Another "green" purse, this one made from plastic grocery bags.

Here's another purse made from one of the pieces I posted in a previous post. This one is made from woven plastic grocery bags. I figure if you're going to make a purse from plastic bags you might as well go all the way and make the entire thing from repurposed material, so this entire bag is made from found materials except for the magnetic closure. I made the interior of the bag (the navy blue) out of the fabric from a curtain I purchased at the thrift store. The other fabric (blue print) is leftover from another project and we found it originally at a yard sale. Then I made the exterior of the purse from plastic grocery bags which I wove on my loom. This bag was great fun to make and unlike the grapevines the grocery bags actually went through my sewing machine just fine. I should apply to be on the testing team for some sewing machine company for what I subject my machine to (and my loom for that matter).

"Green" Purses

I recently posted pictures of three items I wove on my loom. Here is a photo of the first purse I have completed using one of those woven pieces. This was more work than I expected but was great fun to create. I just listed it in my etsy shop.

This was made using an old men's suit coat for the main bag part of the purse, then I used the mat I wove of grapevines as a cover for the bag. Deciding how to attach the mat to the bag took some figuring. I decided on stitching with a heavy upholstery thread in several places on the mat and through the bag. I also did this in many places along the top of the mat under the fold over part of the bag. Then I thought the ends of the grapevines might get too sharp as they dry thoroughly or might even snag clothing so I folded fabric and hand stiched it in a fold over the ends as you can see in the second picture. This had to be done by hand because the grapevines could not go through the sewing machine. I then added a vintage button to either side because, after all, I never can resist vintage buttons.

Look What I Made

Look what I took off my loom yesterday. What are they you ask? Well, they are woven newspaper, woven plastic bags and woven grapevine. I know, I know, you are right now asking yourself why on earth anyone would weave such materials but it was just one of those days when anything that came through my door was bound to be, well, bound in my warp threads. Currently they are in the form and size of approximately a place mat but I will be making them into pocketbooks. I will post the pictures of them here when they are done.