The Belt Bag

 Hello Readers. I hope you are doing well. I am aware that a lot of people are not doing well right now. There are unemployment and housing issues in addition to all our Corona, hurricane/wildfire and social/political issues. It is really a lot to try and wrap my head around all at the same time. I wish I had some words of wisdom that would help solve any/all/even one of these issues. I really don't, but I am pretty sure arguing on Facebook isn't going to solve anything.

I'm just going to sew for now. I have had this suede vest for ages. It just makes me feel like a cowboy and like I should have a horse, a lasso and be yelling, "Yee-haw!". (No offense to anyone currently in a vest, on a horse, yelling, "Yee-haw!".) It just doesn't feel like me.

Check out this vest from a clothes swap ages ago. It has a western kind of vibe to it. Amazingly, it matched this suede belt from another clothes swap.

I started cutting the vest into pieces. Suede doesn't fray at all so it is easy to work with. I wanted a small bag shape.

I know what you are thinking. How hard is it to sew through suede? Check it out in this short video clip. (Hint: It was super easy.)

 I used the belt to make this small bag into a belt-bag. Waist-bag. Fanny-pack. Butt-bag. Whatever you want to call it, I made one. I remember when these were popular in the 90's and I swore I would never wear one again. But here I am, years later, eating those words.

The belt fits through slits in the back of the bag. I can slide the bag off the belt to wear the belt alone if I want.

I was surprised I liked this bag as much as I did. It would be great for when I want to be hands free. 

 Thanks for reading along, now go make something fun for yourself.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Suede Jacket Is Now A Purse

Hello Readers. I hope you are happy and well. I am still enjoying my refashion projects. I love to change something old into something new. This suede jacket for instance. I've had this jacket for a long time. I have been thinking about what to create from it.

It wasn't an awful jacket. I just didn't really want a suede jacket, but a new purse would be nice. This is a nice, neutral tan color. It will be great as a purse. And those pockets will come in handy.

I cut the lining and shoulder padding out of the jacket. I used a seam ripper to remove all the fabric scraps left on the edges in the jacket.

It was easy to cut through the suede. I thought it might be too tough or too thick but I easily removed the sleeves and shoulders. The body of the jacket will be my new bag. 

Inside the jacket the seams look like this. It is in good condition and the raw edges obviously won't fray. It will be inside the bag so no one will see these seams. But it's nice to know they are smooth, neat, and sturdy.

I was going to attach straps and I used this buttonhole knife set to cut round holes through the suede. I measured carefully so I would have even balanced straps. It was like cutting through butter. I need to work with suede more often. It is soft and doesn't fray.

I bought some braided cord online. (Note- I used 5 mm size cord.) I couldn't find any at the fabric store but Amazon had about a dozen colors to choose from. I threaded it through the holes and tied big knots at the ends. You can see the stitching along the top of the bag. I folded the raw edge in and it was very easy to sew through. I used a universal needle, I didn't need a leather needle or special thread.

Here is the finished bag. It is very simple and the suede is super soft. I like the knots showing.  One side of the bag still has a pocket which is nice for my keys. The other jacket pocket is inside the purse.

I cleaned out my old purse and put all my things into this new bag. I found all these coins at the bottom of my bag. No wonder my purse was so heavy. Goodness, no one needs all these. I should clean things out more often.

Thanks for reading, now go make something fun for yourself.

***Hello again. I am adding some pictures in response to some questions I got about this bag. Queen Of Rods, this is for you. I hope this helps. Thanks again for reading.

Chickie

Here is a picture of the bag inside out. It is the lower part of the jacket, folded in thirds. So there are three layers of suede here.

At the bottom you can see the three layers of jacket and original hem from the jacket is still in place. It seems that some glue was used on the seams and I didn't want to rip or damage the suede by forcing the whole thing apart. I just sewed down one side, across the bottom and up the other side of my bag. 

The inner layer I made shorter and it divides the bad in half. I thought it would help me stay organized. One front pocket is there inside and the other front pocket is on the outside of the bag.

 You can also see a white patch inside the bag. It is where the pocket it sewn to the suede. I assume it is for strength, so I left it alone. 

I didn't line the bag because I like the leather inside and I don't want to add bulk or weight. It isn't that big to begin with, I don't want to sacrifice space to a lining. It would make it look more finished though, so maybe next time.