Finished :: in progress

I made a new favorite thing. 
I made eight log cabin squares and sashed them with hot pink linen and matching quilting cotton and sewed them into a boxy tote bag and that is my new favorite thing. My friend who is going to receive said tote bag shall remain nameless, so that she may have the pleasure of seeing this on my blog and wondering, wondering, if she will be the recipient.

I have been making variations on this tote bag since 2008, and I'm not sick of it yet. I like many things about it: that I don't have to cut any curves (cutting curves is my least favorite thing), that I have the dimensions memorized, that the handles can be long or short, fat or wide-- whatever kind of strips I have left over from the body construction can be turned into handles.
Combining all these features with another of my favorite things-- piecing log cabin squares-- made this sooo enjoyable. Log cabin squares are great. You rummage through your scraps, pick your favorites, iron them, cut them into strips, and start sewing around in a circle. It's the greatest. It's the bean soup of quilting. Throw in whatever and it turns out awesome.
I've been holing up in my studio a lot this week, watching it snow, making things.

(I might be letting the cat out of the bag, broadcasting this one. But I can't wait. Handmade gift reveals post-holidays are nice, but I want the inspiring pictures and the ideas in the moment, you know?)

And as soon as one thing is done, another begins... oooh yes, it's that time of year. 
Tomorrow we're heading south to Maryland, as per tradition, and taking a day after T-day to visit Gettysburg. We did a similar thing last year-- went to Antietam-- and it was awesome. So, we go.
Hope everyone travels safe and has a warm, delicious, joyful Thanksgiving.
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