The Carpet Bag

One of my favourite purse shapes is the carpet bag. Often people don't know what I mean when I use that phrase but they understand a doctor's bag or one like Mary Poppins. I really like the rounded shape at the top and the way the tubular frame opens wide and how the bag sits with a solid bottom. For the past few weeks, I've been perfecting my pattern while refashioning previous projects and utilizing remnants.

This taller format is made from a coat I pieced years ago using the remnants from a quilt-top. The coat was made from re-purposed remnants and now the bag is made from the refashioned coat. Too fun. The pattern didn't sit quite right and the coat always felt like it was pulling back on the shoulders. I rarely wore it and eventually took it apart and put the parts in my Bits & Pieces of Potential box, including the lining which became the lining of the bag. The handles are purchased as are...

... the ones on this bag. The lining and frame casing are made from remnants and the exterior is new yardage that I fell in love with thinking I'd make a coat or a pair of pants before deciding it was too much for even me to carry off and perhaps better as an accessory.

Last year, I sewed teepees for my grandchildren using canvas drop cloths from the hardware store. There were 10 1/2 pounds of remnants left over that are perfect for bags. In stash, I also had four 32 ounce containers of purple Jacquard textile paint that I ordered years ago for another project and never used so now, I'm creating a series of bags that start with canvas remnants and purple paint.

It fascinates me how the same starting point can go in such varied directions. The five purses above were made from a table throw that I cut up into 10 equal parts using two for each bag. This project so clearly illustrated that there are no wrong answers, just different paths taken. Of all the first steps I could think of, I was able to use five but of all the second and third and fourth steps for each bag, I was only able to use one... the path explored... with so many left untraveled. This project taught me to make a decision and do something and see where it leads.

Talk soon - Myrna

Grateful - learning that there is more than one right answer