Sometimes I have these ideas in my head that need to be born so bad that I can hardly see straight. They get to the point where they're going to get out come hell or high water and I become just the helpless instrument of their doing. So, despite the fact that I am knee deep in MOOPocket parts and working madly to try to keep up, I just had to take a break and make something else.

This, friends, is why you didn't hear from me yesterday:



A new summer bag (anxiously awaiting handles)!! I'm so pleased with how it came out, which is great because I actually made this one as a prototype for one I really want to make out of some Amy Butler fabric I've had tucked away in my stash. Not that I don't love this colorway of the Alexander Henry Mocca a ton (I have it in the eggplant colorway as well), but I originally bought it thinking it would be nice for something home dec-ish so turning it into a handbag was a bit of a detour whereas the Amy Butler Kashmir pattern screamed handbag from the get go, as do most all of her prints (every one of which I completely covet, btw).
But now I think it's going to be a hard fought game for which bag will get top billing (assuming I can find the time and get around to making the other one), because I just lovelovelove this one to bits already.

I am definitely a tailored handbag kind of girl, and I looked and looked and just couldn't find a pattern that was perfectly the size and shape and functionality that I wanted, so I designed my own. Plus it bugs me to pay $12 or $13 for a pattern that's basically just some shape templates and instructions, because I don't really need that and I can usually come up with a better construction method than the directions say anyway. Anyway, I made this one nice and firm and structured and as soon as my missing hardware arrives, I'm going to give it two sturdy red handles that are just long enough to be thrown over a shoulder or not.

Because sometimes...a lot, actually...what a girl really needs is a new handbag.

P.S. If anyone can recommend a good stiff fusible interfacting similar to Pellon Craft Fuse, only with an adhesive that actually sticks and stays stuck, I'd appreaciate the heads up.

Labels: sewing crafting handbag