Sewing finally!

This did start out to be a quilting blog but I haven't been reporting much on what I've been sewing... That's because there haven't been too many finishes...  And what I have finished have been smaller projects.

Last week was Tetsu's birthday and I was racking my brain for something to get him even though he says he doesn't want presents.  I did buy him something but he seemed more grateful for the handmade present I made him...

A computer "sleeve".  I guess one could call it a sleeve, it isn't a bag because it doesn't have any handles though I've offered to add handles if he wants some (he doesn't).  Tetsu bought a new laptop computer in March but it sort of has taken over the desk in the "sunroom".  Unfortunately, the cat house cats also make use of the sunroom when it is raining out or especially stormy and they like to sit on the chairs but they will occasionally get up on the desk.  We have already had one "accident" with a cat spraying on the desk and I could just imagine the fury if a cat peed on Tetsu's computer!  He had been putting notebooks and papers on the computer to dissuade the cats from sitting on it but I decided to make a waterproof sleeve that the computer can be slipped into easily... thus no handles.

I found this waterproof "fabric" and asked how one goes about sewing with it and found that I already had a silicon (I guess) sewing machine foot that sews on plasticized fabric.  I made the sleeve according to the computer's dimensions and then I also added a felt lining (as sewing the fabric meant that moisture could still get through seams).  Tetsu was thrilled with his new laptop sleeve with cats and a John dog on it.

Tetsu's sister, whom we see about once a month, asked me to make her a drawstring bag...  I had made her this same bag nearly 20 years ago and she claimed it was such an easy bag to use and wanted another one to replace the first.  I still had the original pattern though I haven't made it in the past 20 years. 

This is an easy project that I did in about two days by hand.  Just combine triangles, add a top piece folded inside to hide the inner seams and then add the bottom with bias tape hiding the base seams.

I also finished machine quilting the baby quilt panel completely forgoing the walking foot.  It came out much to my satisfaction and I still don't know why my walking foot was such a trial.  It was connected right...  It probably could be oiled but it was moving smoothly.  I cleaned the feed dogs and bobbin case because it seemed to me that the walking foot was moving more quickly than the feed dogs (because the top fabric pulled ahead) but in the end I just felt that there was less a possibility of ruining this quilt by just freehand quilting all the straight lines.

I am now sewing down the binding on all those scallops.

I was with my patchwork group on Friday and the purpose was to put borders on a quilt we are making for one of the members.  This quilt has been in the making for years but we never had a person in mind to give it to.  We decided that we'd all feel inspired to finish this for our newest member who never sews for herself but helps us with all the other projects we make.  Basting and quilting will begin next month.

And while I was at Mrs. Furui's house she got me started on crochet beading!  This is one of those projects where the purpose is to see if I can really do it!  I got the instructions on the basics and then came home and raided my bead box.  Actually there weren't enough of any one bead to do much of anything so that is why this looks so hodge-podge.  I guess I can say I can do this craft now though I don't know much what I am going to do with the skill.  By the way, I will have to go back to Mrs. Furui to find out how to join the ends to make a bracelet as I don't know how to do that yet...  Right now this looks like a long yellow earthworm...  Yuck!

And finally...  advice needed.  I have put the final quilting stitches into the Selah quilt.  This is also ready to be bound.  The question is, do I need to do some quilting in the center of this quilt?

Everywhere else is heavily quilted, the outer border with feathers, the inner square with a lattice, the flowers with stitch-in-the-ditch, the word Selah also outline quilted, but the rest of that center is a bit puffy...  I can't figure out how to quilt around the words "Pause in His Presence".  This is hand quilted so I don't want to start using a filler stitch with the machine.

Can I leave this as is or should I put more lattice in the center?  Any other ideas?