Ok, so only parts of this bag for Preet are upcycled but we all have to start somewhere! I made this birthday present on my new sewing machine, which I am definitely getting better with but there is still significant room for improvement with my patchwork. My flash has made the colours look slightly more lurid than they actually.
I started by forming the lining of the bag, which also forms the top trim that you can see on the photo above. This is made from a pillow, meaning I only needed to sew one side saving me time and enabling me to legitimately claim that this is an upcycled bag.
To form the patchwork front I used my patchwork templates for the first time. They did speed things up but I found it hard to stop them slipping on the shiny fabrics that I was using. I started from the centre and worked out. I used some of the fabulous fabrics that Preet has given me over the past few months so I’m hoping she’s going to love getting them back in this format.
I managed to sew some of the pieces together perfectly…
Other pieces not so well…
12 squares and 8 triangles later I had a patchwork front completed. I then cut a single piece of fabric for the back and stitched them together before inserting the lining. Turning the lining over a couple of times at the top gave a neat finish to the top of the bag. I decided to use one of my fancy stitches along the top.
The other part of the bag that is upcycled is the handles, which are made from my sister’s old curtains again. I take a strip of material and iron it in half lengthways. Open out the fabric again and then fold both sides into the middle and close up to make a long thin piece that is four layers thick. I iron this firmly and then secure on the sewing machine. I tried another new stitch on these.
Finally, given that the visible stitching is all in purple I decided to add a crocheted flower for added interest and personality.
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