Blooming Bahamas Bag...

I made this purse using a pattern from Abbey Lane Quilts new book "Blooming Possibilities". I used some of the hand printed fabric we bought while in Nassau on the quilting cruise last January. The fabric is pleated and I used fusible fleece to back it. Then the pleats are held in place by the stitched-on pink band. The loose pleats at the top are ruffled out to dress it up a bit. I adjusted the pattern size slightly to fit the fat quarter of brown print. The bag is lightweight yet roomy, and the hand strap makes it comfortable to carry securely.

And the cute flower accent! So much fun to make, and the book shows how to make several sizes and styles of flowers. There are 12 project patterns in all. I've already made two of the flowers, and plan to make lots more. And I want to make at least one pair of The Ladies Flip Flops, too. Lots of appealing projects in this book!

Serendipity at Sea...

A cruise to Nassau in The Bahamas included more than the usual straw market shopping this week. One member of our foursome remembered buying batik fabric made on Andros Island on her previous trip. We went in search of the store, but alas, no luck. However, a shop clerk described a fabric store several blocks from the town center. We hired a cab (a stretch limo actually), and off we went to Bahama Hand Prints. The store front was small and held about two dozen cotton screen-printed fabrics. Purses, totes, and handbags made using the fabrics, along with ready-to-wear clothing like robes and t-shirts, were also available. To our delight, a peek through a partly opened door gave us a glimpse of the print room that ran across the back of the building. Since the printer was just getting ready to screen print, we were given a tour and demo of the work space.

Thirty yards of fabric are printed at a time. The photo shows tea towels with the first of two colors screened on cotton pique fabric. The ink is poured into a well at one end of the screen, and then a squeegee is used to force the ink through the design areas on the screen. Four passes of the squeegee were required for the textured pique.


Each of us bought one yard of the cotton fabric for quilting, and then divided it in quarters to swap with each other. The prints are island inspired, vibrant and bright. No plans for a project in which to use them, but when has that ever been a prerequisite for buying fabric?


Goodbye to Nassau, and a delightful visit to Bahama Hand Prints.