Project by Adrien Lucas from Sarasota, Fla.
Adrien creates a fancy tote bag using a vintage souvenir travel scarf. The result is a unique purse that will not only be a conversation starter but a carry-able piece of historical art, as well!
Materials:
vintage souvenir travel scarf
lining material
interfacing for bag
square paper pattern
thread
embroidery floss
fabric for flower petals
brown felt
metal stud or other item for flower middle
large and small glass beads
woven polyester or cotton webbing material for handle
wide satin ribbon to cover handle
invisible thread or fishing line (monofilament)
Steps:
1. Cut square pattern from paper; use the size of the scarf (or the portion that you want to feature) to determine how large your square pattern should be.
2. Pin pattern to scarf and cut front, back, sides and bottom of purse
3. Pin pattern to lining and interfacing and cut front, back, sides and bottom of purse.
4. Bead front of bag, complimenting graphics on scarf as to highlight the existing visuals.
5. Write with pen travel slogans or quotes from songs that relate to the theme of the bag.
6. Embroider over the pen writing with black embroidery floss.
7. Create fabric flower petals by cutting a petal from material and machine zigzag edges of petals to prevent fraying. Sew petals together with invisible thread creating a flower.
8. Hand sew completed flower to purse face and add beads to petals, which will anchor flower to purse.
9. Place flower on front of bag in an area that compliments the graphics on the scarf and sew flower onto front of bag.
10. Insert a large metal stud in the middle of the flower. Use a blade and gently slice two slits for the stud to fit through. Close stud back by using a pencil eraser and push stud back down to back of bag. You could also use a button, etc.
11. To create felt monkey: Cut monkey out of brown felt. Embroider face and body of monkey with easy embroidery stitches and use black beads for its eyes.
12. Sew the monkey onto flower on front of bag so it looks like the monkey is hanging off of the flower; visualize a monkey swinging from a vine. (Keep in mind, your focal point does not have to be a monkey but should reflect the theme of your scarf.)
13. Interface all pieces of bag. Sew front, sides and back of bag together. Sew the lining the same way.
14. Clip seams of all of the pieces and insert lining into bag. Pin purse and lining together.
15. Cut tote material handles and cover with black satin; then zigzag on machine edges of black satin.
16. Affix the tote handles to the outside of the front and back of the tote bag using invisible thread.
17. String big glass beads in area where the handles meet the bag.
18. Begin sewing bag together to close the outside and lining of bag to complete bag.
Website: www.tuffbettybags.com
E-mail: tuffbettybags@yahoo.com
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