MOD 2022 Project Bag Swap

Swap with us! There are no official sign ups for this swap. Just bring a finished Vinyl Project Bag to the retreat and you'll come home with one! The exchange is a yankee style swap so you are not making one for any specific person. PLEASE read all of the instructions below! You will make a vinyl project bag that is between  14”x14” and 16”x16”. The bag should be a flat zippered bag with a pieced and quilted back and clear vinyl front, bound at the edges. A handle is not required, but strongly encouraged. Here is a free tutorial on Moda  to make this bag. (Note: This pattern is not big enough and has to be sized up a couple of inches!!! You’ll want a 16-18” zipper and need to add 2+ inches to the cutting measurements). You could use other similar tutorials like this one on The Quilting Nook or this paid pattern from Patterns By Annie. The back of the bag is basically a mini quilt. IT MUST BE PIECED and cannot be just a simple piece of fabric. It must be quilted and it should use By Annie’s Soft and Stable or Pellon Flex Foam  instead of batting. This makes the bag more stable. Both of these can be found at Jo-Ann’s or Amazon or lots of quilt shops. The vinyl used needs to be about 16 gauge thick. This is the ideal thickness for functionality and durability. Do NOT buy thin cheap vinyl or cut up a thin vinyl table cover or shower curtain. You can purchase at JoAnn's, Fabric.com, By Annie, or even Amazon. Tips for working with vinyl can be found here and here  If you use the tutorial above, you will not be sewing with your presser foot directly on vinyl so you definitely don’t need a special foot or anything. If you have question or concerns, don’t hesitate to ask, or bring the quilted back and materials to MOD and finish it up with help from other attendees. The zipper installation is the easiest you can do! But if you are worried, consider the zipper class being taught by Lynn at MOD. She will briefly cover this installation and be able to answer questions. No extras please - we’d like to keep this swap to just the bag itself. Please bring your finished vinyl project bag in a paper bag so it is not visible and without your name on the outside and unsealed (we will be swapping the bags around so no one knows which is which).  You can post pictures of your bag on Instagram etc before the swap (tag them with #midatlanticmod)! Please keep in mind this is a modern quilting retreat and swap. For example, no appliqued baskets of flowers, Sunbonnet Sue, glitter/buttons/embellishments, etc. Some ideas for you: using solid, bold fabrics, improvisation, a modern block surrounded by strips, several blocks pieced together in modern fabric, low volume fabrics as a background, etc.  You might want to make something sewing/quilting related so it goes with the projects it will hold. Here’s an example of the back pieced for Jess Levitt’s swap (it’s not complete yet but will be up for swapping at MOD!):

PLEASE take time to read through these directions several times and follow them. We're happy to answer any questions you might have now or even help you out at MOD before the swap. Can't wait to see what you create! Email Jessica with any questions.