For sometime I have wanted to have a go at bag making , but wasn’t quite sure what materials I would need. I was delighted, therefore, to discover U-Handbag, a company that sells kits with all the necessary bits and bobs except the fabric. In the autumn I bought two kits, one for a handbag and one for a larger “carpet bag” (not made with carpet I hasten to add) as well as a couple of books.
I decided to start with the smaller bag and spent an afternoon cutting out the outer fabric, lining, interfacing and padding. There were quite a lot of pieces because of all the layers, but the instructions were clear and there was a full size pattern with all the pieces properly labelled.
So many bits
I haven’t done much sewing for a while and some of the fiddly bits took quite a lot of concentration, but gradually it came together and started to look like a bag:
In fact the trickiest part was gluing the frame on – almost the last step. I got some glue on the metal and haven’t quite managed to clean it all off yet. Nevertheless, I’m quite happy with the finished item and it has given me confidence to have a go at other designs. I now also feel better equipped to assess the suitability of various (repurposed) fabrics for the different layers that give a bag structure. My friend Rachel also pointed out that it may be possible to find bags with suitable frames in charity shops that could be cannibalised for future projects. In the mean time, though, I have the bigger one to make from the second kit, with a different sort of closure.
A handbag!
-oOo-
Oh, and for those of you who don’t understand the title:
From “The importance of being Earnest”
The Snail of Happiness 
katechiconi
/ January 9, 2019She really was the ultimate Lady Bracknell, wasn’t she? Bravo on your efforts, it’s a handsome handbag, and I’m sure your next attempt will be even better 🙂
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The Snail of Happiness
/ January 9, 2019I’m not entirely happy with gluing – I had expected there to be some crimping involved to secure the frame, but we’ll see how it works.
I found a clip of Judy Dench as Lady Bracknell, but she just didn’t do it for me.
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katechiconi
/ January 9, 2019I know what you mean; it was all a bit low key if you’re used to Dame Edith…
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nanacathy2
/ January 9, 2019A HANDBAG? Well done you, it looks great and even better if you can repurpose one from a charity shop.
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The Snail of Happiness
/ January 9, 2019Getting a kit for the first one has given me the confidence now to branch out. I might even go as far as trying to make one with a zip!
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Nice Piece of Work
/ January 9, 2019Lovely bag! Cannibalising old bags is a very good idea, I’ve done it myself with various items 🙂
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The Snail of Happiness
/ January 9, 2019I will have to start regarding old bags with a new eye. I’m already thinking about whether I can use an old cardigan as the outer fabric for a carpet bag… hmm.
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Nice Piece of Work
/ January 10, 2019Reminds me of Scarlet O’Hara and those emerald green curtains……
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Laurie Graves
/ January 9, 2019Bravo!
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Wild Daffodil
/ January 9, 2019Excellent!
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The Snail of Happiness
/ January 9, 2019I can think of all sorts of things I might want to experiment with now.
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thecontentedcrafter
/ January 9, 2019I’m a fan of the cannibalising/repurposing mode of bag making myself, though nowadays stick to tote bags with no parts that aren’t fabric. What fun you will have combing the second hand stores 🙂
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redappleyarn
/ January 9, 2019Been baggy for years !! They can be as easy or as complex as you like. Bag Hardwear has always been scarce and hard to get. I do like Lisa Lam’s bag instructions no messing and clear. And the key to a good bag is the structure like wadding. That said I just made bento bags for knitting projects the simplest most effective bag ever. Stay baggy
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Going Batty in Wales
/ January 9, 2019I have made several bags but never one with a frame! It is easy to use quite small pieces of fabric so ideal for using up offcuts or recycling. I shall look forward to comparing notes!
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wybrow1966
/ January 9, 2019I love the idea of a charity shop cannibalization to get bag bits and bobs – hadn’t thought of that!
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AJ
/ January 9, 2019The bag looks awesome! Use some oil to take the glue off.
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arlingwoman
/ January 9, 2019Nice bag! Try acetone on the glue (fingernail polish remover). Just with a Q-tip. You probably don’t have any on hand, but likely know someone you can borrow some from.
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Patricia Collins
/ January 10, 2019Great workout for the Bernina. Anyone here know about morsbags? V.V. simple fabric bags made and given away to replace plastic. Wonderful for using up those pieces of material you’ve been hanging onto.
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The Snail of Happiness
/ January 10, 2019Yes, I’ve seen reference to them… but never actually encountered one for real!
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TammiePainter
/ January 10, 2019Nice! My mom made me some super sturdy shopping bags one year and they always get compliments from the checkers. Unfortunately she says she doesn’t remember how she made them. Sigh…
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The Snail of Happiness
/ January 10, 2019Any chance you could deconstruct one of them to work out how she made them?
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TammiePainter
/ January 11, 2019Eek! No! Since I only have two and I’m not terribly good about getting things back together, I suppose it’ll remain a mystery until they start to wear out. Which, as sturdy as they are, might be never!
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The Snail of Happiness
/ January 11, 2019You need my mum, who seems able to just see how things are constructed, at least when it comes to sewing.
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Nikki
/ January 13, 2019Beautifully done, Mrs. Snail! What a great way to start the new year!
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thecraftersapprentice
/ January 25, 2019if you’re on facebook, I’d recommend joining the British Bag Makers Group. Loads of great tips and advice.
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The Snail of Happiness
/ January 27, 2019Thanks for the suggestion, I’ll take a look
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quietwatercraft
/ February 3, 2019What a pretty bag! It looks just like a coin purse I used to have, except bigger obviously
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