When I saw this bag in December’s Burda Style magazine, I just knew it was the one I’d been storing in my head for over a year! I’d seen a very similar 1940s Vogue pattern floating around on the web, time and again but never for sale, at least not with a reasonable sale ticket!
I’d almost resigned to self-draft my own but couldn’t quite get my head around the order of sewing. Didn’t really try hard enough tbh! But Burda saved the day yet again with another simple well-drafted design.
And so when I found out I was to make a Secret Santa pressie for the adorable vintage-wearing Emmie Ink Fairy, it was a given!
The instructions suggested leather, which I did originally go looking for. And believe it or not there is such a great colour choice as well in the Goldhawk Rd! But even after a good rummage, I couldn’t find a gold piece big enough to fit the pieces. I thought two pieces of gold lamb was a bit excessive and then gave up on leather altogether when I couldn’t remember if Emmie was a veggie/vegan. That might have gone down like a lead flipper!
As always it was A1 Fabrics that presented me with a better fabric solution: some lovely soft, gold ‘pleather’. Perfect!
It was an education to work with. A leather needle made light work but boy did we have a fight to press the stuff! Didn’t really think that through properly.
Pleather is plastic, fundamentally, and will melt if it comes into direct contact with a hot iron. I’m not that daft. I did use some parchment paper as a pressing cloth. But it just boinged back the minute I stopped pressing. The heat was being retained and making it too pliable. So I grabbed the nearest ‘clapper’ I could find, in the shape of a heavy book, to slap down on the fabric once I lifted the iron off. It did the job in cooling down the fabric quicker and so holding the press a bit better. Not nearly as well as a woven fabric would have pressed but better than a poke in the eye for sure!
Burda’s instructions stopped at a facing but I wanted neater than that, so I made a lining to attach to the bottom of the facing, and of course included an ooobop label! Not such a secret now but I liked it as a finishing touch!
I stupidly didn’t get a picture of Emmie with it adorning her wrist but it didn’t look out of place with her beautiful pink sparkly dress.
We were at a lovely Christmassy do hosted by the BHL girls. So honoured to be part of the evening with so many wonderfully familiar faces.
We dined and beered at a local-to-me Polish restaurant called Patio. I seriously don’t know how those girls catered so brilliantly for over 30 of us with so many different menu choices. They were amazing.
And look what some gorgeous and not-so-secret Santa made for me!
I seriously couldn’t believe that someone could have made this quilted cup and saucer but when I realised it was the uber talented Rachel Pinheiro, it all made blinding sense!!
What’s not to love about the colours, the french men in their Breton tops, the moustaches and the candy stripes? Perfect to keep all my sewing notions from rolling around the table while I’m sewing and also for sticking pins and needles in as I go.
Earlier in the day I had been to a work Christmas lunch. Yes I know, 2 Christmas do’s in one day. And I was still standing! One of my secret-santa friends bought me this gorgeous sewing pattern. She is so bloody clever and so thoughtful! I can totally see myself in this dress already!
I consider myself truly spoilt. Not just with do’s and gifts but with the plethora of amazing friends that bring me so much joy and make me laugh so much. That’s got to be the best part of any time of the year.
Have you made any gifts this year or is it all just too much?
Yes, definitely making gifts… Just too secret to share yet!
Love that bag, too.
I’m sure you are sewing up some fabulous goodies, mamafairy! x
Your bag was stunning and Emmie really looked excited about it. Im so glad you liked what I made for you darling. It was made with lots of love xx
I love it so much! And moreso that I will forever be reminded of you when I sew xxx
I love that bag, I bet Emmie was thrilled with it! Sounds like you all had a fab night 🙂 x
Thanks Kelly. It was a fab night indeed! x
What a great pressie idea! I’m stashing it for future reference!
Thanks CherryPix. I think I’ll be making more too x
Lovely bag! I found the original pattern you show for free on va va vintage blog with a lining and pockets. I made it but found the opening a little tight – maybe it was my choice of furnishing fabric though?
Thanks so much Claire. How on earth did I miss that?! It will be very interesting to compare the two patterns. Maybe I’ll make myself a matching hat too! 😉
Ooo, please show us!
That bag is beautiful. I have a very similar bag I made a few years ago that I keep my current knitting project in. I would never have thought of making it in pleather though, it looks fantastic.
Dear ooobop,
I’m writing to you from the mother-country of burdastyle…You did a fantastic Job on this purse, doesn’t even look like faux leather from here. I love your upgrade with the lining. I would really love to copycat that…when I sew this for a friend. Can you maybe help me; how did you fix the lining here? Does it Not show stiches on the outside?
Greetings B xxx
Thank you B. No the stitches don’t show on the outside at all. I simply traced the bottom part of the back pattern (minus the facing but adding a seam allowance) With right sides of lining together I stitched the side seams round to the base on both sides but left an opening of a few inches at the bottom (whatever you think you need to turn the whole bag through the lining). I then (with right sides together) attached the lining to the facing and then turned the whole thing the right way out. Once you’ve given it a pressing, its easily to hand slip-stitch the opening together with small stitches or I just machined stitched close to the edge. It wont be seen once it’s in the inside bottom of the bag. Hope that helps 🙂
Oh thank you so much! I will have a go on the bag today. Merry holidays to you and your family!
I love this bag and I really want to have a go at making one or two ( or three or four), I can’t find a December 2014 for sale anywhere online. Could you possibly see if their is a code for the pattern, it would be much appreciated.
Many thanks : )
There not ‘their’ ! I was tired …..