Mom's Swimming Bag

I have previously mentioned that my mom really wants a quilt, and that I am secretly making her one for Christmas. My mom took matters into her own hands this past week when she went to a quilt store to buy me a gift certificate for my birthday (what a good mom) but came out of the store with more than just my gift. She bought herself a gift too...one for me to make her! She told me it can be a Christmas present. Add one more thing to my to do list!

Above is the pattern she bought. It is a patchwork bag that will be quite huge when it is done, which is perfect as she intends to use it for her daily swims with her friends. The instructions are fairly straight forward but I will have to pick up a certain kind of fusible interfacing that I have never used before. 

This is the stack of fat quarters she bought for herself:

She then divided her pile into two stacks: one set of 8 to use for the outside of the bag, and then her less favourite patterns. The colours are pretty nice (if monochromatic) but the fabrics are not generally something I would choose. There is one pattern in three colour ways that I really like. It is the pattern on the far right of the "reject" pile in the photo below. Many of the patterns remind me of Ming china and are delicate and pretty. I will use some solids in the mix too, and who knows what else as the pattern comes together (I need some yardage, not just fat quarters).

Mom's rejects

Mom's favs

I now need to fit this project into my to do list without giving away the Christmas quilt coming her way. 

Wish me luck!

Lynn (aka Buttons)