Road trip...

a sunny day for sewing !

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.

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 set of tote bags I'm working on are Bike bags...tie ons for the handle bars, or they can be tied on a belt 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'

Hey Harris, you're Scotch!

I finished the second Harris Tweed purse..tote bag. finally. stupid holidays!

Now that all the frivolity is out of the way...I'm back to sewing and general trouble making. The normal.

A fine collaboration combining  funkomavintage and thatyountville girl...........
This is another of my commitment to living the Vintage Life. To re-use and recycle. To spread the gospel of Heritage, of Quality, of more natural fibers, and to honor small industry like The Harris Tweed industry.

I can't decide if the lacy side or the pocket side is the front. Oh well. I'll leave that up to the owners...the lucky giftees, and the lucky buyer.  I love the lace and the tweed together....Very Miss Marple, no?

I had to add fabric to make it measure 16" across....that way it is roomy enough to hold an iPad or Kindle, whatever they are.

Look! the pocket is a pocket.

Inside, the lining is a strong cotton upholstery fabric in an old-fashioned floral. It buttons closed with a little flap...Oh did I mention that the button is one of the 2 original buttons that used to close the Jacket? well, yes.

I really agonized over "What to do about including a Harris Tweed label?"
Well, I have a printing press...so I just duplicated the original label and sewed a copy on the bag.
I was Mortified! when I first cut the jackets crosswise across the middles. aarrgggh!

I learned a lot while designing them and making them, and the next ones will be only slightly different. 

Clicky here to go see it at  thatyountvillegirl on etsy.

A short history of Harris Tweed......


from good ol' wikipedia....
Harris Tweed (Clò Mór or Clò na Hearadh in Gaelic) is a luxury cloth that has been handwoven by the islanders on the Isles of Harris, Lewis, Uist and Barra in the Outer Hebrides of Scotland, using local wool.

Traditional Harris Tweed was characterized by subtle flecks of colour achieved through the use of vegetable dyes, including the lichen dyes called "crottle" (Parmelia saxatilis and Parmelia omphalodes which give deep red- or purple-brown and rusty orange respectively). These lichens are the origin of the distinctive scent of older Harris Tweed.

About 1830, a London merchant received a letter from a Hawick firm about some tweels. The London merchant misinterpreted the handwriting, understanding it to be a trade-name taken from the river Tweed that flows through the Scottish Borders textile area. Subsequently the goods were advertised as Tweed, and the name has remained ever since.

With the industrial revolution the Scottish mainland turned to mechanisation, but the Outer Hebrides retained their traditional processes of manufacturing cloth. Until the middle of the 19th century the cloth was only produced for personal use within the local market. It was not until between 1903 and 1906 that the tweed-making industry in Lewis significantly expanded. Production increased until the peak figure of 7.6 million yards was reached in 1966. However the Harris Tweed industry declined along with textile industries in the rest of Europe. Harris Tweed has survived because of its distinctive quality and the fact that it is protected by an act of Parliament limiting the use of the Sovereign's Orb trademark to tweeds made in the Outer Hebrides of Scotland.



Here's the one I made the MIL......

Oh yes, there will be many many more to come...from vintage jackets. I've got designs drawn for making a smaller purse or tiny tote, and another style of jacket from the left overs.
I adore this fabric...and I can't let any go to waste. ...so even the scraps will become flowers and leaves.

Click here for a gorgeous Harris Tweed site...lots more info....and a pop-up map that takes you from outer space and slowly pans down to the tiny little islands of wooly paradise.
I  Love It!!

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'