Tag: fringe

Something Old Something New – Festival Bag Upcycle

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I’m a fan of fashion.  But as a mom (and as a work-at-home one,) there isn’t much motivation to step past the yoga pants and a clean (smelling) tee most days.  I do admit, when I can get my act together, it does make me feel good to step out of my slip-on Vans.  Now that both my kids are in school,  I’ve been making a conscientious effort to bring my fashion game back – nothing crazy, but pulled together looks using cues from today’s trends.  Like Boho.

I love the relaxed (aka loose fitting) style of Bohemian fashion.  I grew up near the Philadelphia Folk Festival so I saw a lot of 70’s hippie clothes and I love the laid back vibe.  Pair that with my urban life in the city for 10+ years and the result is this “Festival Bag.”  It’s an edgier take on Boho with the dark floral, leather and antique brass hardware.

When RJR Fabrics asked me to work with some of their new fabrics, this Reverie line pretty much blew my mind.  I tend to work with more graphic prints, but the photo-realistic imagery in these Digiprints are amazing.  The best part, is that these fabrics feel JUST like their other high quality quilt cottons so you know you are working with the good stuff.

This Floral Fantasy print with the the dark background is just gorgeous. I love the style contrast of soft flowers with the intense black (which is how I like to mix up my own closet.)  I like combining hard elements with something very soft and feminine. I also like a mix of textures. So this soft quilt cotton HAD to be paired with some leather and lots of hardware, right?

My mom knew I was upcycling old leather coats and gave me this great long duster about a year ago. I’m happy to finally use it.  This coat is such a great upcycle coat because of its size and the design. Too bad the shape…errr…lack of….just doesn’t work now. There are so many large pieces of leather to use in any project.  I used about 70% of this coat and I might use the rest on a future clutch…

The larger pieces were all cut into 1/4″ fringe and double-layered all around the bag. Fringe is one of my favorite things in a bag.  It’s so much fun to walk and feel the swing of the leather. The pieces add movement and life to everyday running around.

More leather was added to the top flap and I saved all the scraps. They are great to use in zipper pulls and bag charms. You can see I made some tassels and added lots of rivets. I also used my Silhouette Cameo to cut out my intials. Long skinny scraps can be turned into beautiful braids like this one as well.

On the inside of the bag, there is more Reverie with the Mirage in Bloom print. It is the perfect complement to this style bag. It is a mottled floral which gives a very contemporary feel with the more muted tones.

With spring music festivals in the news, I decided to make the bag strap differently than I usually would. Taking inspiration from the bands themselves, I modeled the strap after guitar ones. The leather strap is about 1 1/2″ wide with Floral Fantasy on top and another layer of leather all stitched in place with added rivet accents.

I am so in love with how this strap and bag turned out. I can’t wait to “rock” it all summer long.

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Bohemian Fringe Cross-Body Bag


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If you haven’t noticed already, I’ve been really getting into bag-making.  I’ve used leather (both faux and real) and now I get to add some suede into the repertoire.  Ever since I got to play with Bound Fabrics for Spring Quilt Market, I’ve had my eye on this Macrame print.  I’ve been meaning  to make a bag with it ever since the line came out, but you know how selfish projects just get pushed to the side for others…  When Art Gallery Fabrics announced a Bound Fabric Bag Challenge, I knew it was my time to finally make my purse!

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I was inspired by a bag I saw in Banana Republic.  It had the fun fringe on the side and was a generous size for a mama-on-the-go.  The only thing it lacked was an interesting print to make it really pop.  April Rhodes‘ Bound Fabrics were the perfect options for this style of bag.  She creates optimal Bohemian Chic designs.

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Initially, I wanted a lighter camel colored leather for the fringe and strap.  I stopped by Tandy Leather here in Columbus to see if they could help.  It turned out large pieces of suede were on sale that day and how could I beat $20 for the skin?  I could have easily spent way more on the idea I had in my head.  It’s good to be flexible and I am SO happy with the results!

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For the construction of the bag, I use Pellon Thermolam and SF-101 to give some structure, but still allow for that slouchy-relaxed look that comes with Boho style.  For the interior, I used Diamond Cloth Cereus and added a nice big pocket with a brass zipper.  Although they are not as smooth as plastic zippers, I just cannot pass the opportunity of using a beautiful brass one.

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On the other side of the interior, I added a small pocket for my smart phone and an extra pocket for all the other small knick-knacks I bury in my purses.  I’ve learned that I need the phone pocket most of all in bags….especially since I like these over-sized styles.  ‘Having this one tiny feature alleviates a lot of headaches trying to find my “life-line!”

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All of the hardware is from Emmaline Bags and adding the rivets were not as difficult as I thought they would be.  It’s important to have a good leather punch and the right anvils for the job.  The guys at Tandy Leather helped me get set with the right supplies.

Like with my Cargo Duffle, I used Gutterman Top-Stitch thread to make my straps.  I just love that  professional look of the thicker thread.  It takes time to work out the tension, but worth it in the end!

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If you get the chance, can you please help me with the Bound Challenge?  You can head over to Art Gallery’s Pinterest board here.  If you “heart” my post, I will earn a point and then if you “re-pin” it, I will earn an additional point.  Please make sure you do so through Art Gallery’s board so the “hearts” and “re-pins” are recorded.  ***Update: Contest is over*** Thank you so much to all who voted!!!!

The prizes will help me keep a stock of fabric and notions so my projects and posts can keep coming to you 🙂  And you know I like to giveaway too…..

Crossing my fingers (and zippers!)

Cristy

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