Some Samples I was given.

Hey, that's Tropical Fling fabric!! I LOVED that collection when it first came out. I made a fabulous fun quilt with it years ago.

Nice bags, too.

-Michele in NYC

At the risk of sounding like a silly soup commercial - NUM YUMMY!

Rita L.

John wrote:

You lucky rascal. I loved that collection. It's what I used for a graduation quilt for our granddaughter and the quilt is the treasured. Since you have been conservative in your fabric choices up until now, maybe this special gift will tempt you to venture out a bit. (Or drive you into gray and beige, you never know.) Polly

That's great fabric! You can really have some fun with that. Talk about lively.... I love the idea of a bag made with those. But then I'd love the idea of anything made with those.

Sunny

John - you're SO lucky!!! One of my favorite fabrics on the planet is tropical prints, and you scored!. You can do a ton of things with these - have fun!!

Patti (formerly) in Seattle

I am already planning out what to do with them. I am thinking about using an octagon cut of the pattern to make a Victorian Flower Garden sort of thing. The amount of each piece of fabric I have is limited and the prints are larger than I am used to, but I could isolate the area of the print into a complete image unit and then join each piece in a random selection of vivid colored octagons. That might me quite dazzling. It certainly would be a different sort of thing than I have ever done. I am getting excited about it now.

John

If you do use octagons, you will have a small square between, which could be black, and be a sort of 'resting point'. . In message , John writes

octogon aka snowball blocks. could also sash them in the black with small cornerstones to match colours in the snowballs. or go crazy and use tiny 4 patches for cornerstones. sorry, i'm eating buttermilk/lemon pancakes for breakfast and they are deeeelicous so i'm just get'n carry'd away i guess. j.

"Patti" wrote... If you do use octagons, you will have a small square between, which could be black, and be a sort of 'resting point'.

John writes

et --

Being as I have settled on the messenger bag/purse as the finished project, The hexagon is the chosen form of image placement. No corner stones just the hexagons. here is a quick pic of what they will look like as they are taking shape. Needless to say, this one will be for my wife. I am thinking of it as 3 dimensional functional art. How is that for pretension?

John

I only mentioned the extra squares, because you mentioned octagons. I did wonder if you had meant hexagons! . In message , John writes

I love that collection John. Susie used to live in the same town I live in, then she moved up Laurie G's way & then a couple of years ago, she moved to Florida! Has she moved again? Those fabrics are quite a departure from what you normally work with John - hope you have fun creating! Your wife will surely love it!

Pauline Northern California

She used to live here in my area..... in fact, one of the quilting books I worked on for Kooler Design Studio used her fabrics for the step by step technique samples (I made them for the book). She also designed that beautiful line of Napa Valley grapevine fabrics. I don't know where she is now.....

Nope. John's wife is not going to love the bag. She is a very conservative (and long-suffering, I might add) woman. He probably will need to send it to me. [ Ha! for all of you that are quick on beg, I gotcha!] It's going to be a beauty. Polly

"Pauline" I love that collection John. Susie used to live in the same town I live in,

Susie is living in Naples Florida, or so my wife Says. We saw her a couple of years ago when she came back to Ohio to visit. Actually, I don't know if my wife will like it. She does not usually go for this sort of thing, but hope springs eternal. I am constantly pushing the envelope as it applies to things she might like. Some she does and some she doesn't. If not, it will make a great wall hanger. That is what I meant by three dimensional functional art.

John

that is what threw me too, Patti. i was thinking octogons, 8 sides aka snowball block, hence my comment about sashing and cornerstones. of course that is not an issue with hexagons...which i love by the way. so many ways to digest hexagons, also half hexagons, along with two ways to halve them, one can even divide them into thirds or sixths. there i go again, get'n right carry'd away, lol. i love those hexagons, John. cant wait to see the final product. j.

"Patti" wrote... I only mentioned the extra squares, because you mentioned octagons. I did wonder if you had meant hexagons!

et --

Sorry for the self created confusion. I meant hexagons but my tied old mind typed octagons. Maybe I should double down on the senior meds. I am thinking about those octagons with corners as something to do on another project though, so thanks for that. I guess I have become more comfortable doing the corner insets as this piece is flying by with little swearing or ripping. I am almost done with the main fabric piece. Just the sides and shoulder strap to do for the outside. I plan on doing a compartmentalized interior section with cell phone pocket, pen and pencil tubes, accessories pocket, and something I have done on a number of her purses. A tab with a thumb release hook for a key ring and another one on the other inside end for a small zippered wallet pouch, for drives licenses and credit cards. She finds these things invaluable for coming up with the keys and wallet/pouch from the depths of clutter that seem to invade all women's purses. We are off to the family Christmas gift giving get together today, so sewing is taking a break.

John

John