Check-In: YOP Week 28

     I'm going to do a quick check in as I have some time and a couple FOs.  So, first up I finished up the American History class on July 1st.  I got my final grade back over July 4th weekend.  I got an A.  The next two classes started on July 1st; I'm now taking Intro to Philosophy and Intro to American Government (Political Science).  The Poli-Sci class has so far been a self-paced straight forward course.  There is a quizzing software being used after every chapter that's interactive and tells you which topic you're struggling on.  I like it much better than writing a paper after every chapter like the History class required.  Philosophy has been interesting so far.  The setup is sort of hap-hazard.  We're not following a textbook, just selected reading from the professor; after which we have a series of questions to answer or a discussion board to post to.  It's been a lot of thinking and then attempting to articulate those thoughts into words.  For me that's not easy.  Overall, though, these two classes are taking less of my time for now.  The first week was a preview week, so I got as far ahead as I could.  I like to have some breathing room.

    Last weekend and Monday I was able to do some sewing.  I used a tutorial from Pinterest and made a small, quilted tote.  My lining fabric was a little too long so it bunches on the inside.  I like the concept of the bag, but it's too small to be considered a tote in my book.  It'll still be a great project bag.

Batik scraps and some machine embroidery.

I had gone up to my grandmother's on July 3rd to get some more things from her house.  I've laid claim to a few more large things, so I'll need to go up there again soon with helpers.  I ended up with some "panel" fabric.  I immediately thought about tote bags with the larger images.  So, I whipped up a second larger tote bag with one of the panel prints.  It could be better, but I was winging it to make the fabric work as best as possible. 

Back: Slip pocket is pieced from the panel fabric.

Front:  This panel was my overall inspiration.

   

Inside:  It's hard to see, but the pocket is another fabric from my stash that "matched" the farm animal theme.

This tote will be going to the fair with 9 knitted items.  I wound up with quite a lot of panel fabric, so I may be making plenty of totes in the future.  I'll need to get more quilt batting and interfacing, I'm getting low.

    Speaking of the fair.  I'm all registered and I got almost all my items ready to go last evening.  I steamed several items and trimmed ends on all of them.  I seem to leave off that step, for whatever reason.  I do the drop-off tomorrow.  

    We felt some of the effects of Hurrican Beryl here on Wednesday.  We didn't experience any flash flooding, but the surrounding areas did, including my hometown of Lowville.  The storm drains backed up and there was extensive flooding all over town.  Elsewhere bridges and roads were washed out.  There were tons of Facebook posts of the racing water and damage.  The Lewis County Fair is in Lowville, but the damage has been cleaned up and the fair will go-on without a hitch.  

7 News Link Here's a link to the local news station.  That's about it for me.  I've just been plugging along trying to enjoy what free time I can sneak in.

Until later.

-Q