When the going gets tough, the tough go shopping

Or we shouldn't be allowed out without a 'minder'.
It started innocently enough, in the local paper a guy was all but giving away his A0 size drawing board. Some of you know I already got a A00 sized one off Freecycle
and it is huge, really far to big especially as it lives in our bedroom. So I can't resist this smaller one, it's still big enough about 50" X 36" but more manageable. First I have to clear off the stuff which has accumulated on top old one.
Then I took the non recycling rubbish from DD's bedroom to the local refuse centre. They have a shed where they sell things which are really too good to throw into the tip. I got this for £7 ($14) and it will look super when it's painted up and has some plates on it.

Then I hit TK Max (known as TJ Max in the States) and I found the handbag to end all handbags. (sorry about the photos being in the wrong order). It has fabulous lining and big enough for my needs but not so big it will get filled up with rubbish. For those of you not in a country to have TK Max, they sell designer stuff at anything from a quarter to a tenth of the original price (and sometimes even less!)

Under the flap at the front is another pocket plus these little loops for pens.

I wish you could feel it. It is super. I 'googled' the brand when I got home and found out how truly expensive they normally are. So much so there is even one place in New York which hires them out! It's that sort of leather that just gets better and better as it ages.

And then we found this chest of drawers like something out of Disney's Beauty and the Beast. Sort of red Chinese lacquer meets Gustavian.

Aren't these butterflies lovely?

And then this end table. Chinoiserie again and very me.


I love TK Max!
Did I mention we also bought 2 sofas, one large arm chair, and a huge footstool? (Unfortunately not TK Max this time)

Really we shouldn't be allowed out when we're feeling so lost without DD.

Revealed

Then I cut the pre-marked circle out.
And cut a lining the same size.

Then two pockets. I hemmed one of the longer edges by folding the fabric over twice and the other three sides just the once.

I stitched them in place on the lining. The scissors showing are just to show which side to leave open.


I stitched round the ouside about a scant ¼" to the back of the quilted circle.I added some double fold binding on the front

Pinned it folded over

making sure when it was folded over that it covered the stitching line

Then very carefully with the walking foot, I stitched it in the ditch.

Just so you can see where the stitching went . I then folded it in half so a feather was showing on each side.

I used a shiny cord but other things would work. I sewed about 6" either side towards the fold and inserted the cord at each end right into the fold. If you ever wondered what those little plastic bits were you got with your machine, here they are in use. Because there is a big hump when you get to the bit with the cord, you just slide them behind the foot to level it off. These seams were stitched again in the ditch between the binding and the quilted fabric.



I then pinned the cord to where I had started the seam and by hand, caught the cord between the binding.

And there it is finished. An evening bag. (Or pocket book if you are American)

If you see someone with it at the Gala dinner at the Festival of Quilts at the Birmingham NEC, England on Thursday night, come and say hello to me.


I had to wedge it between cushions to show you the inside of the finished bag. The little pockets are for things like parking tokens, change for the cloakrooms etc.
I made the lining bright as I find it quite hard to find stuff in bags with black linings in low light.