Buttonholes....it has been a while since I’ve done one....and I’m not sure I have done one on my newer machine.

Re thread color and buttons. I did not ask her. I did ask if she needed the buttons the same color, I did not have 4 of any except blue.  She said not to use blue as it would not stand out.   anything that was a contrast was best.  The "somebody else's" shirts she purchase had white buttons on plaid. The kids had trouble finding the holes.  

Thank you everyone for the lovely comments on the purses.  Now to finish the second table runner!

I think I mentioned that my new current Forever Project™ is needleturn Hawaiian applique blocks in batiks.

However, since that is a long-term project, sometimes I take breaks from it to do short term things.  Case in point: this past October, Judy Akers & I went to PIQF, one of the major quilt shows on the West Coast.  One of the vendors sold sashiko stuff.  I like the simplicity of the designs and, of course, the white on blue coloring.  One kit caught my eye ... and it is neither simple nor white on blue.  <rolls eyes>

So, what was it?  Well, it was a sashiko kit (fabric, thread, needle) about France: the Eiffel Tower and iris flowers.  The tower is in blue and the iris flowers are in red all on a white linen-like fabric .. so you get the blue-white-red of the French flag.   And WHY did this catch my eye?  Next year, towards the end of Spring, middle dear daughter and I are going on a road trip ... to Paris!   So, now, I'm looking at French things.

This kit interested me because it was precisely that: a kit.  It is complete.  The needlework itself is simple: a running stitching in a rather thick thread.  The *kit* said this was a "dishcloth kit" and would finish at 13.5"x13.5".    I really looked at this .. a dishcloth???   Someone is going to put **all that effort** into a dishcloth??   I don't think so.

But at 13.5" square, it's a really awkward size for anything.  But, hey, I bought it anyway.   However, I am NOT going to use it a dishcloth.  Instead, I am stitching it as a quilt square: it has  batting and a backing fabric and I'm using the sashiko thread to do the quilting as I stitch the design.

I don't have the FAINTEST clue of what I'm going to do with it.   In fact, once I started and realized just how small this thing is and how I really do not even like hand quilting (so why did I even buy it?  Cuz it was France, that's why), I'm not terribly interested in finishing it.  Oh, I will because I'm almost done but I'm probably going to let it languish in UFO world until I am hit with a Bright Idea.    I didn't quite think this one through.   Good thing it's not taking that long.

I like that!!!  And going to Paris-how fun!  Did they have any Scottish kits? LOL!!

re dishcloth.  I have the remaining 2 dishcloths embroidered by some long forgotten lady in the town I grew up.  There was once 1 for each day of the week.  It is so incredibly soft at this point I have kept them and use them for dusting.  But every time I use it I feel a little guilty using it to apply lemon oil to my mother's table.

Dee in TX (DBRADFOR3) said:

DD asked if I could make her another therapy vest, to use with her Occupational Therapy kids. 

Are the therapy vests weighted?  Is the picture one she bought or one you made?  I haven't made a buttonhole in ages either and would need to take out my Bernina instructions to know where to start.

Pirate (PIRATE_SR) said:

One kit caught my eye

I see why it caught your eye.  You may find some complimentary fabrics.  It would be a very nice center piece of a wallhanging, table runner, table cloth or quilt.

Pirate, I love the France scene, how pretty.  

Here is what I finished.  Still a lot more to do!

The first one is a watering can.  We had an estate sale at the guild a while back and these were on the freebie table.  She had already done the applique, so I went ahead and finished them.  The first one has little clear gems on it and those are wooden buttons.  This is a wall hanging for a friend.

The next one is 2 watering cans and I decided to add some applique birds on it.  This was a top that I finished.  Makes a nice table runner.

Cathy (cacnurse1) said:

Are the therapy vests weighted? 

not these.  They are "therapy" in the sense that she uses them to do Occupational Therapy with her patients to work on their DLS's (daily living skills - ha, I know the lingo now).  I tease her that she gets to play with kids toys and call it work.  She's been keeping track of her business expenses for her taxes, it's all going to be kid toys.