Harper's Bag

I think I've reached a milestone in my life. Actually, it's not exactly in my own life, but in the life of my children, specifically my eldest. This Thursday evening I will be attending a high school graduation ceremony for one of my daughter's friends.
I've known Harper for years, since she was 4 or 5. Her parents were some of the first homeschooling friends I made when I first considered taking that big step. Harper is a very special person; bright, gentle, thoughtful and extremely talented in a variety of areas. I was trying to decide what to give her for her graduation and I thought about the many art experiences we have shared. It's been my privilege to teach Harper on several occasions and she always amazed me with her attention to detail and her willingness to try difficult, time consuming techniques. It just seemed right that I should make something for her rather than purchase a gift. After chatting with her mom, I decided to make her a bag.I bought these Japanese fabric flowers at Quilt Festival in Houston last year and I've been thinking about incorporating them into a piece for a while now. This image seemed right for the flap of bag.I used a variety of fabrics as well as hand and machine embroidery and machine quilting to recreate these flowers.I'm making the body of the bag out of some Japanese indigo fabric that I also purchased at Festival.I hope to have the bag finished today. I don't want to be stitching as I'm driving to the graduation.