Vintage Cherry

I finally finished this very special handbag at the weekend! Why is it special? Well, for one, it took me ages to work up the courage to cut the Belgian vintage fabric! When I spotted it years ago I immediately fell in love with the discreet all-over rose pattern and the soft taupe colour (the photo doesn't do justice to the colour). The fabric is a cotton/linen mix, which I washed on delicate cycle prior to cutting. Second, I was looking for a fresh print to match it up with and finally settled on this cherry fabric by Sandi Henderson. I'm glad I could also finally make use of the oversized button I'd saved. Third, I spent ages working out the neat pleats at the top. And finally, it's special...because this bag is for me! Yes! I've been wanting to make a bag for myself for the spring/summer season for ages. And it had to be fairly large. This bag is quite roomy with the bottom width measuring approx. 40cm (16 inches). I made up the lining from the rest of the rose fabric and added a pink/white polka dot fully lined pocket inside. The entire bag is stabilized with interfacing. Well, now that I've got that done I can continue working on bags for my shop! Oh, and a quick note to Entrecard advertisers: I've got so many of you lined up - please give my non-paying Entrecard bloggers a chance on my widget too!

The bucket bag

This handbag is very simple yet elegant. It is made from heather grey/muted moss coloured suede with a contrasting floral stripe down the middle. The suede is stabilized to make the bag stand upright on its own. It is fully lined in dark green on the inside with two suede pockets and closes with a zip. The handles are kept short, so you may carry the bag ladylike over your arm! Embellished with taupe buttons and my signature little gold heart. My hubby declared this bag to be his favourite! When handling/sewing suede keep in mind that you can only iron the reverse side, and only on a silk setting. While sewing, the suede fabric doesn't move smoothly, yet the reverse side is quite slippery, so sew s-l-o-w-l-y. The handles on this bag were particularly tricky to sew, and I had to hold down and gently push the fabric strips along. I was so glad when they were done! Sometimes I wish I had four hands!