Zippered wristlet bags

I have felt under some pressure to get one of my orders made, although the bags are Christmas presents. I just hadn't bargained on spending time away from home helping our daughter-in-law sort out and pack up her home in order to move to Bahrain. Anyway, these little bags don't take long and I was able to deliver them a couple of days ago.

The lace butterfly motifs really make the black and white bags. I was so relieved to find these motifs on ebay as the person who ordered these bags wanted them identical to a bag I had made some time ago and which she saw and liked. The motifs on that bag had been in my stash since I bought them in 1994! But this is my favourite:

I absolutely love this fabric, Makower Poppy Perspectives. I found it on ebay as well, which was a lovely surprise. The bag was ordered for someone who also loves poppies. I hope she likes it; I know I would if I received it.

Please note the beaded zipper pulls!

Another birthday gift.

 I was rather short of time to make a friend a birthday gift. She is an avid knitter and I have made her knitting-related gifts in the past so I used a idea from Sew Scrumptious, whose blog I follow, and made a knitting needle holder. It is really quite simple but useful.

The needles are mine - I just inserted them for the photograph. My friend was very pleased with her gift. Quite neat, isn't it?

What a difference embellishments make!

My sister-in-law has gone back to Johannesburg but her influence lives on here in East Yorkshire. While she was here she said she would like a big bag to take to retreats that she helps run. I had a bag that I had made but not sold and she said it was just what she wanted but it looked very plain; not the bag of an artistic person at all! Well, she got to work, going through my scrap drawer and button tin and, with a little hard work, the bag was transformed!

This is what it looked like before she went to work:

Some scraps in toning fabrics were found and yo-yo's of different sizes made. Several buttons later and the bag took on a new look:

Here is a close-up of my sister-in-law's handiwork:

Oops - another photograph on its side! But you can get the idea. What a difference embellishments make!

Birthday bag

Today is my friend, Vivien's birthday. She and her husband kindly invited us to share in her birthday celebration in London. At first I didn't know what to give her as a present because I had already given her a small zippered pouch. Then I decided that some batik fabric I had bought recently would really suit her so made her a tote bag. As Vivien is quite short and the bag is rather large, it nearly dwarfs her but she was delighted with it. Here she is with her bag:

 Oops! How do you rotate a photo once it's here??