This italian sample piece looks like lots of little flames licking their way up the fabric, so I've enhanced them with a bit of sparkle. Come back later to see the finished purse.
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I have a piece of faux silk that doesn't look much at the mo but I can see it has the potential to be a very lovely purse, once embellished with some carefully chosen beading and mounted on to a silvery snap frame. A friend has given me a woolly cardy to do with whatever I like! And you know what that means : an upcycle challenge! It's my favourite shade of blue and the colours and detail in the baskets of flowers are just wonderful. It has had two owners in its lifetime and it now needs repurposing! Can't wait to get started... It's already had a hot wash but I decided to give it another in with some towels to thicken it up a bit more. It shrunk quite considerably and felted nicely. I took the front bands off and turned it inside out to sew the edges together-my aim is to join the two halves of flower baskets at the front, hoping this will look ok for the front of the bag. I want it to be secure down the middle, so back into the wash to knit it all together some more! Well I did want it felted and it certainly is now! Once a roomy 38 inch round it's now more like 28 inches and much thicker and sturdier. Time to set the scissors to work. I think I'll leave the back intact to see if it will flap over sensibly. With a plastic base and lining added and strap attached with my favourite loops and buckle here's the finished flowery wonder! I've used some of the original buttons on the flap and a magnetic fastening. It'll now go back to it's previous owner as a surprise gift - out of the blue...
I started the tulip bag, then found a piece of the ladies' apartments fabric, decided it was just big enough to make a bag, and had to start that as well...which will be finished first?
My Uncle John wears lovely 100% woollen jumpers. He wears them right out, if you know what I mean, until they're totally past it, and then Auntie Dot gives them to me. Here's one he wore earlier! I chucked it into the washing machine on a hot wash to felt it, sewing up the moth holes first! It shrunk to about a 26 inch chest size. Skip to the end to see what became of it, if you're not interested in all the details that follow. I quite understand! Nicely felted and an ideal starting point for a bag! I started to manipulate the felt. First question: could I make the sleeves into a handle without detaching them? I needed to get rid of some of the excess fabric to have more of an idea as to whether it would work. I then got to thinking about the interesting shape the V Neck and shoulder piece was. Maybe if I snipped through the V it would make a funky front pocket? I pinned it on... So I had the bare bones. Next question: Could I stitch it together on the trusty treadle and line it to make it look like a proper bag?! Now to that fiddly handle. I pinned the rolled edges together and machined along, leaving a gap at each side for the fabric to settle in its own way! It actually worked out fine! I then turned my attention back to the handle as it still wasn't quite right-I steamed it flat and machined down each side. Now it sits sensibly. Phew-this bag evolved - it made itself. Me and the trusty treadle just gave it a helping hand! It's a bit asymmetrical but that adds to the character! These pics are more true to colour. I finally added the lining with two open pockets and a zipped pocket, finished with a beaded zip pull. It'll now go back to it's original owner-although I don't think Uncle John will appreciate it, but Aunty Dot might!
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Hello, I'm Ruth Overton. My nickname as a child was 'Ruthie Toots' which is how the name Archives
March 2024
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