"Do you need a bag?", the clerk asked.

This is my Modern Shopping Bag. It is a prototype for the tutorial I am writing for one of the Fluffy Sheep Quilting Newsletters that Cindy will be sending out this fall. You might want to head over and sign up for the newsletter so that the pattern will arrive in your inbox. I wanted to make shopping bags that I would not forget all the time. So they needed to be modern and functional. The pattern is simple but bold, inspired by many quilters but especially by Katie at Sew Katie Did who regularly makes the most beautiful quilts with HSTs which play with colour and value.



The newsletter bag will be made blues and greens, made from one of Cindy's new Fat 1/8 Bundles. But I did not want to cut into that until I worked out the kinks so I used my winnings from the contest Hadley from Flying Blind on a Rocket Cycle ran back when Cindy opened her shop.



You can see that this bag has a layer of batting to allow for dense, modern, purposely not straight line quilting - and to be strong too for carrying the milk and such.  I used a bright red Aurafil thread that bought from Cindy. Oh, and I washed it, again it was just too flat for me before washing.



See that picture above, nice, but flat before the wash does its texture creating magic. The bag is strong and big enough for groceries or other shopping. My plan is to make a collection of similar bags over this fall, so I stop forgetting my bags when I head out to the store.



I lined this one with a print of the London subway system - to remind me of my friends and of one of my favourite cities.



I will let you know more about the Mod Pop Quiltalong next post - I am just sorting out how to make groups and get sponsors and a button and such. For those of you who might have missed it (say because you were on a beautiful beach somewhere or something) you can go back and read about it here. I am excited to hear that there are some folks who will quilt along with me while I make another Mod Pop - Julie's pattern has stolen my heart and I can't wait to make a bigger one. If you don't want to wait or don't want me to be lonely, click here and join in while I hammer in the nails and tidy up.

I am heading back to the big city this weekend, summer is not over but it is time to get the kids to school. So there have been a few days now of making jam and battening down the hatches and a few more before I go.

Best,

Leanne