Phone a Friend ~~ another small finish

sitting pretty but too short

A friend recently asked for a sewing favor. Her frail mother has fallen two or three times. In one particular fall, her phone flew several feet away, so she could't reach it and lay on the floor of her kitchen for two hours before a visitor found her. 

The idea was to make her a small bag that will hang across her body and hold her Jitterbug phone. The Jitterbug is a flip phone but has an emergency call button on the outside. 


Should she fall again, the cross-body bag will hold the phone close enought for her reach it, and she won't even have to take the phone out to make the call.

need perspective?

I've worked on this small bag a few times using Richard's flip phone as my model.  Last weekend I completed the bag and realized that it was much too long, so I cut it down. 

Velcro for easy access

 Of course I cut too much! Yes, I measured.  It happened anyway. So tonight I added some of cut off piece back to the bag. I decided to put the stripe fabric on the outside to add a little pizzazz. I consider it a work in progress, so I'll take it to work and have my friend try it on her mom this weekend. 

front of bag after all changes

back of bag after all modifications

My only concern is that if the bag is not quite the correct size, she'll just use it anyway. Such a sweet lady, my friend. It might be difficult to convince her to tell me if the bag needs any more adjustments. Of course, I have the safety issue to fall back on...if I need it.

Linking up with

Crazy Mom Quilts

Finished or Not Friday @ Busy Hand Quilts 

My Quilt Infatuation

Confessions of a Fabric Addict

If this particular one doesn't work, I think it will be time to start with fresh fabric. Don't you?

TQPM News

Here's some good news!  I submitted two tips to The Quilt Pattern Magazine last summer and both were picked up for a bonus article on sewing room organization which was recently posted on their website.  Anyone who is a subscriber of TQPM has access to the article.   

I can't share the entire article since that would breach copyright laws, but I can tell you that the seven page article includes info on organizing small spaces, fabric storage, repurposing other objects, pegboard uses, storing fabric scraps, sewing process, and lighting and furniture.  I can also share my own tips:

Safety Tip

Here's my safety tip for those of you who store rarely-used items up high: I keep a small stepstool in my sewing room near the highest items.  I'm less tempted to reach or climb on anything that just happens to be nearby.  (I call it "monkey reach" because only a monkey could really pull it off."  I've probably saved my neck a few times.  Mary Marcotte

Don't forget to go low!  Under my work table there's a nice shelf, but under that, plastic bins of fabric!  Since my hubby built the table, we were able to measure to make sure the bins slide under the shelf.  It's a bit of a bother to get to them, so I store garment-making fabrics there.  I now quilt more frequently, but still make things for the grandchildren.  

Mary Marcotte

And more good news on the TQPM front: I have a four part pattern coming out in January.  I'm pretty excited to see it in print!  I am not supposed to share the actual picture until I'm told it's okay to do so, but I can tell you that the pattern is for a stained glass quilt with a beach motif.  There are lots and lots of photos to make sure the directions are easy to understand.  

Of course, TQPM made sure it was tested by a quilter who seemed to think that the directions are easy enough to follow.  Since my subscription to TQPM was going to end in January, I made sure to re-subscribe a few weeks ago so that I can get all four of the issues that include my pattern.  

If you're not a subscriber to The Quilt Pattern Magazine, you should consider subscribing now!  I'd be thrilled to tell you how--the website is http://www.quiltpatternmagazine.com

Finally, the photos on this post all come from TQPM's annual Kitty Photo Contest.  Check out the quilts under the kitties!

Happy Quilting,
Mary