some shine on my shoulder

makes me happy....
Sometimes I want a purse to sit on my shoulder.....
Sometimes I want a cross-body style so I can use both hands to grab the goodies.

and I made little pouches too....but on with the show.......

So as much as I like hardware and little gadgets....

...I wanted to do something different for my line of tote bags and purses to make them adjustable.
So I did.

Instead of a metal slide thingie, I designed a different method to do the PrestO ChangeO.

It's a long strap that slides thru a sturdy loop, and then buttons...twice.
When you want a shoulder bag, unbutton, and slide the strap to the other side and rebutton....tuck the tiny bit of extra strap inside the little loop to hold it in place.

Viola!
or Wa-Laa!
I added a lot of pockets because ....we carry things, duh.
It closes with a small snippet tab and another vintage button.
Another feature I really like is....the wide 2" strap. It won't dig in as you carry things and tends to stay put better than a skinny strap........

And I used all vintage and recycled things....
And....I get to share a lot of my massive vintage button collection too.

Oh yeah, they're reversible.....and machine wash and hang to dry. Easy Peasy!!
This set is made of a road trip fabric and various vintage fabrics and lace....with faux suede and my signature swirly stitches.......

All together...this really makes me happy.
The next set of adjustable bags will be Harris tweed, woolens and lace...and always a few surprises...
Each one is unique...
and cute and sturdy...

Time to adjust

Sometimes you feel like a short bag.
Sometimes you feel like a cross-body.
Translation.....
Dilemma solved!

If  you're  hanging out, seeing the sights.....shopping for a few things, you want a bag  you can put up on your shoulder...
If you're in a casual mood, being busy.....wanting to keep your hands free...to carry coffee, to carry stuff, to look thru piles of things.....well, you  want a cross-body bag. Er, uh, tote bag.

The long strap looped thru and buttoned.

then if you choose,  pull the strap farther thru the loop and button it shorter.
I made the straps wide...so they'll feel good resting on the shoulder.

a sunny day for sewing !

I've never been completely happy with those Yawn! metal slide mechanisms that every bagmaker uses...so, as per usual for me...in addition to using fun and  unique blends of mix and match fabrics and prints.....and of course...there is a lot of recycling going on........

so, not only did I give my anything-but-boring line of tote bags/purses a sense of humor, but I invented a simple changeability feature to go to from a shoulder to a long-strap tote...using buttons...
Vintage buttons of course!

always with the vintage buttons....

This is the road map fabric, lined in a weird novelty fabric. Some in this series have ticking stripes..some have solid moire. They're lined so they have body, yet aren't completely stiff.
They can carry the daily......or even a laptop...or your electronic book....(i  Pad)

Here's a typical view of the inside....pockets....and a loop that flips over the top and buttons closed.

The other side is a recycled pair of pants with big pockets.....the better to keep things in ..my dear!
Each in the series is slightly different....yet they're all roomy and easy to take care of....made of cotton or cotton blends.......They wash and dry by machine. Yes.

The next series will be wool and wool blend tweeds, vintage lace and leather-like synthetic. They'll have a more masculine air.....but perfect for the ladies too.

There's always a bit of lace and lots of topstitching too. I make sure it's all sturdy, and I really love my signature loopy stitching at the edges.

and....tho there are lots of pockets to keep the keys handy...to stash the transit card, the lipstick, the hanky.....
I made little zipper pouch purses to go with...
these are handy for a billion things!

each is a mix and match of cute, sweet, romantic, sharp and quirky cotton and cotton blend fabrics, laces and ribbon......some have vintage metal zippers....some have vintage nylon zippers.

my label in muslin....

They're about 7" x 7" or so. They're machine wash and dry...
or hang to dry......whatev'