL'er? We need to get a knit group together over there. For those of you that are unaware, SL is the amazing computer generated place where you "live", shop, and wander around places that are incredibly lifelike, populated by people from all over the world. You can sign up for free---- but fair warning, Second Life is quite addictive! The Photos below are from the SL quilter's get together and from Pat Sloan who has been SL'ing for over a year! I'm still pretty new---- but have learned how to get around, how to change my avatar, and am constantly amazed at everything that is out there, from Oahu to Jerusalem!

That is the morning group----- I'm in the jeans and red hair. Pat (aka SL Paisley) gave us the cute quilt themed tote bags! She asked that we all wear green------ I found a big green St. Pat's Day Party Hat while out shopping but didn't wear it (way too silly) and was glad I carried it as Paisley was so gloriously fancy!

That's 'me' on the far right with the schmancy stockings. I 'changed' for the evening meeting. We are standing in Pat Sloan's studio in Aurifil Land.

If you SL----- let me know your name so we can meet! Because you choose your first name (and my top zillion choices were taken) and get a choice of last names your name can be quite fun! I'm Rhonda McCullough. Which of course, on a day like today I must say it is a FINE Irish name! ;)

Happy St. Patrick's Day to all------ around the world! We're all Irish on this day!! I didn't plan ahead to make corned beef and cabbage so I'll be trying to run in between the rain drops today and dodge the crowds along the parade route to find a nice warming plate of my favorite fare.

A Guiness? Of course!