Christmas Break Projects- Done!!!!

So I spent most of Christmas Eve in front of the sewing machine. I let the girls design patchwork scarves which I backed in flannel (no pics of those) and I finished my very first, fully quilted and bound project. There were a few hitches along the way, but I think it turned out alright. Here is the first project I completed, a mini quilt. I used the DoubleFatJack tutorial from Lily's Quilts. All in all, I found it easy- the only mistakes were from my misreading of the instructions and were easily fixed.

 Here's the back. I decided to piece both sides. These are 3 inch strips.

I was experimenting  with techniques here. A zig-zag.

I think this is called channel quilting, but I like to call it "triangle swirls". Pretty, right?

 Mistake. Extra fabric on the back. Annoying.

Next project- a huge- I mean enormous- tote bag. I completely winged this.

 Here is the tote bag with two large throw pillows inside to give you an idea just how big it is. I could have added another pillow and a small toddler and still have room inside. Tips for next time: use interfacing in the straps and put something solid in the bottom to stiffen it up.