Melly and Me's Fat Quarters Bag Pattern Review

A review of Melly and Me's awesome Fat Quarters Bag (However, be aware that fat quarters are different in the US and therefore you will need a little more fabric.) by none other than my own mother...

Pattern as described/shown:
I was never interested in making this bag until I purchased 3 Wonderland (by MoMo) Fat Quarters. The FQ were all in cream color. I loved wonderland and knew immediately I needed to make this purse. After I purchased it though, I realized the Fat Quarters were in metric countries. Because we are not metric, I needed 2 - 15" squares for the main bag and lining. Grrrrr.....that didn't stop me though!! I was able to cut the main bag with the fat quarter I had (even though it was a directional fabric, it didn't matter too much because the fabric was kind of crazy anyway and the handles would hide the tree trunks going sideways). As for the lining, I had just enough material in my stash that went perfectly with the wonderland. So off to the sewing machine...

How were the instructions?
As with all Melly and Me patterns the instructions were excellent. She does things a little differently because she is a quilter (and I am not). But they are easy to understand. Plus, on this bag, the main bag is quilted. Because it is such a small piece, it's not hard and you can be as creative as you want. The only thing I don't like is the lack of pictures. I would have especially liked a picture of the side of the bag to see what that was like!

Difficulty of pattern?
Very skilled beginner and beyond.

Alterations made?
Yes, I made a few alternations. She wanted you to quilt it like the picture, I chose to do a different quilt pattern. I didn't like how she had you sew the sides, so I put in 4 eyelets (I do not recommend this because of all the layers of fabric and fleece you have to go through. I should have used grommets, snaps, or buttons). I also sewed in a pocket in the inside. What is a purse without a pocket?

Overall impression?
I liked it. I thought the purse turned out pretty cute. I made it for a 18 year old, so I thought it had a youthful flare. I wish she would have given the overall dimensions of the purse (they are approx. 9" tall without straps, 12" in length, 4" wide). I have made several Melly and Me patterns and I think they are fun to make. I usually like the way they turn out, this one was one of my favorites.