Tag Archives: 70s clutch Bag

Pixie Coat

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So was I productive in May?  Well I was in my head 🙂  I have far more ideas buzzing round than actual projects being completed!

I mainly worked on my latest pixie coat this month.  It’s the third one I have made and the first in a year as my overlocker has only just come back from being fixed.

This is the last stages of the coat – just the front ties to sew onto the body now and then add some embellishments!

pixie-coat from recycled wool sweaters

pixie coat almost finished!

It’s not easy to find pure wool sweaters for these coats which will felt up properly. Many wool sweaters are treated to stop them shrinking and felting – great for normal wash days but not for recyclers!!  The sweaters for this coat came mainly from my BFF who’s aunty had died.  She passed on the sweaters for me for my stash as she knows I recycle them but I decided to make a special coat for her which will be a lovely keepsake (I hope!).   She has admired my other pixie coats and so I really hope she likes her present.

pixie coat from recycled wool sweaters

hood on pixie coat

I made my Pixie coats from the Katwise tutorial – she is the inspiration for these coats.  I think it’s much cheaper to get sweaters in US dollar stores than in our UK charity shops though unfortunately for me!

The other main thing I have completed this month is my entry for the ‘Make it your own’ clutch bag competition.  Here is my 70s inspired bag.  (This was the last decade when I could actually have a bag that small and went on nights out!)

brown and range clutch bag

bag with my seventies beads!

The competition was run by Deby  at Sew So Easy and you can read my post about making the bag here.  Please think about popping over to her blog and adding a vote for me using the link below!

http://so-sew-easy.com/make-contest-time-vote-blogger/

 

 

inside of clutch bag orange floral lining
handy pocket for essentials!

 Linking up with Handmade Monday and Fresh Sewing Day and Small Blog Meet at Lily’s Quilts

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

So Sew Easy ‘make it yours’ competition

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I thought I’d have a go at the exciting competition over at the Sew So Easy blog but I am a bit on the last minute!

The competition is to make a bag using the pattern provided here and add your own design features/embellishments etc to make it your own. The contest rules are fairly straightforward – you can read them here. The bag pattern was for a small clutch style and this type of bag always reminds me of a ‘night out’ as it’s the only time I ever have a neat little clutch bag!  Most of my life has been accompanied by a handbag big enough to carry round extra paraphanalia applicable to my stage of life!  This was nappies, wipes, drinks etc when the children were small – and now taking my mum out it’s …. well not a lot different really  🙂   (ha ha she’s not really that bad!)

So onto the clutch bag!

I chose some milk chocolate coloured linen look fabric for the outside and an orange floral print for the lining – very 70’s – more or less the last decade when I actually did go out and about as a young free thing!

After cutting out the fabric and some interlining for the  interfacing the first thing I did was to insert the magnetic snap closers.  I found pushing a pin through the marker on the pattern and then marking where it came out on the other side was a good way to ensure the parts are in the right place for matching up later.

pinning through the pattern marker

pinning through the pattern marker

marking fabric for clasp placement

marking where pin comes out

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Next I decided to add an internal pocket in the same fabric as the lining as that way it’s not so obvious where your valuables are when you open your bag!

using paper template for the pocket placing

using paper template for the pocket placing

Getting in the right place was a little tricky as I had to keep folding the bag into its finished form so as to make sure the pocket would be  placed right. I used a paper template to mark out the final position.

I cut a double sized piece of fabric for the pocket piece,  folded it right sides together and sewed up the sides.  I then turned it right way out and  sewed it to the lining, turning under the bottom hem as I sewed.

handy little internal pocket!

handy little internal pocket!

inside the bag

inside the bag

bad with my seventies beads!

bag with my seventies beads!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I finished the bag off by sewing a shaped piece of lining fabric to the front and adding two big decorative buttons!  Just need to get my orange nail varnish and beads and I’m off!!