Budget fashion accessories

Bag and purse

When you have a ‘posh do’ to attend, do you go out and spend lots of money on an outfit?

My post-war upbringing imbued me with a sense of values rather different from the must-have-it-now attitude, which seems to be the norm nowadays.

I have written previously about the craft group I go to. Recently several members have been making bags of various shapes and sizes. Many are beautifully (even elaborately) decorated. Some of the other members manage to use sewing machines at the meeting. I usually need peace and quiet at home for that – the one exception was when I was persuaded to help make costumes for a large community drama project.

I decided to use some surplus material to make myself a bag. I didn’t have a pattern, but the bag evolved from the size and shape of the material I started out with. I used iron-on interfacing to strengthen it. The material is embroidered cotton batik.

When I took the bag to craft group to show to my friends, one of them suggested I should also make a purse to use with the bag. That seemed like a really good idea, so I made a simple purse incorporating a zip I found in my sewing box. (I did not have to go out and buy anything for either of these items.)

Bag and purse (reversed)

The bag and the purse are both lined with material from a fair trade batik wrap-over skirt, which I had nearly sent to a charity shop. Part of the material had faded; I thought it was possibly unsaleable. The lining for the bag is constructed so that there is an interfaced division making two compartments.  Hopefully this will protect my phone from my keys.