Having completed a time and motion study (well I kept a log of how long it took me!) and found if I made two at a time I saved two hours, I'm now making five all in one go! Not sure if the time saving will multiply, but I quite like working each one up to the same point. It keeps you focused! Come back when I've hand sewn the 10 leather handles in place and see if I feel the same!!
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I can't resist a challenge and my bro'-in-law needed a man-bag! His beloved camouflage shorts really were past it but those lovely pockets deserved a new life! So I turned this...
into this....
And if you look carefully you can see that the seemingly random camo patterns are actually roses! There is beauty in the most unexpected places-you just have to look for it!
I had a lovely jaunt across the countryside on a gorgeous sunny spring morning, past quaint villages and bright yellow fields to Tiptree to visit the best craft and fabric shop in these parts. I chose a plain navy loose weave felted woollen fabric for its texture as well as colour and then as you see above I strayed from my brief and bought something more interesting! One appealed to my bohemian side and the other just looked sooo smart and was just the right green! I knew I had to take the risk! Can't wait to see how it all comes together! Beyond the brief but hopefully not beyond the pale...?   Fun to try different textures as well as colours: top to bottom-corduroy, velvet, hopsack, wool, linen. Leather handles and vintage buttons.
This is the chosen shape of bag. I am to marry Henry Moore's fabric designs with an accent colour to create a union that showcases mid 20th century design with a contemporary feel. They'll be high spec, with leather handles, dupion silk lining, large vintage button, exclusive Moore fabric and limited to a small number of each design produced.  Trying different textures: cord, linen and cotton. The Wayne Hemingway pattern might be a step too far! I'm beginning to gather fabrics and haberdashery together to get a feel for what might work. Virtual fabric shops are very convenient but a trip to a bricks and mortar shop is essential to get the colours just right! (What a good excuse!) I'm considering texture as well as colour so will look at some tweed types and I also have some navy handles on order. I'll reveal the star of the show (Henry Moore fabric) later!
I must say: I am going to stick with my tried and tested ways of working! The piping worked well-I made it from scratch (with my new adjustable zipper foot), but in order to have an integral zipped top, putting all the pieces together with the lining was a cross between origami and chinese water torture!
You'll have noticed from my recent Facebook and Instagram posts that I've been steadily acquiring vintage and vintage style fabrics and the more vibrant the better!  I've been trying to work up some new designs to do them credit! My first design looks fine (if you don't look too close!) but was so fiddly I can't possible do it again and stay sane! I think a square bag cross body bag is the next step...  Here's a prototype ready to be stitched. I'm trying a new method of assembly this time. usually I make the outer, then the lining and sew them together round the top, inside out and then 'give birth' to the new bag through a small gap in the lining stitching, by pulling it all through! The new method stitches the lining in as you go, I think you still have to give birth, but you end up with a completed bag inside out just to turn the right way round! Anyhow-I'll let you know how it goes - I like a new challenge!
One of my regular clients has requested a little Zippy in lilac to wear in the Springtime. She has one in black already and loves that she can wear it securely across the body and have both hands free when she's out shopping. I've made a start, shaping the corners with a little bit of hand-stitching, carefully positioning the zipped front pocket and making the long cross body strap with a vintage buckle. I've included a fiddly little loop to keep the strap in place when it's adjusted and the zip pulls inside and out are 'China Town' beads from San Francisco!
Next comes the lining-I've found just the right colours in this stripey floral cotton.
Right, all done and ready for a Spring outing or two!   Superb design from the 1950's re-visited by Sanderson recently. I have a few pieces of 'Mobiles' in several colourways, so am starting with a lovely powder blue. I'm going to team it up with a contemporary designer-no less than Red or Dead's Wayne Hemingway - who has branched out into textile design.  This one is called knotted up for obvious reasons!  The beginnings of a flapped clutch bag.
 A bright yellow vintage button completes the look!  At a later date I added a bow, which really looked a lot better!
 It evolved into an angular rather than rounded design in the end, which works better with the straight frame. I nearly dispensed with the frame as attaching a handle was proving difficult. I'm glad I persevered and the black (quadruple!) twisted cord handle complements the simple purse shape. And a red hot lining with all the usual pockets-what more can I say? Are you fiery enough to take it on?  |
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Hello, I'm Ruth Overton. My nickname as a child was 'Ruthie Toots' which is how the name Archives
November 2023
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