Can you do COMPLETELY RAMDOM piecing? (Herringbone Haul-It-All Tote)

Let's make the Herringbone Haul-It-All Tote designed by Marion McClellan of My Quilt Diet for Moda Bake Shop. The tutorial for this tote is on the Moda Bake Shop web site HERE. This is a photo of Marion's tote.

Marion challenges someone to make it COMPLETELY RANDOM instead of "planned" random.

I accept her challenge. I cut out 84 half hexes for the herringbone. 

There are 2 each of 42 Kaffe Fasset fabrics. 

(I had these jelly roll strips leftover from my summer quilting.)

I put all 84 pieces into this cute snowman box and angled the lid as a barrier so I couldn't see which piece I'd pick next.

It's probably unfair to do this challenge with Kaffe Fasset fabrics because they all look beautiful together. It's looking good so far!

After 4 orange pieces in a row I was really happy to get the green and blue polkadot piece!

The herringbone strip was over 90" long when all 84 pieces were added. 

When cut into 3 pieces this is what I've got.

It looks good so I sewed them together and quilted it.

All quilted and look what I saw:

These 2 pieces ended up together! They are the only same fabrics touching in the whole random patchwork piece! (At least I think they are the same...)

This zipper pocket was mind-blowing! I've never seen one done like this!

I added a tiny pocket for glasses. The zip pocket starts with the wrong side showing.

After sewing on the drawn line rectangle (1/2" x 10") the center is cut and the pocket is pushed through the hole to the back side.

This is what it looks like on the wrong side.

This was a learning experience to put in a zipper pocket this way.

This is the real reason I chose to make the tote.

The zipper is placed in the hole, pinned and then top-stitched into place.

See the tutorial for how to finish the rest of it.

It was super easy and quick to do.

Zipper pocket, glasses pocket, and triple long pocket.

This tiny zippered case matches--and I made it in 2013!

I would say that COMPLETELY RANDOM piecing can work if you have enough variety in the fabrics and if they all look good together. These fabrics were so multi colored they worked great. I will have to send Marion McClellan an email to show her the result. Her directions in the tutorial were very clear. Thanks Marion!