rag purse

the wonderful rag purses are making the rounds, and all that I have seen so far use an "x" sewn through the scallop squares to keep the cotton batting in place. well, my sister ellen and I took a class 20+ years ago to learn how to make a "tied" quilt, so I wondered if it would work. I think it does! I wanted to add some extra bling, so while I was at the fabric store, I found some crystals that I tied on to the centers of the front scallops. it's hard to see, but it's nice and sparkly in person. I kept the outside black and white, but instead of using the same fabric to back the squares, I went for something with a little more punch, so it would show on the edges and compliment the tied yarn. it also makes a super cool inside!

I added pockets to the outside to hold my cell phone and keys which were super easy to add, and if I'd thought about it sooner, I would have added some to the inside as well. oh well, next time. I really liked doing the tied part, because it made it super easy to sit and do while I was watching television, then have a pretty easy time of sewing once all the pieces were ready. this one hasn't been washed yet to make the edges "raggy", but I think it'll turn out fine. I'll let you know if it's a problem!