Magazine Bag of scraps

Today, after such a busy week, I was determined to sit at the machine and make something - anything. I had cut out these scraps a few weeks ago with the intention of trying out a technique I saw on Simply Quilts one day a couple of months ago. It uses iron on interfacing and scraps of fabric, to create straight lines of pieced work. I decided to make a bag first to hold my magazines or books, so I could get the method right and make any necessary adjustments I needed for a bigger project at a later date. I drew straight lines on the non iron on side of the interfacing in a grid pattern. Then it was just a matter of cutting out scraps the same size of the squares and rectangles. I used my light box to guide me while placing the fabric adjacent with the drawn squares and rectangles, so I could make sure I was putting them in the exact place they needed to be.

I used some glue sick glue to hold them in place 3 rows at a time, then I lightly touched them with the iron to stop them moving while I sewed them. On the wrong side of the interfacing, I sewed all the rows of the same direction.

After I had sewn in one direction, I sewed in the other direction making sure all the fabric pieces were caught in the seams as required.

Between sewing in one direction and the other, I clipped all the intersections, so the seams would lay straight and flat. This is how the front of it looked after I had sewn both ways.

I usually use my mothers quilting machine and frame for quilting, but today I decided to try out some simple in the ditch type quilting on my machine but minus the proper foot. I must make a note to buy a foot for my machine for next time. Even though I struggled through this quilting process, I think it looks OK for a first time attempt?

And 5 hours later, I produced this neat little bag. It is big enough to hold a few magazines or craft project etc. I am happy with how it turned out, but if I was to make it again, I would make sure that the iron on interfacing I used was as thin as I could get it.