A roomy patchwork tote built from small squares set on point, the Mondo Bag turns a stack of scrappy prints into a bag with serious capacity. The cover sample leans into batiks, mixing gold, mustard, teal, plum, and inky black across the whole bag for a warm, well-traveled look. The squares are placed on a pre-printed fusible grid, so the seams and intersections line up on their own. Pull bright solids, soft florals, or a single coordinated bundle instead, and the same bag reads completely differently.

What's Included

This listing is for the pattern and printed interfacing. It is not a finished bag, and fabric is not included.

The Fun Pack contains two panels of pre-printed fusible interfacing, enough to make one bag, plus printed step-by-step instructions covering cutting, layout, and assembly.

How the Quiltsmart Method Works

The patchwork happens on the interfacing, not at the cutting mat. Press fabric squares onto the printed fusible grid in any arrangement, fold along the printed lines, and sew. The grid keeps every square aligned and every intersection matched, which is the part that usually slows patchwork down. It is standard machine sewing throughout, with no curved piecing, no templates, and no measuring each seam.

What You'll Need

• Outer squares and handles: 15 strips of 2½-inch fabric at least 40 inches long, in a variety of prints (jelly rolls work well). The bag body uses 208 squares cut from 13 strips; the other 2 strips make the handles. Any 2½-inch squares work, so scraps or charm and layer cake squares cut to size are all options.
• Bag and handle lining: 1¼ yards.
• Fusible fleece, used as the batting: 1¼ yards.
• 100% cotton is recommended. Helpful tools: an appliqué pressing sheet, and a tube-turning tool for the handles.

Perfect For

• Quilters and sewists who want a fast, high-impact project from precut strips or scraps
• Anyone curious about the Quiltsmart grid method who wants an approachable first project
• A roomy travel, diaper, or everyday tote, or a bag for carrying quilts to guild show-and-tell
• A keepsake "brag bag," since photo or signature squares can be worked right into the patchwork

Why You'll Love This Pattern

Patchwork that lines up on the first try is a real pleasure, and that is what the printed grid delivers. The squares stay oriented, the points meet, and the finished bag looks far more precise than the effort it took. For a newer sewist it builds confidence quickly. For an experienced one it is a fast palette-cleanser between bigger projects.

The scrappy format is forgiving in the best way. Because the bag reads as a whole rather than a strict repeat, there is no wrong square to place next, so choosing fabric stays playful instead of fussy. A coordinated bundle gives a calm, blended result. A true scrap pull gives a livelier one.

The finished bag earns its keep. The base is roughly ten inches square with fifteen-inch sides, so it holds a real load, and the fusible-fleece body gives it enough structure to stand up while staying soft to carry.

Product Details

• Brand: Quiltsmart
• Item #: 10037
• Designer: Mattie Rhoades
• Category: Sewing Pattern
• Skill Level: Confident Beginner (the printed grid makes the patchwork beginner-easy; assembling the lined, fleece-bodied bag and turning the handles involves a few standard bag-construction steps)
• Technique: Quiltsmart printed-interfacing grid method; standard machine sewing; fused-and-sewn patchwork set on point
• Finished Size: Approximately 10-inch square base with 15-inch tall sides; makes one bag
• Fabric Needed: 15 strips of 2½-inch fabric (jelly-roll friendly); 1¼ yards lining; 1¼ yards fusible fleece
• Precut Compatibility: Jelly rolls (2½-inch strips); any 2½-inch squares, including scraps or charm and layer cake squares cut to size
• Format: Printed instructions with pre-printed fusible interfacing panels
• Made in the United States