My mom, and a blue and red bag

Ever since I was a little girl, I’ve been making things. I remember being ill, lying on the couch, with a hook and some yarn, making clothes for my barbie doll. My mom wasn’t really handy with fabric or yarn, so I had to learn it all just by doing it. But she was very encouraging. So whenever I got stuck, she went to the library to get me a book with tutorials, or she asked a neighbour for help. She really was always trying to help me and she always helped to find the right materials. When I first started sewing clothes, she was the first to ask for a skirt or a blouse. And even the garments which didn’t turn out so great, she wore with pride, not only at home, but even to a wedding!  Looking back on that, I realize that as a parent, you don’t need to have a certain skill yourself, to be able to encourage your children to do whatever they choose to. And that is a lot of help, having two boys, while I grew up in a girl’s family.

Wow! Today I wanted to tell you about my latest finish, and somehow I started telling you about what a great mom I have. Funny, how something like that happens.

So, about my latest finish. Again it is a bag. As I already told a friend, it seems like I’m in some kind of bag-making-mood. I really loved making my yellow bag, so I decided to make another one, with the same shape/pattern. This time I used different kinds of fabric; wool, cotton and velvet. The fabric I started with is a woven, woolen, striped fabric. To go with it I found a blue velvet and a red woolen fabric.

I started with embroidery for the front panel.

 

Then I assembled the outer bag. As you can see, the colours of the striped fabric are also used for the embroidery.

For the bag itself I used black ribbon for the binding, but that didn’t work for the panel. I was over in the haberdashery shop for more then one hour, before I found the perfect solution. A bright, yellow-green ribbon. I love it!

Red roses for the back, with a few little butterflies and a cute parakeet.

And of course a few pockets inside. The strap is made of black velvet and adjustable. Again, I learned a few new techniques, like sewing the green ribbon between the front and lining of the front panel.

 

Groetjes, Dorien