Pretty as a Picture Pouches

Intent on putting my new love, Jenny Janome, through her paces, and wanting to use some gorgeous vintage fabric packs I'd bought at the flea market last weekend, the last week has seen me in a bag making frenzy!

It's fair to say I made a marvellous haul of vintage goodness in the West Country last weekend.  Hurrah!

In the back of my mind for a while, I've wanted to make these little pouchy bags.  When we were away in Derbyshire over the Summer holidays, I bought this little vintage bag at a car boot sale for £1.  The fabric looks earlier than 1940's to me but certainly emanates from the period in time to which I am partial.

This is a very simple design.  It is made as one flat piece then the edge are merely folded up and stitched in place.  I rather like my seams all to be enclosed so I knew I wanted to vary the construction of this somewhat.

I also acquired some time back, a lovely little felt posy for my collection.  I used it as the basis of inspiration for my rosy posy brooch which has been beloved of so many of you.  Why, thank you!  It stuck me that a perfect marriage could be made with these two items.

Bags were one of the first things I started making when I really got into sewing, so it was a simple matter to draft the pattern with the aid of some freezer paper. I went for more of a curvy look for my pouchy bag.

I had fun choosing the fabrics, some from my stash, some from those delightful little packets, but I had a hard time cutting into some of them, especially that divine American cotton with the red roses and blue circles!  But I really think things should be used, no point gathering dust on a shelf, is there?  The fabrics have a real international flavour.  Other than the American feedsack-style cotton, the pastel pink and green fabrics are definitely French and the rosy one with the cream background is Eastern European, maybe Hungarian.

I also enjoyed choosing a complimentary lining for each one.

I wasn't done yet though because as I said, I thought that front bag flap was crying out for a touch of flowery, felty adornment.  A smaller version of the rosy posy brooch, one that could be removed from the bag and worn on a cardigan instead, maybe.  Out came the rather large felt stash.

And then they were done.

I pondered a use for them other than just as a little evening or special occasion bag.  Crafts obviously came straight to mind!  A spot of on-the-go crochet perhaps?

Or how about a little sewing pouch?  Perfect for hexys.

And of course, what a cute little cosmetics bag one would make.

They're now all listed in My Etsy shop which you can visit here should you fancy.  

Thanks for reading along today and a very Happy February to you all. Xxx