QuiltCon prep

I'm leaving for QuiltCon in two days, and I'm so excited! This weekend, I decided I "had" to make a few more things to take with me, starting with a second perfect zip bag, this time for me (pattern here by Elizabeth Hartman). I love this bag.

The design was inspired by these awesome hexie pincushions from Modern Handcraft (you can see lots more in her IG feed). Last week, I purchased some beautiful wool-blend felt from the same Etsy shop she uses, Benzie Design, and I started cutting into it the day it arrived. The hexies on the front measure 1" across.

Originally, I wasn't  planning to do anything to the back exterior, but it seemed sad, so I made one super hexie (it measures 4" across) to brighten it up. This time around, I made the small "C" style bag with no inside pocket. It'll be just the right size to fit all of my sewing notions for the workshops. The background is Essex yarn-dyed in black. The fabric on the zipper stops is from Mochi, and the lining is a great teal heart and arrow fabric from Cloud9.

I also decided to make myself a few business cards, in case they came in handy. They list all of my social media info. I thought about making some fancy ones, but it just didn't seem worth it, so I designed them at home and had a few printed at a print shop. When I brought them home, Matt asked if I wanted to borrow his fancy metal business card holder. I smiled and said, "No, thank you. I'll make one." :) Because I need more excuses to sew, right?

I used this tutorial from The Crafty Cupboard. It worked just right to fit my 20 cards, though if I was making it again, I'd probably add 1/4" or so to all of the measurements, as it was a bit snug, and I actually had to unpick my original topstitching because it didn't leave enough room.

Along with my lanyard, I think I'm all set. Now I just have to finish gathering up my supplies for my workshops. Speaking of which, here's my schedule for QuiltCon:

Thursday: Patchwork City workshop with Elizabeth Hartman and Moda Party
Friday: two lectures with Heather Jones, plus quilt show and vendor shopping
Saturday: Piecing workshop with Lee Heinrich

I hope to see some of you around!