Sew Day!

Yesterday I declared a sew day and invited four friends over to sew bags.

This is what happened by the end of the day -- various bags in progress, big and small.

I gave over my whole main floor to the process -- we had a cutting table,

four sewing machines, and bags and boxes and suitcases of vintage linens,

donated yardage, trims, books and more.

I couldn't find my camera underneath all that creative goodness,

but Joyce had her iPad with her and documented it here.

And while you're there, take a look around.

Joyce has singlehandedly raised nearly $30,000

to feed hungry people by selling her handmade, one-of-a-kind bags.

I started with one of Joyce's vintage star blocks,

totally wonky. It was handpieced and not square at all,

but with a little love and lots of vintage bits, it makes a great flap for a messenger bag.

Here's the inside, with a bit of barkcloth making a pocket.

The back of the top flap is silk, cut from my cousin's bridesmaid dress,

which she passed on to me to play with.

This is the bag turned inside out. The pockets were ready-made for me courtesy

of a wall organizer someone made, and I used a cut-off part of a zipper

to use as tape to attach a hook.

Here's the bag opened up, showcasing the quilted star on the front

and the pieced back, made from Thai silk upholstery samples.

Now I've vacuumed the rug, swept up the threads, and put away the sewing machines

to reclaim the living and dining room.

But I kept some fun bits from other people: vintage fabrics,

a fun text print, some pieces of yardage, and some more upholstery samples.

We've decided to do this again, soon.

Thanks for sharing your creative energy, fellow bag ladies.