Hello lovely lovelies♡ I am beaming a little sunshine and flowery loveliness from my little summery place to you♡ How are you, in your little corner of the world?? I wonder, are you all busy, busy, busy for the upcoming season of Goodwill to All Men?? Here, way down at the bottom of the world, I am not. Those decorations still sit waiting, waiting, waiting.....for me to deck out the Christmas tree in all its glory. Had better get a move on. Perhaps this week?? I forever live in hope. =)
I have finished my little bag, though. Goodness me, it was a bit of a pain. Just a bit of a drama. Never in the annals of the 'Kim Sharman History of Fashioning Bags' have I ever, ever had so much trouble with one, little, insignificant bag. Oh, the playing with dancing ribbon and the embellishing of said bag with velvet flowers, doilies, and vintage buckles and jewels went along swimmingly. Loved it all, actually. It's the finishing of said bag, where the 'wheels fell off'. Sometimes, my head is never where it should be. I have fashioned so many bags that I can almost make them in my sleep. I really, really could. Not so this time. For some reason the bag's bottom was all out of proportion (much like mine, actually.....but I really, really don't want to go the there....). This fact, which didn't really become totally obvious (though I did have an inkling) until the very last stitch had been stitched and the fringing was well and truly attached to the bottom of the bag. The fringing was SO attached, that with the strength of Hercules I had to rip it off; because when I sew a bag there are always many many tiny, impossible-to-unpick-stitches. Well...any bag of mine gets a good and thorough workout, so the stitching has to last. So, with shears in hand I cut the whole blasted, box-cornered bottom off. Alas, there are no happy snaps to show you of my little bag's unsightly bottom, nor indeed of maniacal and frenzied me with those deadly shears hacking away, as I was intent on fixing the darn said bag, with not a thought of recording all the ugliness for history; or for you. Besides, it was in the dead of night when the carnage happened, as I simply could not go to bed until all was fixed. I know, I know....so dramatic, but then, at times (some would say all the time) I am a bit of a drama queen. =)
But......there are happy snaps of my 'la-di-da' little bag, all fixed; with new fabric on the bottom and new fringing affixed. All evidence of the destruction of the hideous bag's bottom is no more. For the lining I chose a pretty fabric from my stash, which complemented the colours in the bag, and I sewed a vintage jewel onto the tab in order to fasten the bag. I resurrected the strap from an op (thrift) shop bag. I often buy old, unwanted bags which are selling for a song, just for the hardware. Care to have a bo-peep of my little bag??
It is very early Sunday morning here and both my good husband and my good self will be in and out of the car all day, as he is speaking at a few church services; arriving home later this evening, just in time for Kathy's party. =) With no hand sewing in the works, I think I will happily knit away on my woolly jacket as the countryside speeds by. A 330 kilometres round trip, so lots of time to enjoy a little knitting. Love driving through the countryside of my little world♡ Oh.....and I will have my la-di-da little bag swung over my shoulder throughout the day. Gotta go; my ride is waiting. Thank you for stopping by my little place♡ Sending you a basket of sweet, fragrant roses, sprinkled with a little love, this fine day♡ May the ordinary everyday of your week be sprinkled with the extraordinary♡ Take care, lovely lovelies♡
Until the next time........
Stunning little bag, I'm sorry it was difficult to get fixed. But, well worth the extra effort.
ReplyDeleteToda una historia Kim con el fondo del bolso.... cuando algo que dominamos sale por cualquier motivo, es como superar un reto ¡¡¡tenemos que arreglarlo ya!!! para quedarnos tranquilas... si es que a veces la costura nos quita el sueño.
ReplyDeleteNo sé como se traducirá ésta frase popular de mi país que dice así:
HACER Y DESHACER TODO ES QUEHACER
Disfruta mucho de tu preciosísimo bolso y BESICOS.
What a lovely finish to your little needlepoint bag--I love that clasp/pin fastener--just perfect...enjoy your knitting journey hugs, Julierose
ReplyDeleteWell even if she was challenging the finished bag is beautiful. Enjoy your countryside drive.
ReplyDeleteAs they say, all’s well that ends well. It looks perfect and only you will remember the nightmare you had with it.
ReplyDeleteGorgeous bag, Kim ! Love the details and the brooch ;)
ReplyDeleteHave fun with your trip in the countryside !
Have a nice week !
Anna
Oh no I feel your pain Kim! I think we've all done it though......not that makes it any less annoying. But the finished bag is a beauty.
ReplyDeleteSuch a lovely bag and a useful size I can see. Gorgeous brooch to finish the tab. Such a shame when you have to start chopping things around but you got there. Hope you had a lovely day riding through the countryside with your knitting. Your gorgeous photographs are very welcome here to brighten my day - it is grey, grim and damp here! xx
ReplyDeleteThank you♡ I have quite a few gorgeous brooches in readiness for a pretty bag or two. I love adding jewels such as this one to a bag. 'Tis a blasted shame to have to chop and 'hack' something you are making to fix things up a bit, but this time all is well. It is not always so. =) I had a lovely day gallivanting around the countryside with my knitting. My day passed by much too quickly. Alas, my knitting didn't seem to grow much, though. =) Thank you for your beautiful visit and comments. You have delighted my day. Kim Xx
DeleteAnd here I thought you were mild mannered! I am also a perfectionist and like things to turn out the way I envision them! Your bag is pretty…I’m glad you were able to fix its rear end problems! Hope you had a wonderful drive through the countryside.
ReplyDeleteI am happy you didn't give up of making it, it is adorable! Hugs and blessings.
ReplyDeleteOh, I was never going to give up making my little bag, Maristella. =) I can be one determined gal, when push comes to shove. Thank you for your sweet visit. I am glad you like my little bag. I rather love it, too. Kim Xx
DeleteI love your bag - so many fun details to look at! I'm sorry it caused you some grief, but glad you pushed through that. Hope you had a lovely drive through the countryside today, and had time for some slow stitching!
ReplyDeleteThis post made me smile. I am glad you managed to resolve the problems with your bag's bottom and will now be able to put it to use.
ReplyDeleteWhat a lovely and unique bag you now have. It might have been a struggle, but so worth it! When hubby and I were redoing a number of thrift store dining room chairs, the needlepoint covers were taken off and mailed off to a friend as she likes to make unique items too. It is always interesting to see what others do with those type of gems.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the roses but it is the geraniums that caught and kept my eye. Yours are doing so well and of course, mine will limp a bit with our winter sunless days. However, being geraniums, they will survive. Yes, of course, I love the bag featuring everything I love. Enjoy your knitting while being driven through the countryside!
ReplyDeleteWay to persevere! The bag is gorgeous!
ReplyDeleteThe bag is beautiful and it looks so innocent who would have thought it had caused you so much trouble, I think you must have lots of patience I would have pushed it right to the bottom of my basket and there it would reside awaiting attention for ever and a day haha. I hope that you enjoyed your drive. xx
ReplyDeleteYour bag is amazing! Beautifully decorated and especially nice was the beautiful brooch! I love seeing the beautiful photos you share. Thank you! Enjoy your trip today!
ReplyDeleteOWO Kim, it is a gorgeous bag, It worth all the stitches and work to fix it, it is a work of art. Hope you had a wonderful trip on your countryside, enjoying the view and knitting. Have a great week.
ReplyDeleteWell... It is sure worth every bit of that struggle, Kim :) The result is just awesome! Love all those gorgeous embroideries too.
ReplyDeleteThank you for the beautiful pictures, it was interesting to see the work in details.
....and what a struggle it turned out to be, Alina. =) Thankfully, all is well with my little bag-world now. I am thinking of fashioning a few more pretty bags, though hopefully my shears will not be called upon. =) It is always a delight when you visit my little place. Thank you for your beautiful comment, dear lady♡
DeleteYour little bag is so beautiful, Kim. I have never thought of buying bags from the thrift shop for their hardware and pieces - very clever. Have a beautiful week, my friend and enjoy decorating for Christmas.
ReplyDeleteI just love your little bag! Did you make the needlepoint piece? What a darling face to greet people. You do have a way with ribbons!
ReplyDeleteYour new bag turned out just beautiful Kim ... I love every single thing about it. I am sorry to read it was such a struggle for you to get the bottom just right. I hope you had a wonderful drive around your beautiful country side. xx
ReplyDeleteOh my, so sorry to hear you had such troubles with your bag, oh I would have had to let it go and finish when it was more rested in the morning :) I so love all the pretty lacey embellishing, along with the lovely piece of jewelry at the top and such lovely fabric for the inside too! That is some very special trim along the bottom too, I bet you had a lot of remarks on it all throughout the day!
ReplyDeleteDespite the frustrating problems your bag turned out beautifully. I think it is gorgeous!
ReplyDeleteIt is a beautiful bag. Well worth the effort!
ReplyDeleteLovely finish with your new bag Kim. I have trouble embellishing items
ReplyDeleteHi Kim
ReplyDeleteSo love your bag Kim it is so unusual. Sorry you had trouble with it, but now you can carry it with pride. Hope you have a good time travelling around.
Best wishes Kay c XX
Thank you, lovely Kay. Yes, I don't suppose there are many bags around quite like this one. That's why I love to fashion bags embellished with all types of pretties...each one is an original. =) I really enjoy making unique, one-of-a-kind bags. I had the best time travelling through the beautiful countryside. There is always a glorious view just around the bend. Hope you enjoy a fabulous week, Kay. Thank you for delighting my day with your lovely visit. Kim Xx
DeleteI love your bag, Kim! Wouldn't it be nice if we could all have a seamstress so invested in reconstructive surgery for us?!
ReplyDeleteSo glad you got your bag figures out! Enjoy your wintery weather: so much better than ours is here!
ReplyDeleteI can't believe your darling little bag had the temerity to misbehave, but you persevered to show it who is boss. I like bags that size as larger bags attract too much stuff. It's good to see that your ride about the countryside restored your positive outlook.
ReplyDeletePat
That bag was trying to get the better of you. And I know why. Because, as you say, you have made many of these bags before, but this little bag thinks it is more special than those earlier ones and was trying to teach you a lesson. But you showed it, out with the scissors and chop chop! Such a pretty little bag, and I think it will behave now and enjoy accompanying you on your trips and visits.
ReplyDeleteI so understand. Sometimes the things we spend the most time on can fool the eye. I see it with denim clothing looking very fun!
ReplyDeleteYour new bag looks terrific, I love it! It was quite a fight between you two, but you were stronger than it, and it's a beautiful win ;) Enjoy the pretty summer flowers! Hugs
ReplyDeleteWow - it really fought you! It looks terrific - I'm glad you persevered in the end.
ReplyDeleteOh my, Kim, your bag was worth every bit of staying up late to make it right!!! How darling it turned out. I know you’re pleased. Thank you for sharing your lovely creation with us. 🥰
ReplyDeleteLove your beautiful blue girl bag and the idea of using a vintage jewel to hold the clasp down fantastic,maybe something I can do with a beautiful marcisite broach with only half a clasp.do hope you have a wonderful Christmas.If you don’t get the ornaments up,there is always next year and they will all feel extra special then.enjoy Christmas
ReplyDeleteThank you, Elizabeth. May you have a wonderful Christmas, too. I am sprinkling a little Christmas around the place, today. Thank you for visiting me throughout this year and sprinkling delight into my days. Kim Xx
DeleteNo need to worry about those pics..."my (little bag's) unsightly bottom" is well left to memories and with no tell-tale pics to remind one of the frustrations! Actually, 'my unsightly bottom' 😊 was worth every penny. Our family Christmas was this past weekend and it was lovely. Seemed a bit less stressful than usual but perhaps that's because the kids are all more grown-up. Our youngest if 6, BTW! I'm sure you enjoyed that skittering about that you did with Pete on Sunday. Does he just 'wing it' or does he actually have a plan and does he do a different one for each church? Thank you for the basket of roses and the love - hope your week has been good to you.
ReplyDeleteKim - it you hadn't told us, we would never have known that you had problems with this lovely little bag ... I usually enjoy stitching on car rides as well, but with the shorter daylight hours, it is often too dark to do so!
ReplyDeleteI have tears in my eyes reading this. You are much, much more patient than I am, Kim! After all that carnage how could you go to bed without doing some more amount of victory hacking. Who would have thought that behind all the beauty, the bag is so deceptive. It is beautiful :D
ReplyDelete-Soma
Gorgeous bag Kim, it has turned out just perfect after the struggles, Happy Christmas.
ReplyDeleteWhat a pity that you are having trouble with the little bag, but it turned out to be extremely beautiful.
ReplyDeleteIt is a bag like only YOU can make with beautiful details, such as the brooch. It seems addictive to me once you get started. The bags you have made are all works of art.
Thank you so much, lovely Loes. My bags do seem to be embellished to within an inch of their lives. =) You always bless my day when you visit my little place. Your lovely words always sprinkle delight into my day. Kim Xx
DeleteIt is lovely perfection, dear Kim and worth all the trouble. Sweet as a summer day and oh, how I wish it was summer! So pretty amongst the flowers, too. Wishing you a lovely Christmas full of peace and lots of love. Sending hugs xo Karen
ReplyDeleteWell, your lovely bag will tell no secrets. It is another work of art! No one could tell it was so uncooperative and persnickety at its inception. I'm glad you fixed it to your liking as you would never have been happy with it otherwise. I am sorry I'm so slow in my blog reading. These last two weeks have been busy and the rest of the week will be too. I hope you get your tree decorated for Christmas and enjoy a very blessed holiday with your sweet hubby! Zenda
ReplyDeleteMethinks your wee bag was giving you fits simply because it wasn't happy...no reflection on your stitching abilities whatsoever. I've always maintained that dolls have a mind of their own and will fight you every step of the way if you're not listening to them, so why not bags too? Having said that, the solution that you (and the bag!) came up with is perfect. You will enjoy using it I'm sure and I'll bet there will be tons of compliments.
ReplyDelete