Screaming for Spring - Updated

Like almost everyone I know, I've had it with winter this year.


So I am in the south and not bogged down with many feet of snow, its still cold and wet and miserable here. Usually this time of year is the nicest time... open windows, new growth, yard clean-up... this year I can barely bring myself to go out and cut-off all the deadwood from the many days and night of freezing weather.


Even the pencil plant beside my front door got significantly nipped by the frost. This plant was put there the day I moved into this house and, except for brief periods of TLC, has stayed there. Now I don't know if it will recover.

What's a girl to do?


In my case, I needed to make something that screams spring and the perfect project happened on Monday night.


The Twisted Sisters Bee met to experiment with the Bali Bags pattern from Aunties Two. The sample bag, and what most of the people decided to work with, were wonderful batik strips.


I don't have a lot spare of batiks available to me so I used a lovely print of brush stroked tulips (Thanks Sandy!). The pattern called for clothesline, for which I substituted some cord I had left over from the middle school kids' craft classes.



The pattern was for an upright bucket style bag while mine ended up with a distinctly bowl shape.



Here is how mine came out:

I think I will try this technique again. It's very mindless sewing, the results can be dramatic and maybe the next time I will end up with a more upright bucket style bag ... or maybe not!


Where ever you are I hope you are safe and warm... especially my buddy who spent three days this week trying to get to her home in upstate New York from Charleston, South Carolina.