I have lots of purses and bags available at market – some that I’ve crocheted that are cute and small, some I’ve crocheted that are bigger, some larger bags made with upholstery samples, some adorable mini bags also made with upholstery samples and then there’s my labors of love …
I need to add them as items for sale, but I have them at market and am happy to talk to anyone about them!
And when I say labor of love …. I mean labor of love.
1 – I hand cut the paper, roll each bead, then put them all through a glue bath to turn them Into proper beads.
2 – I start adding the hardware – each bead needs a pin to be connected to the pieces around it.
3 – I create a chain mail of jump rings that connect the beads into the shape of the bag.
4 – I sew the fabric liner insert and then attach it to the mechanics of the chain mail. Some bags are sewn together. Recently I tried out connecting it through hardware that pierces through the liner. I like both so I think I will take it creation by creation and decide which looks/work best for it.
5 – I add a gorgeous, fun, link strap that is as lightweight as the purse itself.
I love them …. I really do. They are one of the creations that started with the question, “Can I do that???”
As I played with different cuts and shapes of the paper beads I found some worked best in specific ways and, as much as I love this long cylinder shape, I just couldn’t get it to lay in a piece of jewelry in a way that I found flattering. The solution was, of course, something that had never been done before. I went looking for all of the ways others were using this shape of bead. This allowed me to think outside of the box that held the things I’d been making, and then I imagined what I could do with them that no one else was.
Of course imagining these purses was the first step. The, ‘how on earth do I do this?’ stage is even longer.
I started a few …. finished 1 … ran into some problems with the 2nd …. then only had 1 for a very long time. The others were set aside and by the time I got back to them I’d noodled the problems enough that I was able to finish them in ways that I’m very proud of. Then I did 3 more based on feedback I’d gotten. I love them all.
What does this mean for you? It means a purse that is functional and fun! Unique, lightweight, special and one-of-a-kind. If that’s your thing – let’s talk.
