The taffeta disaster

Have you ever stumbled across a really old abandoned quilting project?  One surfaced here today. What's this???  Pieces neatly put into bags, labeled B, d and Borders.  No pattern.   What happened to A and C?

A few strips pieced and cut.  Have you ever seen anything so crooked?  Look at that middle strip!  And that border strip across that top... um... that's not straight in anyone's imagination. Up to 1/2 inch wave on the left.

The blue taffeta was fabric left over from making the Maid of Honor gown I wore at my sister's 1985 wedding.  I must have thought I could make a quilt for her out of the scraps.  Clearly, taffeta does not work well for quilting!   I was cutting with scissors back then -  no rotary cutters yet.  What a disaster!  Looks like it shifted all over the place.  

Glad this didn't keep me from trying again and learning to quilt.   Now I can only laugh at myself.  What ever was I thinking????  It does make me realize the challenges that quilters had long ago when they worked with silks and taffeta fabrics they had on hand.  The white print cotton might be worth saving, but the taffeta is going out the door!

bags, bags, bags

Looks like I've become a Bag Lady!  It all started when my sister called asking if I had any decorator fabrics to re-cover some 30-inch pillows our mother had made...way back in the 70's.   It didn't look like I had anything big enough for her, but since I had the decorator fabric scraps all pulled out, let's use some up!

Leftover drapery fabrics became these grocery shopping bags.

five blue/white shopping bags

three green/pink shopping bags

No more white/blue stripe.  No more blue floral.  No more green floral.  No more pink.  Whoo-Hoo!

A quick tutorial:
(A little sketchy, but if I want to make more someday, at least I can't lose the directions if they're posted here!)
Cut front and back of bags 14 x 11 inches.
Cut side/bottom piece at 8 x 39 inches.
Cut an inner-bottom piece at 10.5 x 8 inches and finish the edges on the two short sides with serger or by turning under 1/4 inch.  Center on the longer piece, wrong sides together, and stitch together on the outer edges.
Cut two handle pieces, 2-1/2 inches x 22 inches.  Fold, stitch long side and turn. Press and top-stitch 1/4 inch along each long side.
Stitch the bag pieces together with the 11-inch side as top/bottom.
Finish the top edge with serger or by turning under 1/4 inch.  Then turn down another inch and top stitch down.
Attach bag handles.
Slide a 7.5 x 10 inch  piece of plastic or cardboard between the two bottom pieces.