Tuesday, March 03, 2015

A Bit of Britannia in Leather

I've been needing a larger purse cosmetic bag for quite some time now -- the little zippered pouch I was using was just a tad too small for my mommy necessities (compact, chap stick, hand sanitizer, tiny hairbrush, bandaids, etc.). A "Mommy bag" was starting to seem more and more desirable, especially now that it's diaper bag season again. The obvious solution was to make one, since I have plenty of scrap everything in my stash. 

But why not have a little fun with it? As a committed Anglophile -- but one whose tastes (and husband!) do not permit the blazoning of the Union Jack all over our dwelling -- the design seemed clear. Originally I planned to make it with fabric, but the more I thought about it, the less I thought that the fabrics I have on hand would be suitable. So if not fabric, then what? Leather, of course!





I was extremely skeptical about how well the leather would work -- especially stitching multiple layers of it together for the Union Jack pattern! I've had limited success stitching leather with my sewing machine, and the prospect of doing it all by hand... not appealing, to say the least. Fortunately, I gave the machine a try. It loved the really thick stuff, and only skipped a few stitches in toto.

I even had a salvaged red purse zipper with a red pull in my stash -- and it was just the right length! The brown suede leather is from a skirt that I bought way back when for $1. It's the skirt that just keeps on giving! The tan suede is from a jacket, and the red leather is from a bag of leather scraps my husband got for free at a local saddle shop. 







The pattern was the same I used for the pouch in my makeup travel bag -- it's half of a sheet of printer paper (i.e., it's 8 1/2" by 5 1/2") with the corners rounded. The sides are 2 1/2" wide, and the whole thing uses 1/2" seam allowance. So the bag's finished dimensions are roughly 4 1/2" by 7 1/2, with 1 1/2" side gussets. I really like this shape for a cosmetic bag; it's easy to access everything, and it's quite simple to construct (the hardest parts are the curves, and making sure the gusset lines up with both sides of the bag).

Do you want a peek at the lining? Of course you do -- or, if you don't, here's one, anyway! *wink*








And here's a better view!







I found the British fabric at JoAnn's (so handy when trends coincide with my interests!), and knew it would be just the thing for the lining. So yes, technically this is not an entirely "stashed" project. But for a few dollars, I couldn't resist. Plus, I now have some of the British fabric leftover for future projects.

You may be able to tell from the picture that it's a tad shiny -- that's because I used some super thin vinyl, leftover from my Peter Rabbit table re-do, as a protective layer. I figure that I won't want to be washing this very often due to the leather outer (though yes, you *can* wash leather on a gentle cycle if you're willing to take the risk), but quilting cotton doesn't exactly repel liquids, lotions, or the other substances that might be stored inside. It gives the bag a bit of a crinkly sound, but it actually worked out much better than I anticipated. I think basting the vinyl to the fabric before stitching it did the trick. 




So there you have it -- a new "Mommy bag" that's the perfect size (probably should have checked that before I made it, but all's well that ends well), while simultaneously sating my craving for British things. A happy ending, indeed!


10 comments:

  1. Replies
    1. Thanks, Hannah! It's been so much fun to use. :-)

      Blessings,
      Shannon

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  2. Haha, so cute! I love it! Its nice to find ways to satisfy those anglophile urges without going overboard. This is perfect :) --Laura @ Quietude (on my husbands phone, too lazy too sign out of his account)

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    1. Thanks! :-) I guess the concept of decorating with another country's flag is really a bit bizarre -- somehow I doubt that there are Brits laying out American flag throw rugs in their homes, but I suppose I could be wrong! So yes, I'll stick to little projects. :-)

      Blessings,
      Shannon

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    2. Hi, I've never commented before but i stumbled accross your blog a long time ago and love your sewing skills!

      Couldn't resist letting you know that there are lots of Brits who have American flags on things! But I didn't know there was many Americans who liked the Union Jack!

      Kathy
      A British Blog Admirer

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    3. Kathy,

      Thanks ever so much for stopping by, and for your kind words! And I can't tell you what a relief it is as an American to know that we're not the only ones with the "flag thing." I was a bit worried that it was one of those obnoxious American things. :-) The Union Jack is actually quite trendy in the States (as are many other British things), perhaps as a result of all the royal wedding/babies excitement and the 2012 Olympics?

      Anyway, thanks again for your comment -- it's always a treat to "meet" a reader!

      Blessings,
      Shannon

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  3. Everything about this is awesome! One day I need you to post about how to fit in sewing with littles. I only have one and still rarely manage to sit at my machine for more than a few seconds. I get distracted by the need to "organize" the craft room and then nap is over. :-/

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    1. Thank you for your kind words! :-) It was really a fun project -- much more enjoyable than I was anticipating.

      I've actually been thinking about doing a post on sewing with littles -- I addressed it in this post: http://thoughtsandthimbles.blogspot.com/2013/10/creative-spaces-finding-time.html But I think it might be time for a new post!

      Blessings,
      Shannon

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