Graduation & Selvage Backpack

This proud grandma wanted to show you photo's of my grand daughter taken at her graduation from grade 8 in June.  So wanting to be grown up with a new strapless dress, high heels, nails & toes polished and her hair done just right, but still a little girl at heart. 

It was too hot outside this afternoon to do any garden work, it will have to wait until the sun goes down later this evening.  So what did I do? I finished my selvage backpack. The two photo's show the front and the fabric I used for the lining and you can just see the selvage trimmed pocket.  I am so pleased with the way it turned out, however, if making another I would make the key tap and the closure loop a little longer.  This backpack is for a student, and because I have a bit,  no, a lot more girth than a young girl, the shoulder strap measurement was too short.  To make the job of lengthening them a lot easier, I unpick the bottom seam and added a new longer piece of strapping so that it could be adjusted to fit me.  It's just the right size for carrying a change purse, camera and travel books while on vacation and a lot of fabric can be put in this bag when shopping at the market stalls at quilt shows.

Patricia

 

Another scorcher

At 9:30 a.m. and my thermometer is reading 33.*C, fore casted temps today 34*C but by the looks of it, it will be higher.  When the humidity is factored in it feels like a sauna at 44*C.  The rain we had earlier this week during thunderstorms did not do much good, it almost evaporated as fast as it fell.  It's summer what can we expect.
Birds and squirrels are regular visitors to my pond to get a cool drink of water.  Robins are even getting into the waterfall for a shower, they are such fun to watch.
So what am I doing to keep cool?, staying in the house with the A/C on, (which I absolutely hate) reading and sewing.
Reading--Just finished two of Nicholas Sparks' books, The Wedding and The Notebook, which was recently made into a movie, which I have yet to see.  Thoroughly enjoyed them both.  Earlier this week pick up another of his books Dear John, plus one from Gilda O'Neill. 
Sewing--Using up some of my selvages by making a backpack.  So far I am liking the way it looks.  Today the lining and the flap will be finished so on the home stretch now.  Just have to purchase a large coordinating button, haven't been able to find one that is "just right".  Also, working on putting together my one block wonder and making "cubes" to go in it.  The fabric, I am using would be classed into the ugly category, but after being cut up into small triangles for the hexagon blocks it looks a lot better.
Photo's of both to follow in a later blog.
Have a great Friday everyone.

Paricia