Obsessive New York Beauty

I've been seduced by Yoko Saito's brand of needle-turn applique and nearly free-form design.
I bought her book Japanese Quilting Piece by Piece and have been obsessed with the New York Beauty Bag ever since.

I DREAM about this bag.
I must have it.

I can't believe there aren't more people running around with their hair in flames about this bag.

Instead of hurling myself, full throttle, off the edge of the obsessive cliff (as I so often do...), I'm going to start with a small, yet useful project from the book: Thread Case with Spool Applique.

digression...
the Book...

I gotta lotta problems with the book....
Mostly with the instructions which, for all practical purposes, are non-existant.

At best, they're mighty, mighty slim...

They're SO slim I had to spend a few days with my google-fu searching for needle-turn applique, various methods of hand applique, and trapunto. A few more days spent trying to figure out the order of operations I might employ to achieve this squishy, yet practical, object of my burning desire.

Saito's YouTube videos are tantalizing but they don't show much detail.
.../digression


I, of course, have never done hand applique, needle-turn or otherwise, or trapunto -- OR (honestly) much quilting. What I have done ended fairly well and I've learned a lot about sewing in general since my last try. So I allowed my brain to utter that exciting, friendly and comforting old phrase (that will be laser etched on my tombstone)... How Hard Could it Be?

I'm gonna regale you with the methods of my creative madness, starting with the Thread Case (henceforth known as "box") and culminating with the bag...
... assuming I can keep my mind on one thing at a time.
Onward...