Pattern Review.....and a giveaway

In March I participated in the Pretty {little} Pouch Swap. It was so much fun to create something beautiful and usable for my partner, although I had a really hard time picking which bag pattern to use. I mean seriously, there are tons of great ones out there! After a couple of test runs with different patterns, I settled on the Scrappy Quilted Pouch designed by the lovely Kat of Diary of a Flutter.Kat
Am I ever glad I chose this pattern! It was a breeze! I like a pattern that has lots of pictures because it's nice to see exactly what you're supposed to do. Sure I can (and do) read the directions, but an accompanying picture makes my day. Kat's pattern has 48 pictures!!! Way more than I expected.  If you're more of a reader than a picture follower, don't worry, Kat's directions are wonderful too. I made the pattern exactly as she directed and got really great results. Another plus for me was the time involved. This patterns whips up quickly. All told, I had it done in about 90 minutes and that included my fabric decision making time, which as you all know, tends to stretch out at times. In this case, it even involved a trip to the store, for the polka dotty fabric.
As you can tell, I'm super happy with the pattern and will definitely return to Kat's shop when I'm looking for something else.

This is the bag I made for my Pretty {little} Pouch Swap partner

It's a good size, about 9" wide by 5" high.

So, onto the giveaway.......

Here's what I'm giving a lucky winner. I was inspired to try a bit of improv piecing, which strangely enough I'd never done before. I'll just say that now I'm hooked and you'll be seeing more of this from me. I was a bit stumped however, on what to do for the flap. Holly came to the rescue with the brilliant idea of the inset pieced strip. 

I think my favourite part might be the inside fabric. This map of the London underground has become my go-to fabric!

For this bag I tried a new to me kind of sew-in magnetic snap. I liked it and I didn't. I like that it puts less stress on the fabric and that it's a soft closure. It's much easier to open than the other kind. I don't like that it's a pain in the butt to attach. I don't know really, the jury is still out....

In addition to the bag, I'm also giving away the pattern that I used for this bag! So if you don't win the bag you could still win the pattern.

To enter, just leave a comment telling me what you'd use the bag for. Makeup? Hand sewing supplies? Toenail clippings? uuuhhm actually maybe I don't need to know that.... ALSO tell me if you'd rather the finished bag or the pattern as your prize (it's ok to want both!)

For a second entry, leave me another comment telling me that you're following my blog. If you're not already following, add me to your blog reader, and then leave a second comment! Easy!

I'll keep the contest open until Thursday April 19 at 8PM PST and announce the winners Friday morning.