Sidetracked....

A few weeks ago I was having a browse in a curtain fabric shop in Bristol. Now I know I don't need any more fabric but it never hurts to have a look.... anyway, I got chatting to the lady who owns the shop and I was telling her about the sewing I do for Combat Stress using remnants and whatever I can get hold of to make things to sell to raise money. To cut a long story short she gave me a huge bag of stuff she was trying to get the rag merchants to take without success. It was literally a real mixed bag and there was this piece of sheer, chiffon type of fabric included. I was going to throw it away but today, I was getting on with my shed spring clean and found this black hessian...

Now I bought this as many years ago when I started the rug I posted about last week (and yes, I have done some already, so I'm still going strong...) and I got to thinking about laying a sheer fabric on top of it and making a bag using the two fabrics together. I thought the bag could be unlined being hessian but I forgot the issue of fraying so had to abandon this idea and eventually put a black poly cotton lining in it. I turned the hessian over at the top to capture the chiffon and found a couple of pink strips in the bag she gave me, so, made these handles too, which I had to attach to the outside. It didn't turn out too bad and might be an idea worth revisiting with a large chiffon scarf and some natural coloured hessian maybe?

As the sewing machine was on the table I decided to finish the second bag cobbled together from the man's jacket from the charity shop. I used the two fronts, stitched the pockets together and added a long handle and the last few roses from the trim I bought. I really enjoyed trying to recycle this jacket into something else, but I'd started the day with a mission to get on with my clear out and got sidetracked on the way, so I went back to my original task....

I found a couple of collaged books I am now inspired to finish, a large piece of handmade felt that I made to produce a carpet bag with... and this little chap....

I made him a few years ago from handmade felt and I needled mohair locks from a friend's angora goats into one side to make him all fluffy. I used to use it as a sample in felt making workshops but no-one was ever inspired enough to make one of their own after realising how long it might take. I'd forgotten all about him and found him at the bottom of a crate. Of course then I got sidetracked rummaging through more old projects.... the shed is still a mess and I need more hours in the day!