Wednesday, April 25, 2012

Vintage Messenger bag

 Vintage messenger bag, 1/2 the size of the regular bag. Not too big, not too small. Used vintage fabric with fringe. Used beaded cording from an old top I had to rim the edge of the flap.
 On front flap sewed beads in haphazard design, took apart earrings to sew in random placement. Used needle nosed pliers to bend the backs of earrings that I shoved through all thicknesses.....works great.
 Side view...bag is light weight..fairly thin.
Detail of fringe and flap. will have to make some more with vintage style fabric...

Saturday, April 14, 2012

Antiqued Amish Rail Fence

 When babies come along, everyone seems to make pink and blue and yellow or white or something klike that. I've been reading a lot about the Amish and their quilts and thought it would be neat to make a destressed rail fence in traditional colours. Easy pattern that you can twist and turn, any which way, into desired patterns. Then I took the back fabric and the finished quilt top and stuffed them into a vat of scalding hot tea, let it soak for an hour or so, rinsed ,  dried, ironed, put it with the filler, pinned it up , and was ready to sew up. I used a swag stitch to do the stitching, mimicing the rail fence idea as it made a pattern of fence bars on the border. Easy. Then added a binding in green to offset the antiqued fabrci. Took about a week to do. It's too big to be a baby quilt, and just right to be a lap quilt. 
Decided to add a nice "label" to the back. I have packages of stamped squares that you can embroider , in whatever colours you choose....so used this wedding ring square and added  the year and their names. I hope Christine and her husband like it. I know I love the Amish quilts....

Wednesday, April 4, 2012

Gothic Diaper Bag

Diaper bags. Usually they are in blue, or pink , or yellow, with little bears, stars or assorted barnyard critters.  Why not a diaper bag that is more gothic? Why not have fringes, beads, coins, leather, assorted velvets, with filled and lined pockets inside and out........Finally found the right person to give this to. She was delighted with it, and loved the coins dingling away on the front. and it was not too big and not too small, she said.....just right. Hurray! Every bag has its home....