Sewing Bean Bags

My mother dislikes sewing. I have memories of her cursing under her breath while she worked at the sewing machine. Sewing seemed so awful that I never wanted to learn how to do it. So I didn't, not even in high school.

At one point while I was at university, I volunteered to make a banner for a club that I was part of. I bought the material and after struggling to sew the darn thing Hubby (then my fiance) did it for me. A few years later I received a gift from a dear family friend: a sewing machine. Somehow, since then, I've taught myself to use it for mending and sewing simple projects.

It always amazes me to see what others create with their sewing machines. My sister-in-law makes the most amazing quilts. My other sister-in-law sews clothes and toys. Their work inspires me to learn more about sewing. So, I decided to take a beginners quilting class. The classes were a fabulous learning experience. I met some nice people and I made three new wonderful friends:

Meet rotary mat, ruler...

and rotary cutter!

These three friends have changed my sewing life forever - they make me want to sew! Yesterday, I was itching to hang out with my friends so I made these Counting Beans Bags. Measuring and cutting the fabric was too easy which gave me the energy to focus on the applique, which is something I had never tried before.