beginning a new project

so I knew that the last piece of fabric that I needed for the project was in the stuff for today's laundry (I can't justify running a whole load for half a yard of fabric!!)

but I decided to start working on the project anyway

the straps are complete -- one long continuous piece of lovely blue and white checks all interfaced with a remnant of quilt batting (oh, yes -- that piece of fabric is left over from a Halloween costume I made many years ago)

and the zipper has been installed in the front pocket

the next instruction says to put on the contrast fabric band along the top edge of the zipper

er, uh - right

just as soon as the load of laundry that is in the dryer as I type this gets dry!

I do like the pocket -- the yellow bricks with the red shoes -- very cool

having reached that stopping point I worked on the blue planet piece -- 5 of the little people are now attached

and quilted more on the baby quilt -- wherein I solved the puzzle of why my thread kept breaking -- as I worked on it yesterday I recalled that I had not had the thread breakage problem before the new thimble -- huh? it must be that the "slip stop" texture on the thimble is contributing to the excessive wear on the thread -- the choice then is longer thread with the old (soft) thimble and the occasional poking of the finger through it or no poking but much more stopping, starting, threading, etc. -- I'm going for some poking -- it speeds up the quilting considerably --

the new thimble, however, is most excellent for everything else!

finished the ribbing on the final hats for fencing hat last night -- I'll be taking that project along with me when we head off to the doctor's office this morning (where the DH will finally get to have his shoulder looked at)

time to get moving!