Shaded View and A Wedding Gift

"Shaded View" is what I'm calling my tote bag.  I used the same pattern as the others and the last of the strips from the Bali pop.  The fabrics made me think of a lone tree branch in one's view as one looks at the sky on a sunny day.  I fell in love with the piece I used for the contrast strip and built the bag around it.

I also have an older finish to share.  One of our veterinarians missed the holiday party because she'd left to be married.  This is the same vet who conspired to get Artie into our family, so she has a special place in my heart.  She's also the owner of "Flowerpot Kitty" and one of the Yellow Kitty ornaments.

After forming a conspiracy of my own with the ladies who work in the office and the vet techs, I had his initials.  Hers are on her business cards and another vet supplied the date in conversation.  Then I needed a design.  I found a little bridal bouquet motif in one book, but changed the colors to fit better with a winter theme.  Then I scoured my library until I found the perfect alphabet for personalization.

I made the twisted cord from some of the colors in the bouquet.  There's a lot of metallic DMC in this piece, which has it's ups and downs.  The final effect was worth the fraying frustration though.  The backing fabric is some that I'm had in my stash for at least a decade.  It was going to be a vest front for me, but I've gained a bit of weight since then.  Better to re-purpose it, especially for something fun.  The silvery leaves accent the metallic silver on the front perfectly.  In fact I drove myself crazy looking for it since I knew it was somewhere.

That's all for this week.  I'm not sure what direction I'll jump in for next week.  See you next time!