New embroidered bag

New embroidered bag, originally uploaded by Joey 7.

I'm sorry that I haven't posted anything for AGES! Well allsorts has happened which I could have blogged about but didn't... did my first craft fair, ran my first workshop to make origami, saw "Synecdoche, New York" (which is a great film and I still intend to post about it because of that), etc etc. I think i've got to that age where time starts to go so quickly that I just can't keep up anymore!

Anyway, enough of excuses! I finished a bag today that I'm really pleased with. I've made a few bags before of various styles, but I set out to make a very simple lined bag, although it progressively got more complex as I made it, just because I was enjoying myself so much!

I've bought a bunch of lovely souvenir tea towels that I intend to make into bags, and so I wanted to test a simple bag shape. I've seen bags like this but couldn't be bothered to get hold of a pattern so just drew out a shape I liked, then added a strip of checked fabric to the centre.

This was going to be it, finished design. But then I thought it needed something else, so stitched on a crocheted motif I'd bought in a charity shop about a year ago. Then I looked through a bag of buttons I'd bought from Craft Haven in Sheffield the other week and thought it'd be nice to have those on... but the buttons by themselves looked a bit 'lost' ,so I was going to sew simple backstitched circles around each button. However, I do like to try to broaden my embroidery repertoire, so instead I tried out various stitches from the "Stitch Dictionary" by Lucinda Ganderton.

I finished the bag off with tips and instructions gleaned from a lovely book, "Making Vintage Bags" by Emma Brennan, because she tells you how to insert the lining and insert a magnetic clasp... things I know how to do, but I prefer to have instructions there so there's less chance of me making a massive mistake! Which usually happens when I'm making bags. Like stitching the bag right side facing the wrong side, or cutting corduroy out with the nap going up instead of down... yes, silly annoying things! From what i've learnt about making bags or sewing in general, is that when there are a lot of steps involved in making the item, it helps to write it all down first, to guide you and help you remember important bits! I tend to do this because it helps me feel more confident about it and takes away the stressful feelings (yes, bag-making can be stressful!).

Now i've made it, I can't decide whether to put it on Etsy to sell, or keep it for myself! What do you think?

more pictures of the bag: http://www.flickr.com/photos/joey7/sets/72157619062739222/
See ya SOON!
Joey x