A bag for me, and a bag for...........??

Welcome all you lovely lovelies, to my little place♥ Before I begin the begin, let me say a BIG thank you for all the sweet visits and comments you gifted me throughout this past week. Truly, I have danced on tippy toes this week, smiling at the generosity of you ladies.....thank you❣ Now, I have placed in a hat, all the names of the ladies who thought they might like to give my little purple and green, boho bag a home. My good husband dived his hand in and drew out...............the lovely Marion!! Congratulations to you, Marion....I hope you will love it!! I have emailed you, so if you could return email me your address that would be lovely. I will pop the bag in the post towards the end of this coming week when I go to town, and it will wing it's way to you♥

While we are chatting about pretty bags, let me show you a bag I designed and fashioned for me, this past week. I am going away for a little holiday in a few weeks and as it has been two years since I fashioned a bag for moi, I thought a new one might be spiffy. Besides, my little home-made pretty that was slung over my shoulder whilst walking around the streets of San Fransisco and New York two years ago, is a little worse for wear, so a new carryall is a must.

As always, I gathered together a muddly mess of fripperies that I thought could work for a bag in navy tones. Navy blue will be great for winter which will show it's ugly head in my not too distant future. I never use all that I gather but to make it up as I go along I need to have more than is really needed.

I cut out a sweet piece from a toile de juoy fabric I've had for yonks and stitched it to the navy blue upholstery fabric. Then I just played, really. Twirling and twirling ribbons into roses, ruching ribbon into a flower, then just simply scattering a vintage doily here and a leaf or two there. I trailed a length of blue, french wire ribbon along the edge of the toile print cinching it with a stitch here and there as  I went along, enticing a vintage buckle into its folds. There is a touch of  New York, too. When in New York, I visited Moods Fabrics and gathered together lengths and lengths of pretty ribbons to bring home with me. The length of blue ribbon with the doily print on it, I think, is a lovely touch at the bottom of the bag.

I really only ever play and fashion an arrangement which is pleasing to my eye. It truly is the loveliest way to spend a day....or two. When I fashion a bag there is always a lot of slow hand stitching involved, which I love. The careful placement and the stitching of each pretty can take a while but is always well worth the effort when the last hand stitch has been stitched. With each bag I fashion, after all the hand stitching is done, I then machine stitch the bag together;  then the lining is stitched together and affixed to the bag.....adding fringing or some other adornment to the top, also clipping the strap on. The lining for this pretty is a pretty blue and white floral cotton, rather reminiscent of a french floral theme. Of late I have been buying 'cheap as chips' bags from the op shop, in order to acquire the straps and whatever other hardware elements that I can re-use. I find this quicker and cheaper as when I make the strap, the hardware must be purchased as well, which at times can be costly.

Designing and stitching bags is always fun for me. I am forever thankful that I need only step into my sunny, sewing room and unearth pretty fabric, trims and other sweet fripperies in the designing, embellishing and stitching of my bags; or anything else for that matter. Diving deep into suitcase after suitcase of pretties that I have amassed over the years is always exciting, as I never know quite what I will re-discover. If I were to purchase today, all the bits and bobs I need to fashion a bag, I would hate to think of what it would cost me. There is always the perfect adornment for whatever bag I fashion, just waiting for me. I don't think I have purchased a bag from a store for a very, very long time; years in fact. With just a little imagination and my 'Aladdin's cave' overspilling with gorgeous pretties, one can whip up anything....well almost. I love that I am not beholden to what stores deem what's in and what's not.

Thank you, for popping by and reading about the fashioning of my little navy bag. The fashioning of a unique bag is always fun. Why, it gives me the freedom to have a different carryall for a different outfit (and believe me....I do). I am not that gal that has one bag for all occasions. I cannot wait till I make another; why the imagination is already colliding with pretty nothings. 'Tis Saturday evening here...Sunday tomorrow but as I will be out and about all day there will be no time for a little hand stitching......pity. Anyway...........enough of this nonsense; may you all enjoy a beautiful day, sprinkled with a little beauty♥

Until the next time......................