Leather Bag Handles, City Quilter Closing, Woven Label Giveaway

Hello from a random vacation day.  The weather was phenomenal today!!!  Anyhoo, it's a bit of a smorgasbord post, with three topics that don't necessarily warrant their own post:

1.  The Leather Bag Handles have Stretched.

They have also stretched on the other side of the same strap, I just didn't point it out in the photo above.

• I have been using and enjoying my leather tote.  It is a great size, not too big and not too small.
• It is lamb leather, so it is incredibly soft, and those who touch this bag in person remark how much softer it is than they thought it would be.  One of my coworkers was compelled to bury her face in it, that's how soft it was!
• The handles have started to stretch, though.    I was very concerned about the handles separating from the bag (which is not happening) but had not considered that the straps would stretch.  Next time I will insert buckram between the two strap layers to prevent that from happening.
• I still haven't sealed the raw edges with gum tragacanth, and I'm not sure that I will.

The City Quilter Is Closing

The City Quilter storefront in 2013


My first pillow "quilt" top, pieced but not quilted yet, Elizabeth Hartman Fancy Fox II pattern. I bought the original Fancy Fox (and a few other quilting patterns) at The City Quilter, even though I don't quilt.


The City Quilter NYC subway fabric as an interior zipper pocket from a bag I made in 2014

• MPB Day 2016 was amazingly hot (I don't think I've ever sweat that much in one weekend  in my whole life) and also really fun.  I felt so incredibly happy throughout the day.  
• Alert:  I did not buy ANY fabric during MPB Day this year. My sewing room reorg really made me not want to add to the stash.  And it was soooo hot, I didn't want to carry more fabric around.
• However, Anne told me  that the City Quilter is closing their bricks and mortar store in October.  A google search found these two posts here and here.  
• I'm not a quilter (slowly venturing into quilting) but I have always loved the CQ for many reasons: .  
• This is the only source for the NYC subway fabric that I have used in many zipper pockets and also a few gifted zipper pouches, and they will continue to sell that fabric online (it is their own design).  
• I've always been tempted by their umbrella kit, but truth is I'm never going to use an umbrella that is that big.  If I lived in NYC though, I could totally have seen myself going to one of their umbrella kit classes for an afternoon.
• I purchased a few sashiko kits at the CQ.
• It's also how I discovered Heidi Boyd Crafts--I saw her kits at the CQ last August.   As you know I am a huge Heidi Boyd fan and have stitched many of her kits in the past year.
• ATP and I will visit the CQ in September, but I'm not sure what their store will be like then, so close to closing.  I will miss you, CQ!!

Heidi Boyd Craft Excitement

Woven Labels Giveaway

• Sometimes people ask where I get the woven labels with random words on them (not the custom-made labels with "Vacuuming the Lawn" but the other kind.)
• I bought some at Joann's but found many through variety packs on eBay, particularly the "Me and My Big Ideas" or MAMBI woven labels that I think are intended for scrapbooking (set up an eBay search alert if you want to buy some yourself).
• I am purging some of these labels because of my sewing room reorg; would you like any of these? If yes, just leave in the comments which one(s) you want and I am happy to mail them to you for free, even internationally.  They are very light and thin so I can mail them like a letter.  First come, first served.

Be well!