My Scarlett O'Hara Moment: Spring Cleaning a Curtain into a Bag

My spring cleaning project... Sew Sweetness' Oriole Bag

A couple of weeks ago, spring had not yet technically arrived, but our deep freeze of a winter finally looked like it might be over. With the bleary-eyed switch to daylight savings time came a desire to do something to celebrate spring, which led to this bag.

Yes, I'm surprised as well.

Having not made any bags for quite some time and having had no interest in doing so, I've now made two in the span of three months. What is wrong with me??

This is a 2018 freebie from Sew Sweetness: the Oriole Bag. I found it saved in my Other People's Projects folder. (I'm sure you're familiar with Sara Lawson's work and can google it if you're interested.) The pattern is offered as both a PDF and a video tutorial via YouTube and is available in two sizes. The one you see here is the smaller one, which in my opinion is as big as you might want to get for crossbody use.

The materials (apart from rivets and ribbon) were all recycled...

Although it's gusset free, it has a defined three dimensional shape, courtesy of a couple of darts on each side. I've been mulling over an idea for a bag of my own using darts and thought this would be an ideal way to get a feel for how they'd turn out.

I even have matching sunglasses!

For once, I didn't customize the heck out of it. I actually left out the only pocket that this bag had going for it — an interior slip pocket — and added a D ring and some ribbon trim on the outside. (A alternate plan for organizing the contents led me to this "no pockets" decision.)

The fusible fleece on the exterior panels also eliminated any urges to customize. It's enough to deal with the thickness — especially around the darts — without trying to cut into it to make other openings. (The pattern originally calls for fusible foam to create an even more structured finish.)

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You might be curious about the title of this post. I dug into my "non traditional" pile of fabric to do some spring cleaning — i.e., to see what could I use up — and saw this.

A curtain panel originally purchased for its grommets...

I picked up this curtain panel at Value Village almost two years ago, harvesting ten plastic grommets from it. Interestingly enough, I haven't yet used those grommets.

When I removed them, however, I was surprised to discover that the fabric was double layered: it's a deep pink cotton duck covered by a sheer patterned overlay of white polyester.

Surprise! It's made out of two fabrics...

Therefore, the two different fabrics that you see are from the same source. But the versatility of the fabric wasn't the only bonus.

Because curtains are sewn up into rectangles, I was able to remove one of the side seams and convert it into the bag's strap. (Sliced it off, unpicked the stitching on one side, refolded it and sewed it up again.)

Using what you can to save time...

And since I didn't need to make the strap adjustable, what I harvested off the curtain ended up being just the right length for me. How absolutely serendipitous!

Primo hardware from an unexpected source...

Recall my $1 belts from last summer? One of them had this buckle that has now been up/recycled into this cool purse flap closure. The two rectangular rings were also recovered from something, but I don't know what anymore. The D ring was a trim from an old pair of boots.

This is new: floral ribbon glued across the back of the bag.

Glittery floral ribbon trim...

I like to add visual interest to both sides of a bag, and this bit of ribbon does the trick.

Back of the bag...

Many thanks to Sara for generously creating several freebie bag patterns for the sewing community to enjoy over the years. This is the first that I've attempted and probably one of her simpler styles.

While I like the purse overall, I'm not a fan of how the strap anchors/tabs are done. For such a minor element, they ended up being very fussy to handle and added bulk where I didn't want bulk. (Maybe the "sewing this bag with cotton" option was an after-thought? This particular strap anchor application works/looks best when done with cork or leather.)

I added the rivets after doing the initial sewing. (I then decided to leave the stitching underneath as further reinforcement.) I used four of the small rivets and two of the large ones from the kit that I posted about last week.

View of the bright interior!

When I cut the material for the flap, I left the overlay on. Until the last minute, I really didn't know whether I'd keep it or just use the bottom fabric by itself.

Celebrating spring...

Either way would have been fine, but I have a fondness for this rose colour, which is probably the most accurate name for this shade of deep pink.

A check through my closet turns up several items in that immediate colour family. In fact, the same week that I made this purse, I also crafted these similarly hued crepe paper hyacinths! (It's spring, remember?)

Side view...

Check out this side view to see how flat pieces can be transformed into three dimensional entities. The darts create room inside this bag without the need for a gusset. Again, I used fusible fleece to interface my exterior fabric, which gives it a softer finish. If you go with the foam option, the bag will likely hold its shape even when empty.

Further on the matter of interfacing, since the cotton duck is already substantial by itself, I didn't add interfacing to any of the other pieces.

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Remember I said earlier that I had a plan to organize the contents of this bag beyond pockets? It's with this matching pouch.

My Oriole Bag "divider" pouch...

Slipped inside the bag, it effectively divides the interior into two separate spaces with a zippered pocket in the middle. ('Cause how can I have a bag without a zippered pocket?)

A snug fitting zippered pouch can act as a divider for a purse...

I don't have a pattern or tutorial for the pouch to share with you. (If you need to see something similar, check out my mini retro reticule.) It's just four panels of fabric sewn up to a zipper with tabs at both ends; i.e., your basic lined zippered pouch.

For the outside, I wanted to feature some more of the flowered ribbon, so I cut the overlay shorter and added the ribbon as trim across the exposed edge. (This also made it easier to attach the zipper, since I didn't have to deal with the flimsy overlay.)

A matching set!

In hindsight, I should have cut the top part of the pouch so that it tapers inwards a bit, but this was one of those "be creative on the fly" projects that wasn't thought about in great detail before it was done.

For an idea of scale...

When I look at this purse, I'm propelled back in time to my university years. Lilac — the colour — was all the rage one spring, and I had a complete outfit in various shades, topped off by a canteen style crossbody bag... also in lilac. I have a clear memory of that warm "spring has finally sprung" day when I headed off to class in my light purple ensemble.

I'm no longer drawn to lilac, but this pink/rose bag carries a similar spring time vibe for me. It's not ever going to be an everyday purse, but it's cheery and fun and assures me that the dreariest days of winter are behind us.

Everyone should make a spring time bag... even if you don't channel Scarlett O'Hara to do it!

My New Rivet Kit & My First Rivet Project

My new riveting set...

I've been wanting to buy a rivet set for quite some time, but got terribly confused when I visited our local Princess Auto (last mentioned when I sewed up a winch cover for my other half) and saw what they had in stock. They looked nothing like what I expected rivets to look like.

Without going into a long story with boring details, let's just say that not all rivets are the same and if you want them for crafting — and bag making in particular — you probably want double cap rivets.

After some browsing on Amazon, I finally got myself a complete kit for a decent price ($12.90 USD; $18.99 CDN).

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This one is made by Seloky. It includes 210 double cap rivet sets (420 individual pieces) in two sizes: 5/16" and 1/4" (8mm and 6mm), 35 each in gold, silver and bronze tone.

While less expensive sets are available, the deciding factor for me was one of the setting tools. It had the standard punch and set tools, but the setting base was what sold it.

210 rivet sets and three tools...

Rather than just a piece with a single "dimple", this base can accommodate seven different rivet cap sizes. Having the right size can make a difference in how the finished installation looks. (I know this from installing different size grommets.)

How does it work?

The punch tool — the one with the hollow tip — is used with a hammer or mallet to cut a hole in whatever (layers of) material you want to rivet together. (You may want to get yourself a small piece of wood to support the pounding that you'll be doing.)

After the hole is cut, slip the rivet stud through.

Setting tools and a silver 5/16" (8mm) rivet set... stud at top, cap at bottom

Position the rivet stud on top of the base piece — stud facing up — and place a rivet cap on top. Now the setting tool — which has a concave end to cover the rivet cap and a flat end that you pound on with the hammer — can be used to secure the rivet cap onto the rivet stud.

Comes with instructions... although the English is questionable!

It's that easy. No more complicated, really, than installing snaps or grommets.

This set even comes with a sheet of instructions that clearly demonstrate the process with pictures. (The instructions themselves? Not so great. Don't know if you noticed, but STEP is spelled STER.)

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Here is the first thing that I did with it, within an hour of its arrival. (Finishing this project was the reason for purchasing the kit.)

Rivets on my P&P belt...

It's a belt made out of a couple of scraps of my Pride & Prejudice fabric in lycra. (The pieces were remnants left over from my quick sew kimono project; when I finished, there were four rectangular pieces waiting to be made into something. I made a pair of fingerless gloves out of the other two.)

A belt that's been waiting to be finished for over two years...

It didn't take long to come up with the belt idea. I had kept the buckle/fastener from a belt that had been repurposed into the waistband of a skirt a while back; naturally, it was meant to be put back to use on another belt.

Just a couple of rectangular pieces sewn together...

It's a simple project. The two pieces of fabric were joined end to end and then the long edges were sewn together and the whole thing turned right side out.

The width of the belt was purposely wider than the "buckle" to create a pleated look, but the thickness and stretchiness of the lycra did not make me feel confident about actually sewing those two end seams around the hardware.

So the project sat for over two years. I would occasionally look at it and wonder, should I attempt to sew this today?

A solution that is so much easier than sewing!

I don't remember at what point I decided that rivets would be the solution, but I know that I've been looking into getting some rivets for almost a year. The end result is that — using six sets of the smallest rivets — finishing it this way probably took me less time than it would have taken to sew it.

Not to mention that it probably looks a lot better, too!

One last word about rivets if you're thinking of making your first purchase. The length of the stud post is important to consider for your intended application. While my layers of lycra would have been thick to sew, comparatively speaking, they aren't as thick as a couple of leather purse straps. What I mean is that if you're buying rivets for bag making purposes, ensure that you have stud posts that are long enough for the job... but not too long. Generally speaking, the bigger the cap diameter, the longer the post.

The rivets in my kit have the same cap diameter as post length: the smaller ones are 1/4" or 6mm; the larger ones are 5/16" or 8mm. Given that I work with fabric — and not faux leather or cork — I think they will serve me well.

Quasi-Tutorial: Travel Document Folder

Travel folder features the Leaning Tower of Pisa on the front cover...

I'm no further ahead in my quest for the perfect passport holder than I was four years ago. When hubby and I travel afar these days, I still carry that hot pink zipped portfolio that I bought on eBay.

Recently, he had the opportunity to go to Mexico (not accompanied by me) and for the first time, he had to carry his own trip documentation. Knowing that the pink portfolio would not be an option for him, I made this.

It measures just short of 5.75" (14.5cm) wide and 9.25" (just over 23cm) high when closed. Meant to accommodate 8.5" wide sheets of paper (folded) in two long pockets and passports 5" (13cm) high x 3.5" (9cm) wide.

Two vinyl pockets on top for passports and boarding passes...

The top pockets on both sides are made out of clear vinyl; the one for the passports is divided into two.

It's a variant of the folder that I made for Mom a few years back to organize her mail, using the same "waxcloth" that I used for my tablet envelope and some 5/8" wide ribbon.

Recycle an old presentation folder to add firmness...

An old presentation folder was taken apart to provide support for the finished item, trimmed to 1/4" less than the other materials to keep it out of the stitching. (The two smaller pieces are used to add support to the document pockets.)

If you don't have one of these folders handy, you can try a file folder or a piece of poster board (or similar weight card stock).

All supplies can be sourced from discount or dollar stores, so this is a cheap make.

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What You Need to Cut

To make this travel document folder, you'll need 4 pieces of patterned vinyl (the so-called waxcloth; dollar store table cloths and placemats will also do the job) and two pieces of clear vinyl.

• Piece A is the outside cover of the folder, 9" (23cm) high x 11.5" (29cm) wide
• Piece B is the folder lining, also 9" (23cm) high x 11.5" (29cm) wide (You'll only be able to see a narrow strip of this when the folder is complete; it's the part where you see Lady Liberty in mine.)
• Piece C, 9" (23cm) high x 10" (25cm) wide, is folded to create the left document pocket
• Piece D, 9" (23cm) high x 10" (25cm) wide, is also folded to create the right document pocket
• Piece E is the double passport pocket in clear vinyl, 9" (23cm) high x 4" (10cm) wide
• Piece F is the boarding pass pocket in clear vinyl, 9" (23cm) high x 3" (7.5cm) wide

For the ribbon, you'll need four strips to wrap the outside edge of each pocket (9" or 23cm long), one strip to divide the passport pocket (4" or 10cm long) and enough to go around the perimeter of the entire folder. (Ideally you'll need about 44" or 112cm, but I was able to complete this whole project with a brand new two metre roll of ribbon... with nothing left over!)

If your materials feature large patterns or prints like mine, you may want to fussy cut your pieces.

Some small sticky notes are helpful to keep your pieces properly identified.

Front and back exterior cover view...

NOTE: The 5/8" wide ribbon is narrow and therefore trickier to sew than a wider ribbon, but — and this is a significant "but" — if you want to use wider ribbon, you'll have to increase the height of the component pieces to ensure that standard 8.5" wide paper can fit in the document pockets (if you use A4 paper it may not be an issue). It's a snug fit with the current measurements using 5/8" ribbon. If you change the folder's dimensions, however, you'll also need more ribbon to go around the perimeter.

Basic Instructions

Since I've already covered the "how to" of this kind of project before, I'll just highlight what needs to be done, in what order.

#1... Bind ribbon around outside edge of all four pockets. Specifically, this means wrapping (and then sewing) the ribbon around the folded edges of pieces C and D, the left and right document pockets. For the clear pieces E and F, it doesn't matter which (long) edge you choose, as long as you stack them properly later.

Use plenty of clips and take your time sewing.

#2... Create divided passport pocket. Open up the folded piece C (left document pocket) so that the underside of it is out of the way. Using clips, place clear vinyl piece E (double passport pocket) on top of piece C, aligning the left edges. Position the 4" strip of ribbon at the midpoint of the vinyl and secure with a clip. Sew it down, through piece E and the single layer of piece C; this is now your passport pocket assembly.

Refold piece C and slip one of the smaller pieces of card stock from the presentation folder in between the layers. Put the other piece between the layers of the right document pocket piece D.

Creating a plan of attack with the various pieces...

#3... Stack the pieces and attach perimeter binding. You now have all of the components ready to stack up in the proper order: outside cover piece A right side down, the recycled presentation folder (cut to correct size), folder lining piece B right side up, the passport pocket assembly (i.e., connected pieces C & E) aligned on the left, document pocket D aligned on the right, and boarding pass pocket F on top of piece D, aligned also on the right. Clip everything in place.

Use more clips to attach the ribbon all the way around the perimeter, mitering the corners as you go. (For a brief discussion on how to create mitered corners on the fly, check out my wet wipe wallet tutorial.)

Sew it up and you're done.

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I like the "easy to clean" properties of using the vinyl/waxcloth. It was also my intention to try it out this way so that I can see if I'd like it done in fabric at a future date.

Two pockets underneath vinyl pockets for paper documents...

Just more to ponder on the road to building a better passport holder.

As if on cue, several days after completing this project and preparing this post, I got another — arguably better — idea in a similar vein.

So I'm changing my tune from what I said at the top of this post. I am making progress after all, and you should see those results soon.

3 Ways to Glam Up Your Handmade Bag

Have you noticed the escalation of the handmade revolution over the past few years with the sale of tags and embellishments featuring the word "handmade"? For example, a search on Etsy for tags for handmade items gets over 1,400 results. Now, I have no idea what that same search would have generated five years ago, but I suspect it wouldn't have been anywhere near a thousand.

Especially for purses and bags, it's become normal for makers to apply leather or even metal tags to their finished items. It's a way to add an authentic designer look. Most tags feature just the generic "handmade" label, but for those willing to lay out the cash and buy a minimum quantity, it's possible to imprint your own brand on a metal tag.

I'm not one of those. The mocked up tags that you see above are likely as close as I'm ever going to get to having my own brand immortalized on anything other than fabric. (And honestly, I'm not even good at remembering to put my fabric labels on things that I make.)

That said, what if you want your finished item to say more than just "handmade by me"? When I finished my FrankenPurse, I was so happy with the result that I wanted to elevate it beyond handmade... and give it a designer vibe. So I challenged myself over the past month to come up with some innovative — and inexpensive — ways to add some glam to the bag.

I'm here to share three of them today. Let me know if they're designer worthy!

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Hang a Custom Tag

Do the logo tags that hang from designer purses appeal to you? Well, you can make your own version and be totally unique about it.

Always one to think about utility as well as fashion, I took my scraps of Tim Holtz timepieces fabric and came up with this.

DIY "designer" bag tag!

It's for carrying around a loonie (our quintessentially Canadian one dollar coin) to "rent" a shopping cart. Here it is attached to my Frankenpurse as a zipper pull.

Bag tag zipper pull...

I actually have a keychain with a loonie sized token that I use for shopping carts, so when I found this broken flower clip sitting in a drawer just waiting to be repurposed, I tucked it inside the tag to change it up. Other things that would work? Medallions, buttons, photos...

Changing up the look...

Versatile, useful and decorative. What more can one ask for? And you can make a matching one for any purse with your leftover scraps.

How? I'll follow up soon with a tutorial. (I had another variation on the idea come to me after I made this one, so I'm waiting for everything to "gel".)

Trim with Chains

Do biker guys still carry their wallets on chains? I know nothing about the history of who first put a wallet on a chain, but you can borrow the idea and put a chain on a purse.

Actually, bags trimmed with chains are quite common. (Go ahead, google it.)

A little bit of chain adds a little bit of bling...

This is a remnant piece from a repurposed chain belt. I put a lobster clasp at one end to clip onto my strap ring. And at the other end?

Remote starter on a chain...

My car has a remote starter. However, since the vehicle otherwise starts/stops/opens via a proximity fob, I'm not used to handling physical keys or fobs. To use this remote, however, I need to press it and to press it, I need to find it. Therefore, this bit of bling was another addition for the sake of utility. (I know, I know... first world problems.)

For those who don't need to attach anything specific to a chain, connecting the other end to a zipper pull is an easy way to add this look. You could also, of course, sew a chain directly onto your bag at strategic locations.

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Add Faux Rivets & Jewels

Remember the BeDazzler? Well, this is so much better because it's super easy, super cheap and I'm not encouraging you to overdo it.

Take a look at what I picked up at a dollar store:

See? It's even called bling!

They're just stickers.

Notice anything else? They look exactly like rivets. Hot glue them onto a bag strap or strap anchor and you can instantly have the look without the hardware.

I originally picked them up to finish off my miniature purse, being carried here by my Purl Bee Penguin.

But don't they look like the genuine article here on my bag strap?

Come on, you can't tell that's not a rivet!

Instant upgrade in style, don't you think?

And here's what you can do with the other little gems. (Apart from putting them on miniature bags.)

Adding bling to a zipper pull...

I stuck two of the small round ones onto my heart shaped zipper pulls. A third square one was applied to my purse hook/hanger.

Guess you can call them bling for my bling.

Anyway, I hope I've inspired you to glam up your next handmade bag! (If you missed it, you might also want to check out my recent post on handy hacks for handmade bags.)

P&P Writing/Reading/Crafting Gloves

My new P&P fingerless gloves... and my hubby's first photo credit!

A few weeks ago, my kimono inspired jacket was part of a collection of kimono patterns featured on So Sew Easy, resulting in a bump up of traffic to that post. I went back to take a look at it and immediately wondered whatever happened to the slices of fabric that I cut from the sides of the jacket.

Y'see, I'd been thinking about making a pair of fingerless gloves. Maybe it's age, but these days, I suffer more frequently from cold hands and feet. (Or maybe it was the fact that we've just gone through the coldest February on record in forty years.) I've already made the slippers, so naturally, it was time to make some gloves.

And I just knew that the fabric remnants from the jacket would be more than enough to complete the project. The fabric was a super stretchy sport lycra, soft and comfortable but a bit of a bear to sew with, given its elasticity.

This is an amalgamation of two photos that I took of each arm.... not bad, huh?

I'll describe how I went about making these, but you'll have to work out some of the specifics for yourself if they're not exactly what you want.

Of course, these gloves make a certain literary statement with my P&P fabric — the exact print used was the Pride & Prejudice Text (Bi-Directional Gradient) — but for anyone wanting to do this on a budget with thriftiness and recycling in mind, an old pair of leggings would do the trick.

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Start with two rectangular pieces, approximately 8" (20cm) wide and anywhere from 10" to 12" (up to 30cm) in length (mine were 12"). As long as you're using a stretchy knit fabric, this should be a good starting point for the average wearer. By all means, if you have large hands/arms, start with a wider piece of fabric and confirm with a measuring tape.

I wanted the plain white border of the Spoonflower fabric to be used as a band that could be folded over (or under) at the top of the gloves, so I left 2" of it along the top, in order to create a 1" seam. (Unless you're going for the same functionality, you won't need that much length there.)

Worn with the top edge folded underneath...

In these two pictures here, I have the top edge of the gloves folded under. Wearing them shortened this way allows for easier finger movement (such as for typing). With the ends totally extended (as in the first two photos above), you get more coverage but less range of motion (good for hand sewing and reading).

How you choose to wear these depends on what you want to do...

Whether or not you want this versatility for your gloves will dictate how long the pieces of fabric need to be.

Fold the two pieces of fabric in half lengthwise and clip together (I used pins afterwards). Check to see if you can slip your hand/arm into the resulting tube. It shouldn't be too tight, but too loose is not ideal either.

Fold in half and pin, mark opening for thumb and trim top area as desired...

Examine the photo above for an idea as to how you will sew up your gloves. You'll need a side seam with an opening for your thumb, a bottom seam, and a top seam. (My fabric doesn't fray, so the thumb openings didn't have to be finished.)

The top opening where your fingers will be should be narrower, so cut the fabric in about a 1/4" (6mm). Remember that I have a 2" band of fabric at the top because I wanted a 1" seam allowance there; you may not.

In this next photo, the top glove has been completely sewn up; the bottom glove shows how it looks prior to finishing the top and bottom seams. I used a 1/4" seam allowance for the side (leaving a gap between the "x"s for the thumb opening) and bottom seams.

Sew the side first...

The distance from the top of the finished edge of the glove to the top of the thumb opening is 2" (5cm).

Therefore, if you only want a 1/2" (12mm) seam allowance for the top seam, you should have 2.5" of actual fabric above the thumb opening, before you start to sew.

Cut a notch into the seam allowance so that you can sew over it more easily...

You may have noticed that I cut a notch in the side seam. That small cut allows the seam to stay open and lie flat so that the top seam can be folded over it neatly.

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A note about the sewing. This project requires a stretchy fabric, so you should sew these gloves with a stretch stitch. In a lot of cases, however, a sewing machine's stretch stitch is extremely hard to unpick. My 1" top seam allowance went awry on my second glove and it was a painstaking process to rip out those stitches without ripping the fabric.

Worn with top band folded over the top...

If you're not certain about being able to sew the circular seams evenly, I suggest you baste them first.

Then again, you might want to take a page out of this book and zigzag or serge your seams on the outside and have them be visible.

image courtesy of storiarts.com...

These Pride & Prejudice writing gloves are sold by storiarts.com. I like the fact that they have an actual thumb section, but on the whole, I prefer my gloves to have a bit more coverage.

That, and the fact that mine didn't cost $26. ;-)

Further to the matter of costs, if you're not going to be thrifting the material for this project and do want a P&P themed pair of gloves, a fat quarter of my Spoonflower design in sport lycra (28" x 18", enough to make two pairs of gloves) costs $15.30 plus shipping. Of course, if you wait for one of their two for one fat quarter promos (normally July and November), the price point will be even better.

By the way, when I found these strips of fabric, I (re)discovered that the others had already been committed to a project that has been a work in progress for over two years! (Do you have unfinished projects from that long ago?) I finally completed it, so that'll also show up here in a few weeks.