DeerBag

Few years ago I received an old tapestry wall decoration. I was not quite sure what to do with it. Someone had received it with an old apartment they bought. It had no special meaning to any alive person. It ended up to me with the idea that it's a piece of craft, do something with it. 

I have been thing to what meaningful object I will turn it out. Ta-dah! I designed it and it turn out a handbag. 

I have made handbags before by using old canvas projects. One for my mom and another for one who is not here with me anymore.

In this deer-project also the lining and strap are recycled. The tag "Hand Made" and the magnetic clip to close the bag are new.

I made a small pocket inside. This is unique, and for sure a very special handbag. No other similar on the Planet Earth. Only this one. This is FashionNOW.

WaistBag

I designed and made this leather waist bag for a very special friend for Yule 2025. It is made of left over leather. I used a leather burning tool and beeswax to finish it.

It is easy to attach to your belt (or another bag which has an opening strap). But you can also put it inside a bigger bag to keep your little things organized.

It has a magnetic lock which was easy to place but difficult to find for the project. Actually, I managed to buy one when visiting Turku in November.

HobbyBag

I designed and sew another big fabric bag. It is for my bobbin lace base made of Finnfoam frost insulation sheet (you will see it later). 

It has an important pocket to carry things but also point out the side I need to place up when I carry it with me and place on the car seat or on anything else.

The opening of the bag's mouth is huge so I use a cord to close it up to prevent anything roll out.

Carder'sBag

At work I designed and sew a big fabric bag of left over fabric.

I need to carry something with me every now and then. For practical reasons I need a bag for it. But it came without a bag when I ordered it at work for the students' use.

It is a bag for Golden Fleece drum carder for spinning and felting. The students love it and I am satisfied on it too; both drum carder and bag. The carder and equipment fit in the bag so it is easy for me to carry it all around without fear dropping something into snow and lost forever.

CatBag

I made a cute CatBag. It is made of left over fabric of curtains.

It has a cat on both side. See ShoppingBag -tutorial to know how to make it.

3FeltHandBags

Do you remember this? Last time I worked with it on July 2017. On August 2021 I knew what I wanted to make out of it as the idea had processed forward in my brains during these busy years.

I decided to cut it to pieces. Just like that. To make three bags of it. One for my mother-in-law whose original design and idea the felt is. And two for two friends of mine. I also made one pouch and pen case. Unfortunately I just realized I have no pic of the pouch.

Sakari Topelius' The Birch and the Star

Do you remember my NewTapestryProject I started at the end of 2018? It has been a long way but by now I have finished it, sew something of it and already sent it away. It was a long way to go because it turn out there was not enough original threads left. It also turn out I didn't like the design and after re-thinking it quite a lot I discovered what I had to do with it. Now I love it! The design is old and traditional Finnish design. I designed the bag.

 It is all hand made with love by me!

Yes, I indeed made a bag of it. The bag has a proper pocket inside.

The strap has recycled buckle.

The bag is padded so it is suitable also for a laptop. The faux leather is left over from my massage table upholstering project.

I discovered that I get excellent and modern touch by using DMC Étoile Mouline Special Stitch With The Stars thread. So, in practical I stitched this tapestry project twice.

But still it all was worth of it. DMC Etoile gives a great expression for the project. It gives it the shine of hope the story written by Sakari Topelius describes.

The story is called The Birch and the Star. It is a fictional story but is inspired by his family history. It tells about siblings and their journey back home.

Do you remember another bag I made by using tapestry project?

ShoppingBag -tutorial

You can choose which ever size you desire for your shopping bag; or finish it according to the left over fabric you have. I cut one 60 x 27 cm and two 36 x 7 cm pieces for this bag. Which ever your sizes; are fold the pieces like this and sew the edges.

You can use seaming machine or zigzag.

Pin the bottom of the bag.

Match it with the side edge...

by folding the central bottom to the side edge to form out a triangle. This is not necessary but creates more space in your bag and makes it easier to fill with shopping.

I used 5 cm distance; which ever is your choice, pin it...

...sew it...

...on both side corners.

It looks like this when finished.

Neaten the upper edge of the bag.

Pin it equally; at first the exact central point (the half) and then 1/4 point of the front and back sides.

To turn the right side out of the handles...

...use safety pin.

It is a bit difficult...

...but eases up very soon. Just pull it through; gently.

Neaten by iron and stitch the handles.

Pin the handles to the 1/4 points of the upper edge.

Attach the handles by sewing.

Pin the upper edge at desired distance.

Fold the upper edge...

...and sew the fold and the handles.

Ta-dah! Your bag is finished. I have used fabric shopping bags for ages.