Upcycled Linen Purse
Whenever I am out and about, I keep my eyes open for hand-embroidered vintage linens. The designs which turn up most frequently are flowers and Crinoline Ladies. Now, floral items are perfect for bunting, as they are quite small, but Crinoline Ladies are too large for a bunting flag. So what to do with them?
At this point I should note that I only collect pieces which are worn, stained or ripped and would otherwise go into the bin - I would feel too guilty to cut up undamaged work! Actually I'm not even all that keen on the classic Crinoline Lady, they are much too twee and chintzy for my liking, but I just can't leave them to their almost certain death!
I used my find from last weekend to create a make-up pouch for a dear friend and whilst she too may not be a massive fan of the basic design, I knew she would appreciate the hours of work that once went into creating the original embroidery.
The Crinoline Lady was at 'her' most popular between the 1930's and 1950's, so I guess we could call it a classic!
Having decided upon stitching a make-up purse, I cut away the damaged areas and then attached polka-dot bands to each of the four sides.
As the original linen was quite thin and fragile, I added a backing and then free-motion quilted the entire piece which provided much needed additional stability.
I also free-motion embroidered my friend's name onto the reverse of the purse, as most people really appreciate the personal touch.
Next the zip was inserted before squaring up all the outer and lining pieces. It was then a simple matter of sewing the bag up, whilst remembering to leave a gap in the lining for turning purposes!
Sticking with the vintage theme I added a traditional 'Suffolk Puff' or 'Yo-Yo' beneath Dorothy's name.
All finished!
Personally I just find it annoying....so it's a good job I love her too xx
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