Monday, May 17, 2010

Project Quilting Challenge Rectangles Tote

I got my Project Quilting Challenge project finished yesterday, and before the deadline! I needed a new tote bag to carry around at Quilt Market this week, so I used the challenge to design this baby. I started with 48 3 x 5" rectangles (8 each of 6 different colored batiks) and two half yard batik cuts. I left half of the rectangles 3 x 5" and sub cut the other half into 3 x 3" and 2 x 3" pieces. Then I randomly sewed them into 5 rows for the bag body. The remainders were pieced together for the handles.

The half yard cuts were used for a nice sized outside pocket on each side of the tote (that measures 4.5" x 7"), the bottom of the tote, and I pieced the lining of the tote and handles with them.

And I added a 6" x 6" patch pocket to the inside with some of the leftovers.

I quilted in a very geometric horizontal and vertical pattern on the rectangles (this helped to hide the lines that sewed in the inside pocket). I outline quilted around the butterflies on the bottom. The overall size of the tote is 14.5" tall x 16" wide, x 6" deep.

I literally used all of the material that the challenge allowed me to start out with, and only had a few chunks and strips left over. It was a lot of fun to be challenged to come up with something quickly ~ I'm not one to work very fast, or to work out of my normal comfort level.

Hop on over to Kim's blog and see all of this week's Project Quilting entries. It's quite a collection of creative projects (you can click on the pictures to see each entry in more detail) ~ cast a vote for your favorite one and you are entered into a public drawing of great prizes!

Enjoy the day!
~ Dawn

1 comment:

Pat said...

Very nice bag...I'm sure you will be able to fill it with lots of goodies this week!