The LA Modern Quilt Guild (LAMQG) organized a "Green" Tote Bag swap for the April meeting. The only rule was that some part of the bag had to be pieced or quilted. I decided the Friday before the Monday meeting to tackle my first tote bag.... and this was the result! I used all fabrics that I had on hand with the exception of the linen used for the lining, and finally made good use of the Improvisational Blocks I created at the Denyse Schmidt workshop I took last June.
The central part of each side was made up of the Blocks from the workshop - my pieced addition. The sides and red and white border were fabrics from a giveaway I won from Sew Modern a few weeks ago.
I used a very easy to follow tote bag tutorial from the Bijou Lovely Blog-
I like that this bag calls for a layer of interfacing to make it stronger and stiffer to the touch.
The swap at the meeting was a "White Elephant" style with each bag being able to be stolen once. Mine was picked early on and stolen midway through - :) I got a great pink and brown tote, with adorable popsicle fabric and other great details. Need to take a picture!
Me modeling my Tote!
In between large projects, I like to tackle smaller ones, to learn a new skill and or pattern. I recently finished this large quilted floor pillow that I made using 4 Spider Web blocks.
I dug into my stash and pulled out some bright pinks, reds, oranges and purples. I love the contrast against the grey. I used 2 of the Liberty of London fabrics I got as part of a scrap bag I bought from Purl Soho in New York. They are so soft and lightweight!
Close up of the echo quilting with in each star.
The Pillow Back
