In the clutches of a clutch

So it all started with an offcut of tweedy fabric my mother-in-law gave me... I played about with it and came up with a little "pochette" with a flower detail. But there were problems: I didn't use interfacing and so it was far too floppy. The size was wrong - too small for a bag, too big for a purse. And the colours were wrong for the friend who I decided to make it for half way in (she was having a birthday party the following evening).

But there was good stuff too. I really liked the flower and I liked the way the lining fabric could be seen at the sides (that was my original design focus - let the lining be glimpsed from the outside).

So I looked in my stash and found an African bezin and some denim offcuts...
I elongated the purse to make more of a clutch-type thing. I added a gusset to make the clutch more roomy and I loved loved loved the results. I especially liked the gusset, the way I sewed the design in onto itself to make a new design visible on the outside...and a stripey detail on the inside. I liked the way the front and back pieces matched up.But I gave it away that evening. I was happy to give it away but I wanted one for myself. And I had a list of friends who might want one. So I made three more. Of course I didOn one of them I inverted the gusset so the stripes would be visible on the outside and the dots on the inside. On all of them I added an inner credit-card-sized pocket... and on two of them I added a wrist-strap for carrying. And on two of them I used contrasting aqua thread instead of contrasting yellow thread. But there are problems... I don't like the flowers so much. They were much nicer in tweed. Oh well. Back to the drawing board!!!

In other news...

• really enjoying The Streets' new album "Everything is Borrowed".

• We have booked our tickets for a trip home to the UK at Christmas.

• I haven't been to the gym for two months and I am starting to wonder whether I will go back (especially since we are moving).

• I am slowly starting to realise that we are indeed moving. But it seems like a dream. Us live in a lovely big house??!!!

• Can't help looking at new sofas anyway (since IKEA owes us (really, it's true) - would you go for one big luxurious one or two smaller not-so-luxurious ones?)

• and am imagining future logfires and barbecues...

• Quite liked "The Other Boleyn Girl" (but liked Eric Bana in the bonuses more!!).

• I actually painted a portrait of Eric Bana in pointillism once for a gay friend who likes him too.

• Like this bullet dot things.
  

• I had to restore my computer last week, loosing all my data in the process (this is what stopped my blogging every day run), and when I put my data back in I reorganised my music and now it is so accessible that I spend all day dancing instead of surfing (so sporty).

• Could waffle on all day.

• Am living with someone who is passionate about all things Rome but who has just read the biography of Lawrence of Arabia and keeps trying to tell me about his very fascinating life at midnight and gets angry at me when I am too sleepy, distracted by the net or, er dare I say it, uninterested to take it all in.

• Goodbye