Recycled jeans bag

I started this project months ago by spraying some hearts into an old pair of jeans.

 Finally, today I took the scissors out and I cut out the pockets, to get started.

Next, I cut two squares of equal size ...

... I cut and sew the bottom of the bag and two side pieces.

I took the label from the jeans and added it to one of the sides as decoration.

Then, suddenly, my 40-year-old sewing machine stopped making proper stiches .... Hmmm ...

So, I took a Cup of tea to calm down 😊

Next, the zipper, a cute one.

And then the belt, that allowed me a bit of crocheting outside, in the lovely summerish weather, finally!

And the recycled jeans bag is ready!

Old jeans make a great bag

Past July I came across a pair of white jeans I never use. What could I do with them? I can not wear them anymore, but it is a shame to throw jeans like that away.
I also bought a few sprays, that you can use for colouring cloth. So, I started spraying on our balcony...

It became obvious pretty soon, that trousers like this, are just too hippy for someone of my age to wear (even in Käpylä, which is the hippiest neighbourhood in Helsinki).

Weeks passed... and while we were in Italy, on holidays, my daughter Sofia suddenly expressed that she needed a bigger bag for her ballet gear ... while we were in a Gucci store!!!. Looking around at these extravagant prices of bags ... I had a Heureka moment: I will make a bag for my daughter from the jeans I had sprayed.

So, finally today, after a few hours of cutting and sewing ... I finished a perfect training bag for my daughter. She's happy and my jeans have a new life :)

 

 

 

Black bag

I made another bag, adapting a pattern from Virpi Siira's inspiring book: Oma koppa - Neliö virkattuja variaatioita. here is the link to her blog: http://omakoppa.blogspot.fi/

It has a little inside bag and a zipper, so that small things do not fall out. I am not sure if it is practical.. time will tell.

 

A close-up of the pattern.

 

 

 

Bags for girls

My girls go to dance lesson, where they normally take a pair of shorts and a tank top to wear. The problem is always the same: "I can not find a bag, that would not be too big nor to small". School bags are huge and my shopping bags do not look cool enough. 

So, during my little autumn holiday last week I made two "in-between" bags for the purpose. The little details (the button and the tassles) were my girls' ideas.

Bags and purses

Inspired by the bags that appear in the book Virkkuri by Molla Mills, I have made a lot of bags and purses. First I made a big one.

Then a smaller one - for the summer.

And several really small ones for little girls as gifts.