My Mondo Bag

After seeing the pattern around on the internets for a while, blogs and instagram, I bought myself the pattern for the Mondo Bag. (my blog record shows I bought it way back in November)  It is a Quiltsmart pattern if you're interested.  I've had the pattern since before Christmas.  I was waiting until I had some selfish sewing time to get it started - which was in February.  It was also a chance for me to get to know my new Singer Featherweight.  More on it in another post.

I started with a bunch of strips from a couple jelly rolls of Gooseberries.  They were originally purchased for a signature quilt, but I have a lot of left over.

If you have purchased or made this pattern, you know that it comes with preprinted interfacing on which you are supposed to fuse your 2.5" blocks.  Well, I sort of hacked the pattern.  You see, I didn't want to never be able to use it again.  I also didn't want to cut all bazillion 2.5" squares.  So I strip pieced into fours.  Then cut 2.5" strips across and laid them out according to the picture.  Then I sewed the strips together into the right sized rectangles for the pattern.  After each rectangle was pieced - THEN I fused (my own-unprinted) interfacing to the whole rectangle and proceeded to follow the instructions from there. (mostly)

The inside - looks like a flower opening up.  This being my first bag I didn't do any extras like pockets or key tabs.  I tend not to use those anyway, however well meaning I am.

The strip piecing made more of a pattern of the squares than random, but I think it looks pretty good.

This is the bottom where the four rectangles meet up.  Doesn't bother me that the squares meet up.  Its the bottom, after all.

I confess that I did not consult the pattern for the length of the straps, so I think mine ended up rather long in comparison to the bag - but at least I know they'll fit over my shoulder!

Mondo Bag

So would I make another Mondo Bag?  Definitely - it was a fast and easy project. I did it all on my straight stitch feather weight.

True Confession: I thought it would be bigger.  After all the hype written in the pattern about the size - I couldn't actually fold up an entire queen size quilt it in.
On the other hand, now that I understand the basic concept of how it goes together, I could make any size I wanted......
After all, I've got more jelly roll strips!

Really Random Friday 11.18.16

 A bit of randomness today. 
I didn't use my sewing machine at all this week once the Falling Charms quilt was finished.  Our breaker box was failing, so we were low on electricity, plus lost water and heat for a few days.  Fortunately the weather has been unusually warm and everything was officially fixed yesterday afternoon.
I've been cutting out and basting things.  I'm ready to get quilting!

 A few short weeks ago a friend asked if I was interested in what she thought were flower petal fabrics from an older gentleman at church who had lost his wife.  I said I would take a look at them.  This is what it was! A pre-cut kit from the 1930s.  It was complete!  Never touched.  It had been opened out of the original bag and put into a ziploc, but even the original bag was inside. 

 These are the pattern and instructions.  You'll noticed they called it a Friendship Circle, rather than Dresden Plate. I had originally thought I would go ahead a piece it all, but in talking with a quilt historian I know, we are thinking it might be of more value to leave it as is.  We are investigating what to do.  If you have any knowledge or suggestions, I'd be happy to hear them.

 I picked up the Mondo Bag pattern.  Looking forward to making one, once I decide on fabrics to use...

 Also in regards to vintage fabrics - a lady of the quilt guild passed away and many of her items were set out for guild members to take home if they were so inclined.  I picked up the above fabrics - gave them a very thorough wash and airing. (grrr mothballs)

 And finally, this is Juniper the Apocolypticat.  She had been wandering our neighborhood for 2-3 weeks, without a home.  A neighbor drove up our driveway 2 Saturdays (tomorrow) ago to see if she was ours.  The girl's father wouldn't let her keep the cat.  I said we could keep her and if anyone was looking for her to send them our way.  No one has shown up, yet.  She is a clean 6-9 month old calico.  Sassy, though.  Has a lot to say and gets quite mad that we won't let her outside, so I suspect she is a barn cat that wandered off. She has gained quite a bit of weight since we got her, too.  Our other calico is not amused, and the big black cat doesn't care too much, unless she gets too close. The house does seem to be big enough for the three of them, at least, and she is even getting used to the dogs.

She is sitting in an open window this morning. What I am sure will be our last for a while, temperatures are going to drop later today and we will finally be seasonal. 

Have a great weekend everyone!  I'm looking forward to getting my sewing machine set up again.