new patchwork bag with carpet-fabric

I have been on a creative hiatus recently because of a much anticipated wisdom tooth removal surgery. I'm glad that's over, and the brain fog that kept me from doing much of anything but laying around with my eyes closed. I did think of a lot of great projects while in the fog, though. Soon enough I will be without the time or place to sew like I have been so I want to do as much sewing as I can in the month of April.

This bag is one I have been working on for the past couple of weeks. It has not been my favorite piece to work on. First, the sewing machine began to work improperly. I am a sewing machine novice, really, and am slowly learning what all of the knobs mean and how they work together. The stitches were coming out too loose and when experimenting with the patch working, I was having to go over the same place several times to ensure it was tight enough. Eventually, with enough trouble shooting, I found the problem. I went back yet again and fixed a few things I didn't find appealing.

I featured a few 'in progress' pictures this time. You can see what the fabrics looked like before I sewed them and seamed them. It was a little difficult this time with all of the varied lengths and folds, but I managed to create a seam at the top of the purse with a beautiful cotton blue fabric. It did not turn out as neat as I had wanted but it is still structurally sound. I went back and handstiched small places that i wanted to be more secure.

I used a beautiful olive green vintage silk in

this bag. The pictures don't do it justice. I pinned a scrap of it and did beading in the right corner. I also added ribbon and buttons to this bag both on the body and the strap. I hand knitted the strap a little short given my last purse's strap was too long. It will stretch out when worn and items are put in the bag.

I decided to use thicker carpet-like fabrics this time with the olive green silk. Many of them came from my vintage fabric lot, but one on the back came from a thrift store in Norfolk, Va. It was a bright decorative pillow case that I cut up to use for projects. The light blue two pocket interior is of a light blue cotton sheet set that I also thrifted in Norfolk, Va.

I'll add another picture or two soon that really captures more of the whole bag. These pictures are great but don't do the full body justice.