Old to new!

After making my neat little "recycled" western (skirt) tote bag, I decided to try making one with some old denim. I was very inspired by Connie at Crafty Home Cottage to use some of my own bits and pieces of denim. She made the CUTEST aprons using her old bib overalls! Check them out at her link above.

But, instead of using my own scraps,  I decided to go to the thrift store and buy an old denim skirt! I just HAD to try using a short denim skirt to make another tote bag, like my old western skirt tote (left, and linked above)............my sister's birthday was coming up and I thought it would be perfect for her.

So off I went to the local thrift store!


First though, I must apologize for the poor photos. I made this bag right before a beach trip to celebrate my sister's 60th birthday (did I ever post those photos?), and was in a hurry to get it finished before I went (I ALWAYS wait until the last minute)...... so naturally, I forgot to take photos of it! That's just not like me........but being in a rush does do weird things to a person, right?  So....... the following photos were taken by my sister with her cell phone, and though OK, they don't really show the details. 

Front of bag (above) hanging from a chair. Quite blurry but you get the gist of it. All I did was sew up the bottom seam (after sewing on the trim fabric with my sewing machine).  I used some darling Parisian-type fabric for a trim around the bottom, front and back, and for a "patch" behind some vintage doilies and buttons I had for decoration.

I didn't do anything else to "alter" the skirt at all! I left in the zipper and snap and the belt loops. I did add two more belt loops, one on each side, using the strip of denim that I cut off the bottom before adding the fabric trim.

Better picture of front of the bag, although blurry. Darn! I used some pretty pink stripped fabric for the tie, that was woven through the belt loops. The strips started out at 3" wide by a length that would go around the waistline of the skirt, plus maybe 3 extra inches. I then turned in the edges of the strips to enclose the raw edges and finished off the ends. The ties were run through the belt loops, and it can be pulled open just like a drawstring bag.

I made a "patch" using the Parisian fabric with some old vintage buttons across the top (just for decoration).

All of the lace sewn along the pocket tops was hand sewn as I couldn't reach inside with my sewing machine. 

Closeup of the front (above).

The back shows the trim around the bottom much better. Just love that fabric! My sister loves Hello Kitty things and colors, so I figured she'd like this fabric with the pinks, turquoises and blacks. The lace was hand sewn and also the appliqued heart was sewn on by hand.

I hadn't planned to make this tote so fancy, but you know me, I just can't resist adding lace and doo-dads.

I didn't even take pictures when she was opening this gift! What was I thinking anyway???

Thank you Connie at Crafty Home Cottage for your inspiration!

  

The crochet train.....

I was on a roll before Christmas making large crocheted doilies/table mats for everyone.... and then I was done...Christmas was over and no one to make doilies for!............ but I was still in the mood to crochet, so I've been having some fun making mini doilies and flowers.

I really need some mini doilies for my little mini albums that I make for my Etsy shop... but I hate using tiny yarn (thread) as my fingers just won't navigate that tiny string. All I had was some 4-ply yarn which is too big for "mini" doilies and flowers! (see below)

I live 25 miles away from the closest store with yarn, and was totally out of all of my smaller ply yarns, so ran to a local discount store that sometimes has a few skeins of yarn, and found some 3 ply yarn (blue) and tried that for some tiny flowers and doilies. What do you think?

Well, I'm really not liking them. The yarn is too coarse and stiff and it just didn't work up very well.  How about stacking one on a flower made with my black alpaca yarn?

The black flower is pretty, but still too big.... and the blue on top looks OK.. but who needs a black flower? Well.... maybe if I did steampunk.  Which I do really want to play with using my pinks, some black and golds.... so maybe the black one WILL be used at some point in the future.

My faves are these little roses - love them and they are so fun and easy to make.  I found the tutorial for these on YouTube at Simply Daisy.  This sweet little rose is super easy - chain 26 and then one row which consists of double,  half double and single crochets. Then curl it up and sew it together. L.O.V.E. them and am going to attempt to  make some smaller ones - yes! smaller.... as they would look darling on cards or my mini albums.

My next favorite is this pretty tiny little doily by tootooamy on You Tube. It's very lacy and sweet and I used about a 2 play yarn but it still turned out a little too big.... but love it anyway.

Look at these paired with the rose! So pretty. Oh it takes such simple things to make me happy. The cream rose is alpaca yarn.

Oh... and that pink one underneath... that is another one I love and don't think there is a pattern for it. I must have made it up. I found one like it on one of my mini albums I made, and for the life of me, can't remember where I got the pattern from! so must have just been experimenting. I copied it and came up with a couple more.  

I like the little "spokes" and it works really nice with a pretty blingy button in the middle (below).

Now... all the blue ones are from various patterns I found on YouTube. I wrote some down and some I didn't. 

I think the smallest little tiny 6 petal flower at the bottom was by My Fair Hands. Search for her video if you're interested entitled "How to Crochet a tiny flower tutorial". It is super easy and would look great in different colors mixed together on a project.  The five petal flower above it and to your right I'm pretty sure was made by B. Hooked Crochet entitled "Easy Crochet Flower".  

For the others, I was just playing around and was trying the picot border on the biggest one. It's pretty but as I said, I did not like this yarn!  They do look kind of neat stacked up.

By the way, here's a large table mat I made for my nephew and his fiance using that picot edge. I kind of like it.... had never used that edging before and I just kind of made it up. I wanted it not quite so frilly and feminine.

OK... that's my fun for the last couple of weeks or so. I finally made it to the St. Vincent de Paul store (thrift store) 25 miles away, and picked up some smaller yarn sizes, so am going to try my hand at some even smaller flowers and doilies. I'll let you know how it works out!

I guess I'm still on the crochet train.......