Midsummer Quilt Project: Process Pledge

 I love this Chaos quilt by Red Pepper Quilts (left)and wanted to either make my own or design something like it. Malka is doing something similar with Strips and Bricks (right) and so it must be in the air.

You know me, I gotta do it my way, and what  interested me was a certain randomness, with not much in the way of lining up seams, a scrappy kind of quilt which would use up both prints and solids.

While I was looking at my favorite quilts ripped from the web I came to this section of a panel designed by Marcia Derse. This is it for me! Four patch, simple simple simple. It would be just strips cut in different sizes, sewn assembly line and then cut into squares.  I could easily use up lots and lots of fabric, and later sew them into blocks whenever I felt the urge.
Here is the plan:

Lots and lots of strip cutting from both prints and solids. Yawn. But it will make me committed to doing this, and that is a good thing. Here's the exact measurements and the block sample. Finished size is 12" which makes it easy to calculate how many blocks I will need to make whatever it is I am making....? I think I'll just make the parts and figure out what to do with them later.
 

After an hour of cutting strips, I was totally bored and needed a break. While drinking my coffee and  looking online I saw that Etsy sent this ad to my email. Isn't this a cute bag? $18. Immediately I was inspired and had to get up and make one.

Both mine and the Etsy one are reversible and have these cute handles and would make a nice lunch bag, gift bag,  fabric or yarn scrap bag... whatever. I made mine from two pieces of cotton, 9x18" for the body and 2.25 by 9" for the handles. Each layer is backed with fusible interfacing, the kind for clothes sewing, and it is just crisp enough to stand up on its own. Now that I see them side by side, mine looks kinda skimpy, but in a cute way. The finished size is 7x9" with a three inch gussetted sides and bottom.
Heres' the process: Cut two pieces 9x18", and cut fusible interfacing the same size minus seam allowance. Fold in half lengthwise and sew side seam and bottom seam.

Fold corner to this pointy shape and measure off three inches and stitch across for the gusset. Repeat for the other side, and the second fabric.  For the handles cut four strips, two from each fabric, fuse interfacing to them also and sew together, wrong sides together. Afterwards turn them rightside out and top stitch.

Sew handles onto one bag fabric and then insert the second bag and carefully fold over and pin together the edges.  Top stitch the edge carefully. Ta-Da! Are you done yet? ;-)