24 hours later...

I can hardly believe it. To start a project one night and (nearly) finish it the next, is not my usual speed. And I'm not in a hurry to finish it either! But here it is, all done except for the backing and binding. I've always loved the look of Log Cabin patchwork, but had no idea that it could be so quick. I've learnt some important lessons in the past 24 hours. Things that experienced quilters know - iron everything from start to finish. Measure accurately, cut accurately. Pin pieces together and don't sew them until they fit perfectly where they are supposed to be!
Here is where I left it in the early hours of this morning, with the first two borders done. Three borders done: Four borders done: Front piece completed, lying on garage floor. (It was the only place big enough to spread everything out while I basted the batting on to the top layer. I had to back my car out, sweep the concrete floor and spread two old sheets down to work on.)
The pile of purple fabric you can see in the top right hand corner is what I'm using for the backing. I've cut a piece ready to sew, but that can wait until tomorrow or the next day. I wanted to finish the front so I can show it to Ken's Mum when we visit her tomorrow.
There a few people I want to thank. First of all I should acknowledge Elaine Rose, who designed the tote bag that I based my design on. It was featured in Patchwork & Stitching Vol.6 No.10 in 2006. Thanks to Jane, who is my inspiration when it comes to getting things done. She achieves an incredible amount of sewing of all kinds, and reading her blog motivates me to stop dreaming about what I'd like to do, and get on with doing it! She emailed me to comment on my sketch for this project, and said she doesn't go to all that trouble; she just cuts and hopes - that made me laugh!
And thanks to my friend Cheryl who accompanied me to the quilt convention last month, and helped me choose the fabrics. She is always ready to help me when I get stuck on a project - some of my patchwork pieces would never have been started, let alone finished, without her help!