Appliqued Make-Up Bag

Embroidered VW Beetle 'Bug' Car

This week is 'World Book Day' and most primary schools in the UK encourage their pupils to attend school dressed as a character from their favourite book.  My daughter loves the 'Heroes of Olympus' series of books by Rick Riordan and wants to go as 'Piper'.  I am somewhat short of inspiration and so was pleased to have another project to work on whilst I waited for my costume making ideas to start flowing!

Here's what I busied myself with instead;

An applique of a classic Volkswagen Beetle.  I based the design on a digital stamp from Handmade Harbour and I think it captures the cuteness of this iconic car perfectly.  

The applique formed the front of a little zipper pouch which is an ideal size for a pencil case or cosmetics purse.

In the background you can see a matching personalised compact mirror.  The lovely 'dotty' fabric is from a pair of upcycled nursery curtains.  They are a heavy weight cotton canvas so make for a pretty but durable pouch.  

Whilst I was sewing my companion took it easy lying in the full sun of the bay window, still this is preferable to her usual position on top of my sewing machine where she insists on chasing my fingers and the spool of thread!

I first tried the bug with little antique mother of pearl headlights but then decided that the yellow worked better with the background fabric.  The buttons will have to be saved for another project, I love using them as they came from my Great Grandmother's button box so must be at least seventy or eighty years old!

Now back to World Book Day!