When I am sewing, there are quite a few things that seem to make me say @£$%&#£!!!!

In the past couple of weeks, I have said it for all of these reasons:

• Not having the right coloured cotton/ribbon/buttons
• Not having quite enough ribbon
• Making a lavender bag inside out
  
• Sewing up a lavender bag without any lavender in it
• Not sewing in a straight line
• Trying to sew really good heart shapes
  
• Leaving an opening so small that I can't turn an item the right way out
• Running out of cotton part way along a seem
• Using a different coloured thread on the top and bottom in my machine by mistake
  
• Trying to sew in a zip without the zip foot on my machine
• Forgetting to put the fabric feeder back in place after lowering it for a button
• Forgetting to change the machine stitch back to straight from zigzag
• Snapping my sewing machine needle by hitting a pin too hard
• Loading far too much of a coloured cotton onto the spool
• Not matching up a pattern very well
  
• Losing my ruler
• Jabbing myself with a needle/pin
• Sewing a pin into a hidden seam
  
• My cat insisting on sitting on my lap whilst I am sewing and then digging claws into my stomach
• Knocking over my cup of tea whilst sewing
• Finding out that my pinking shears are really blunt

To say 2009 has been a busy year at From Rags To Bags is probably a bit of an understatement. Lots of items have been made, including new handbags designs, and new items have been added such as handbag charms and felt items. Better still lots of items have been sold, with sales up an incredible 70% on 2008!

I have been working hard at promoting the website over the year. As well as selling on Etsy, Dawanda and Folksy, From Rags To Bags hit Facebook with its own profile page, click here, which currently has over 500 hundred fans. More fans seem to appear each week, many of whom leave comments and feedback which is helpful. Twitter was also added to the marketing assault, click here, with more than 650 people now following From Rags To Bags tweets. Again, the numbers of people just seems to keep growing. I just need to try to remember to post comments a bit more often.

One of the most enjoyable online tools From Rags To Bags embraced in 2009 was this blog. It has been a really useful outlet for highlighting new products and generally muttering about handbags in general. I have lots more ideas for blog postings on my to do list. The numbers following the blog are steadily growing too, so I guess what I write must be of interest. Having recently added the flag counter feature, it is quite fun checking to see which countries have visited. I am in competition with a fellow blogger to see who can get the most flags. She is currently winning. That needs to be addressed in 2010. More flags please!  You can follow the blog at http://fromragstobags.blogspot.com.

I am constantly mulling over new design ideas, so hopefully lots more stock will be added to the website for sale in the coming year. I have got a pile of vintage handbags awaiting repairs too which will hopefully make their way onto the site soon. The January sale is now on to clear out some stock to make way for the new, so please take a look and bag yourself a bargain.

Thanks to everyone who has bought a From Rags To Bags item in the past, everyone who is a fan of Facebook, who is following on Twitter and who follows the blog. Without customers there wouldn't be much need for me to make anything. I hope you all have a very happy and prosperous 2010.

I have just spent a week's holiday in Las Vegas which is not only a great place for a spot of gambling but also a great place for a spot of shopping if you get lucky on the gaming tables. The hotels, or resorts as they tend to be referred to, offer a huge range of shopping, for most pockets. Some of my favourite haunts though are the top end fashion houses.

Las Vegas offers not one but multiple Louis Vuitton stores, as well as Fendi, Prada, Dior, Chanel, Hermes, Gucci and Emilio Pucci. It is shopping heaven if designer labels are your bag. I found it the perfect place for having a good browse. It is not often that I get a chance to get my sticky fingers on designer handbags and have a good poke about in them, so I took full advantage.

On the whole, I think most shop assistants these days have watched the film "Pretty Woman". Whilst I am in no doubt they knew I wasn't going to buy a handbag, they were, on the whole, helpful, friendly and polite. They didn't overtly judge me on my jeans and walking boots (well, apart from one anyway). For all they knew, I might have just had a big win in the casinos. As it happens, it was a case of have credit card, could buy one if I wanted to, I just couldn't actually justify the price tags and didn't really want to spend the next six months paying off a handbag!

Whilst I am sure the stores can justify the price tags, I really can't. I know the bags are handmade, using the best materials and you are also paying for the name. On the whole though, the handbags are relatively mass produced and I don't necessarily want to spent over a thousand pounds on a handbag that someone else has as well. You can buy one off handmade handbags for a fraction of the cost, which are also well made.

For a lot of people, owing a designer handbag is simply a status symbol. The Louis Vuitton handbag with it's distinctive LV monogram is easy to spot. It is also probably one of the most copied designs as well, with cheap replicas cropping up in many a cheap gift or luggage store. It is ironic to think that Louis Vuitton first put his initials on his luggage to guard against fakes. The other designers are also fairly easy to spot too, with Prada's badge, Fendi's buckles, Dior's D tags etc. Personally, I don't want a handbag that screams its provenance though. I like a bag to be a bit more discreet about its price tag. If I paid hundreds, let alone over a thousand for a handbag, I would be terrified of using it in case I damaged it and got mugged for it.

If you are not going to have the pleasure of using an item that has the sole purpose of being used, there is no point buying it. For me, handbags are all about form and function. I was surprised how many designer bags, were all show and not enough form. I would at the very least expect metal feet on the bottom of larger handbags to protect the bottom from dirt.

I have to admit I was quite taken with one Fendi evening bag which was beautifully beaded all over with a chain strap. It was a good size and very pretty. It was also US$1600. It got me thinking about all of the exquisite vintage beaded handbags I have sold in the past for a fraction of the price. Why pay so much for a beaded handbag when you can buy vintage?

Of course, there are always exceptions to any rule. For me the exception has got to be Hermes. I didn't even have the courage to go in and put my sticky fingerprints on a Hermes bag. I was like the Little Match Girl in the fairytale with her nose against the shop window. I just looked in awe at the handbag on the shelf. For me, Hermes handbags are the most perfect form, offering understated elegance yet functionality. I know the price, my credit card shook with fear. I also know that they take weeks to make by master craftsmen, using the finest leather.

I would like to think, and hope, that one day, just maybe, if I get lucky in Vegas, I might, just might be able to justify buying, loving, cherishing and above all using, a Hermes Birkin or Kelly handbag. Maybe, just maybe.

As you may have realised from reading my blog and visiting my website, I like to recycle where possible. I hate throwing anything away that may be of use, so I try to utilise items in other ways, such as making my handbags.

About three years ago, I went to a summer wedding and bought a new pair of pale green, fabric shoes to go with my outfit. Being England in the summer, needless to say it rained! My pale green shoes ended up caked in mud as the wedding reception was in a marquee in a field. Despite my best efforts to clean them, my shoes still had mud stains and were relegated to the back of the wardrobe for the next three years!

Whilst the shoes weren't particularly expensive, I couldn't quite bring myself to throw them out as they were perfectly wearable - just grubby. I couldn't even donate them to a charity shop for sale as they weren't in good enough condition. A few weeks ago, it suddenly struck me that I could dye them and try to cover the mud stains.

I bought a packet of black dye which was suitable for leather and fabric shoes. It could also be used to dye belts, handbags and anything other accessories you wanted to change the colour of. I was a bit cautious but thought I really had nothing to lose other than the £5 cost of the dye and a pair of shoes that were ruined anyway.

The kit came with an abrasive pad for roughing up the surface of leather before dyeing. As the shoes were fabric I didn't need to do that bit. There was also a small brush for applying the dye, so I just went for it and merrily painted it onto the shoes. It was actually much easier than I thought it would be. The dye soaked into the fabric really well and spread right up to the edges of the soles, so I didn't even need a steady hand. Even the straps were quite easy to do.

Having left the shoes to dry out over night, I was really pleased with the result. My pale green shoes were now transformed into a wearable pair of black ones. The dye is really even and, according to the instructions is completely colour fast, so it won't run in the rain! I am yet to try the shoes out but with the festive season fast approaching I am sure I will find a reason to wear them soon. The shoes certainly won't be in the back of the wardrobe anymore, that's for sure.

I have to be honest, I love making lavender bags. They are such a simple thing and yet such a pleasure to make. I find the wonderful aroma of the lavender wafting around the room really therapeutic.

If you have visited my online shop, you will no doubt have seen the array of lavender bags I have made from vintage tablecloths etc. Whilst I really like those and will continue to make them, I realised it was time to explore something a bit different in style. Gingham fabrics seemed really obvious so I wasn't sure about the idea to start with. I didn't want to follow the crowd as I like my products to be a bit more quirky. I realised that there must be a market for gingham products though or else you wouldn't see them everywhere you look!

A quick jaunt to the local charity shops gave me some fabulous gingham fabrics to use. I found a really lovely deep red gingham men's shirt which soon got the sharp end of my scissors. Like a lot of crafters I have a huge tin of buttons, most of which are vintage. I also have a large bag of mother of pearl buttons that once adorned a handbag I found in a charity shop. Add to that my bag of ribbons saved from chocolate boxes and bath product gift boxes etc, I had plenty of bits and bobs to use as decoration.

I am quite pleased with the first bags I have made, the possibilities in colour, shape and decoration are endless. Add to that the variety of fancy stitching my sewing machine can do, I will have hours of fun making more lavender bags. I just need to sell some to prevent a stockpile though, they make great gifts and Christmas is coming ...... !

I spent quite a bit of yesterday at a local auction. They are held periodically in the local community centre and are a one day only event. You drop your lots off in the morning, viewing is from 12.30pm and the auction starts at 2.00pm. It is usually all over by about 5.00pm depending on the number of lots, which is usually around 300 or so. The best bit about it, is never quite knowing what you are going to find!

This time, I was selling as well as buying. I had a few handbags which hadn't sold, as well as a large box of linens I didn't need, so decided to try my luck with them in the auction. I dropped off my items at 10.00am and took a crafty sneak peek at some of the other lots whilst I was there.

I was quite surprised to find not only another box of linens but also a lot of three vintage bags. The bags were really interesting, one was a small beaded Art Deco purse in very good condition. The other two were more modern but one had a very unusual frame at the top which folded in on itself to open. I was quite excited to be going back later for the actual auction.

After waiting for just over an hour to get to the linen lot, bidding was quite fierce. I had had a bit of a rummage in the box during the viewing and one item had really caught my eye. I set my highest price in my head and hoped for the best! Luckily the bidding stopped with me, at my maximum bid of £20. Adding commission, the lot was going to cost me £22.

A short while later, the three bags went under the hammer. I had set a price of £10 in my mind, which would have been £11 with commission. The small Deco bag I probably would have sold for about £14 and the other two bags were a real risk. Unfortunately, the seller had place a reserve of £15, so the bags went unsold.

My lots came up about an hour later. The handbags and linens raised £16 in total, which wasn't brilliant but it got rid of them, so I was happy. Having settled up at the desk, I took my new box of linens home for a good sort out which is always the best bit!

Whilst three quarters of the box was of no interest to me whatsoever, there were some really good items amongst it. There was a large piece of net curtain, which is an essential tool when making felt with soap and water. I needed a larger piece so that was a real bonus. There were a few linens with wide lace edging which will be ideal for turning into lavender bags and there was a set of four table mats with very pretty embroidery which will also make good lavender bags.

The star of the show though was the embroidered jacket that I had spotted. You couldn't really miss it as the fabric is so striking. It is embroidered all over in the most gorgeous and elaborate pattern. The jacket is old, possibly homemade, and I would guess it dates from around the 1930's but I could be wrong.

The base fabric feels like a fine wool and judging by the moth damage on the collar, I think I am probably right. It is fully lined in a salmon pink satin and has two handmade buttons at the front.

Overall, the jacket is in very good condition, apart from the moth holes and some small yellow marks. Having said that, there is plenty of usable fabric remaining. Part of me thinks it is a shame to cut the jacket up, but to be honest, it is not wearable as it is due to the moth holes.

I am certainly not going to rush into making any decisions. I will probably take the jacket apart to start with and see which bits are usable. I will then decide what to make, whether it is a whole handbag or just use parts as features on different bags. It really is a case of watch this space!

The first I ever heard of bag charms was a few years ago when my sister gave me one as a gift. My favourite handbag at the time was an appliqued fabric bag which worked really well with the charm she gave me.

Bag charms are such a simple idea, it seems surprising that nobody ever thought of making them before. Now bag charms have become really popular. If you have a plain bag, a charm can be a really great way of giving it an individual look. Different coloured charms can be used to tie a handbag into an outfit's colour scheme too, without the need for buying a new bag. Skip that last sentence, buying a new handbag is always a really good idea!

I quite enjoy making bag charms and spend ages deciding which beads to use and where to place them. Charms take me so long to make they certainly aren't cost effective but I don't worry about that. They are quite therapeutic to make and make a change from sewing.

You can use any type of beads, glass, wooden, metal, plastic. I tend to break up pieces of jewellery I no longer wear or buy cheap pieces in charity shops. Earrings can be really useful for making charms. Using unwanted and vintage jewellery can also offer unusual materials which can make charms even more individual.

Some of my handbag charms, past and present are below .....

If you have read my blog entries "From Table to Drawer" or "Rose Petal Scent Bags", you will know that I like to use vintage linens to make lavender and rose scent sachets. I have made a number of different designs using embroidered tablecloths and place  mats.

Whilst tablecloths and place ments are extremely abundant, finding the ones that are right for use is harder than it sounds. Firstly, I look for a natural fibre, as I don't really see the point putting a natural product such as lavender into a synthetic fabric. I therefore only use cotton or linen to make each sachet.

The other vital part for me is the decoration. I prefer not to use a patterned fabric which is why I use embroidered tablecloths and place mats. The decoration tends to be localised rather than all over the fabric. Finding just the right embroidery is also really tricky. Some tablecloths feature ladies in crinoline skirts which are far to big to be practical and some floral designs are meandering or flower garlands which again are just too big to be used.

The ideal embroidery is small areas of flowers which have quite a large blank area of fabric surrounding them. I like the embroidery to end up central on each scent sachet. If it is slightly to one edge though I will make allowances. However, if the embroidery is too close to an edge, then you don't have enough fabric left to sew the scallop edge around the scent sachet.

Two other factors to take into account are firstly you need to be left with enough plain fabric to create the back of the scent sachet. Secondly, you need to ensure that there is a fair amount of useable embroidery on the tablecloth or placemat to make it economical. If you spend a lot of money on a tablecloth with two pieces of useable embroidery, you will only end up with two scent sachets to sell. Taking into account the cost of the lavender, cotton, electric and not to mention your time, it wouldn't be worth making them.

Finally, having found a cotton or linen tablecloth or set of place mats, with small areas of floral embroidery in good condition, the final point to check for is stains. Most vintage linens will have been used in their time and may have small stains on them. If they have come from a large house, they may even have a number dyed onto an edge for identification purposes when sent off to laundry. The best way to check for stains is to hold the linens up to the light. Stains that don't necessarily notice when you first look, soon show when held up to the light.

There is a certain satisfaction in finding just the right linens for use, at a reasonable price. Definitely the best part for me though is filling them all with fragrant lavender or rose petals. The wonderful scent wafting up makes them a pleasure to sew.

Drum roll please!

The winner of the Edward Bear Giveaway has been drawn.

I was going to get my nieces and nephew to do the honours but realised it wasn't really fair to ask a 2, 5 and 9 year old to draw the winner of a Teddy Bear competition, as they would probably want him. Can you imagine the ensuing pandemonium?!

Anyway, my unbiased husband draw the winning name from the hat, overseen by independent judge Daisy the cat and Edward Bear himself. They can all verify all entrants names were in the hat and it was drawn with eyes shut (husband's, not cat or bears, obviously!).

So, the winner and hopefully proud new owner is .........

Kerensa Jones!

Hopefully Edward will arrive safely at his new home and will be loved for a long time to come.

Thanks to all of you for entering the competition. It was fun and definitely something I will do again at some point in the future.

When it comes to making handbags my absolute nemesis has got to be handles! Unless I make clutch bags all the time, there is no escaping putting a handle onto a handbag. They just seem to give me no end of grief though.

Take today, for a prime example. I made a lovely little satin bridal bag, with a single strap handle but it took me three attempts to make the handle. The first one, I tried to do some decorative stitching along it which ended up crooked. Second time, I tried a different decorative stitch and I ran out of cotton three quarters of the way along the handle. Trying to match up the stitching again was virtually impossible. The third handle I ended up leaving plain.

Having made the handle, I had to attach it. Simple you may think. I sewed it on when sewing in the lining. Having turned the bag the right way out, I found the handle was twisted. Having unpicked the stitching and trying again, the handle wasn't on straight. Third time was just about acceptable.

If you want to put on double handles, it throws up yet another problem. Trying to get the handles exactly the same length can be tricky. If they are uneven though the bag will be lopsided when you carry it. Making handles can also be troublesome. If you are using a thin fabric, like satin, you can sew them lengthwise inside out, turn them the right way and iron them flat. However, with thicker fabrics it is impossible to make them that way as you can't turn the fabric the right way out again. You have to fold the edges in and stitch all the way along. Maybe it's just me but I seem to have problems sewing in a straight line on a thin strip of fabric.

Finding cheats are a real help. Chain straps, single straps and bamboo or cane handles are really useful. I have also used a leather belt recently which worked really well. I would like to say practice makes perfect but I am not so sure. I just never seem to be able to have stress free handles!

I upgraded my website a few months ago and I can now get more detailed statistics on visitors to my website. Before I just got a graph of the number of visitors. Now I can see which countries people are based in, which I find endlessly fascinating.

It never ceases to amaze me how global a marketplace we now live in. Despite being a small UK based website, I get visitors from all over the world dropping by to see what I am selling. Most of my sales have been to the UK and USA but there have been some to other countries too.

Visitors to my website, in no particular order, have come from the UK (obviously!), Russian Federation, France, Slovakia, Antigua & Barbuda, Canada, USA, Italy, Belgium, Egypt, Finland, Mongolia, Croatia, New Zealand, Israel, Germany, Poland, Netherlands, China, Singapore, Brazil, Switzerland, Australia, Czech Republic, Ireland, Chile, Argentina, Denmark, Philippines, Spain, India, Malaysia, Iceland, Norway and Sweden. It's like a meeting of the United Nations! I quite like the live feed map on my Blogspot page as well as that gives an instant map of where blog visitors have come from.

It is quite odd to think that the internet can so easily connect us with complete strangers all over the world. People we will most probably never meet or ever talk to. The internet has certainly helped small business the world over reach a far greater customer base and become more successful. I know I owe a lot to it!

I spent some of yesterday and today wet felting a couple of bowls. I haven't done any felt work for a while and really felt in the mood. The trouble with wet felting is that you can't really start and stop it, you have to pretty much finish the whole felting process in one go. That means you need to have a spare few hours to make anything, which is sometimes easier said than done.

This weekend, I knew I would have some spare time, so made a note in my head to definitely do some felting. I had been wanting to try out a couple of bowls for a while, so that is what I decided to make. They are really easy to make as you simply use a ball, in this case a football, as a mould to apply the wool to. I used some knitting wool to start with, in two colours, just for interest and then used a variety of complimentary colours in merino wool. Once you get started, keeping the wool on the ball is actually quite easy.

I gradually built up layers using the colours I had chosen, applying soap and water as I went to help the felting process. Once I was happy with the thickness, I finished with a final layer of dark blue merino which I spent quite a long time rubbing with soap to ensure a good felt. When I was happy with the stability of the felting, I put the ball into the washing machine on a 60 degress cycle. This ensured that the felt got a good pounding to mesh the fibres together and also rinsed out all of the soap I had used. I didn't add any detergent to the cycle as a lot of fabric detergents have any felting chemicals in them to protect your clothes.

Having been spun at the end of the wash cycle, the ball was fairly dry when I took it out. I gave it a quick iron to flatten the fibres as it was looking a bit fluffy and then came the exciting bit, cutting it open. As you work from the inside to the outside, you are never quite sure how it will turn out. I have to say I was really pleased with the resulting bowls.

One bowl I decided to simply sew on a felt flower made from matching merino wool. The other bowl, I thought I would be a bit more ambitious and apply some beadwork to the outside. I threaded pink, green and blue seed beads onto beading wire and then sewed the length of beading onto the felt bowl. I think both options have worked well and I really don't have a favourite between them.

The vibrancy of the colours of the wool always really appeal to me, which is why I think I love felting so much. Also the softness of the merino makes objects really tactile. I guess felt bowls aren't very practical though, a bit like a chocolate teapot! They are definitely more decorative than anything else.

Last year I was lucky enough to be invited to a Garden Party at Buckingham Palace. There is quite a strict dress code involved with ladies requested to wear tea dresses and hats. As I am usually superglued to my jeans, I was thrown into a bit of a quandry. I didn't actually own a dress!

As the dress was the main requirement, that is the first item I bought. I purchased a pretty silk tea dress in shades of pink on a white background. I was perfect. Unfortunately, I hadn't actually considered accessorising a pink dress. Easier said than done, believe me. I spent a long time deliberating on colour and whether or not your shoes, hat and handbag need to match each other or not. In the end the lack of pink accessories for sale solved that dilemma!

By some complete miracle I managed to find a pair of dark pink suede shoes which matched the dark pink in my dress perfectly. That just left the hat and handbag. The hat came next as I managed to find a large white gauze hat which was ideal. With a white hat, I opted for white handbag as I decided trying to find the right shade of pink handbag was going to be impossible.

Having already spent a small fortune on the dress, shoes and hat, I really didn't feel like spending very much on a white handbag. To be honest, I didn't think I would use a white handbag again in a hurry either. I headed to the bridal section of a local department store and found the perfect bag there. Even better, it was in the sale and cost just £3.99!

On the day, the outfit looked perfect and I felt like a million dollars rubbing shoulders with Royalty at the Palace. Not sure what they would have thought of my bargain basement handbag, but it just goes to show you don't have to spend a fortune on designer labels. You just need a bit of luck when shopping.

If you are a lover of vintage bags and linens, a really good place to pick them up is at local auctions. There are a few that take place around my area every month, so there is often a good chance of finding a few gems.

In the past I have been quite lucky, managing to pick up large mixed lots of linens and textiles, as well as mixed boxes of handbags. One of my best auction buys, a few years ago, was a huge box of vintage handbags. There was so many there I didn't really know how many, so just made an estimate and left a bid on that basis. My winning bid was £80 which came to £94 with fees. When I got home and sorted the bags out, there was 54 in all, so quite a bargain. Obviously, age and condition varied enormously but there was some great bags amongst them.

Having already checked one of the auction catalogues online, I know there is a lot of vintage bags for sale, together with some boxes of linens. I am quite excited to go and view the lots tomorrow morning and will hopefully leave some bids. The other auction is an auction in a day, where the lots of dropped off in the morning and sold in the afternoon. You never know what will be there until you go and look. But that is half the fun of it.

Hopefully, I will be lucky. I shall let you know!

A week or so ago, I was dying some clothing chocolate brown and decided to throw in a couple of my unbleached cotton tote bags which I use for making my photo totes. I thought I could just applique a few fabric flowers on the bags for a quick and simple makeover.

The resulting bags came out a pleasing shade of brown but unfortunately all of the stitching remained cream. I assume the thread used was polyester and not cotton or else it would have taken the dye as well. I really couldn't put up with the cream stitching showing around the top of bag and along the handles, so I decided to unpick it all and redo it in brown thread. For some additional decoration, I used a decorative leaf embroidery stitch in a gold thread.

The flowers are made from suede, corderoy, wool and a faux suede, all taken from old clothing and remnants. The flower centres are vintage all buttons. The buttons were definitely the best bit, I was dreading sewing them on, particularly pushing the needle through leather. I suddenly remembered that my new machine could sew on buttons so I decided to try it out.

It was fantastic! So easy! There was a small amount of setting up beforehand but the actual sewing of the button took about 10 seconds. It would have taken me at least half an hour of fiddling to sew them on by hand.

Overall the bag was more involved than I had originally intended, mainly due to changing the cream stitching but I think it was worth it in the end and I am quite pleased with the finished result. Hopefully you will agree!

I have decided to expand my horizons and try my hand at using metal frames in some of my bags. They come in a huge range of shapes, sizes and colours, so the possibilities are endless. I did have a few problems locating supplies, so if anyone knows where I can buy frames from, please let me know!

Anyway, I finally tracked down a few frames at a reasonable price so set about transforming a piece of fabric taken from an old sari which I purchased recently from Louise, at Catwalk Creative. Designing the bag was the easy bit, trust me! Constructing the actual bag was no different to any other lined bag and I used the frame as a template to sketch out a paper pattern for it.

The tricky bit was attaching the bag to the frame. You can get frames that you either glue to the bag or sew to the bag. I opted for the gluing version as I thought that would be easier. Hmm! I'm not so sure now. The problems started when I took the lid off the tube of textile glue. It is really runny and I had obviously been applying pressure to the closed tube, as it promptly erupted like a volcano all over my fingers. I had real problems just getting the tube of glue under control before I even approached the bag frame.

The idea is to place an even trail of glue along the channel on each side of the frame. Sounds easy enough. Wrong! Trying to apply even pressure all the way along seemed beyond me for some reason, so some areas were a bit sparse and others had too much glue. As I was using a curved frame, the glue at the ends insisted on running towards the middle. It is worth pointing out that you should only tackle one side at a time.

Timing is everything when gluing. If the glue is too wet it oozes out all over the fabric, if it is too dry the fabric won't stick anyway. I left the glue to dry for about 5 minutes and then tried to insert the edge of the bag. Getting the fabric in was a bit fiddly to say the least. I also realised that having pools of glue in places really wasn't helpful as some seeped out onto the fabric. Thankfully, once dry, I was able to pick most of the glue off again.

I am quite pleased with the finished bag even though it isn't perfect. I won't be putting this one up for sale and will keep it for myself to use instead. It has been an interesting project and I will definitely have another go with other frames I have bought. Hopefully, practice will make perfect and the future framed bags will be as pretty as a picture!

When I buy vintage bags for my website, I try to buy bags that are in really good condition with little damage and no stains. However, there is often a small amount of where and tear due to the age of the bag and the fact that someone has used it and loved it in the past.

Occasionally, I will buy a bead bag with a small amount of bead loss, just because I really like the bag. In that case, I will do my best to repair the bag sympathetically and have a couple I am working on at the moment. Sometimes I will get a bag in a job lot which has got some staining and I do my best to spruce it up a bit for sale. Buying handbags over the internet or even at outdoor sales can catch me out, as you don't always realise a bag smells of cigarette smoke. The odour is really hard to remove.

When I think it will be possible, I tend to gently handwash handbags in warm water with a mild handwash detergent. It is amazing how many light stains can be removed and how sparkly beads can become afterwards. Needless to say, completely washing a bag is not always possible and really depends on the structure of the bag and materials used. Sometimes I can get away with just spot cleaning a particular area.

Most of the time, the results are quite successful. However, one vintage clutch bag does spring to mind. It came with a couple of other bags and was a white clutch bag, probably 1960's, with small beads dotted over it. It was very dirty and badly stained, so it was either try and clean it or throw it away. I decided to soak it for a while before rubbing at some of the stains to try and loosen them. What I didn't realise was that the bag was not as solid as I had first thought. The internal structure was made of cardboard and soaking it wasn't really the best idea. As I worked on the stains, the seams came apart and the bag disintegrated into a soggy mess in my hands! The only place left for the poor bag was the bin.

It was quite funny at the time and I didn't really have much to lose as the bag was in such a poor state to start with. I am definitely a bit more careful with others now though!

I have just finished the rose petal scent bags I started a little while ago. The fabric was a set of six embroidered place mats with the flowers embroidered on one edge only. As they were embroidered with roses it seemed obvious to turn them into scent bags filled with rose petals. It is a shame there was only six as it has limited the number of bags I could make.

I think they are really pretty and smell gorgeous. I did have a slight issue with the rose petals I bought as they did not smell that strong. I added a generous amount of Rose Absolute essential oil to the petals to enhance the scent which has worked really well.

If you want to find out for yourself, you will have to buy one!

My mother is an avid teapot collector with well over 400 different novelty and antique pots spread all over the house. When I first saw the fabulously quirky range of ceramic handbag teapots designed by Annie Rowe, I had to buy her one and then another!

I was delighted to find a third one to add to her collection the other day at a car boot sale. It cost me just £3 which I have to say is a complete bargain. I would have paid £10! Each pot comes in a black cardboard box with gold braid handles, thus resembling a handbag itself. The pots range in colour and style as any good handbag range.

The pot I have just bought is called "Hollywood Gold" and measures approximately 17cm across from spout to handle and is 18cm tall, so quite a practical size for a working teapot. The bright turquoise glaze and gilded handle and spout making it very eyecatching. If the pot were a real handbag it wouldn't look out of place swinging on your arm in Monte Carlo!

I haven't given the bag to my mother yet, but I know she will be thrilled with it when I do.

When it is an autographed cycling shirt! Confused? So was I!

A week or so ago, I decided to indulge my love of handbags a little bit more and buy another book on them. All in the interests of research obviously! I knew which book I wanted, so happily placed my order online through a certain well known website. However, I opted to buy the book from a private seller as it was cheaper.

A few days later, a parcel arrived that seemed somewhat squidgy to be a book. Upon opening it, I found not my book on handbags but a cycling shirt autographed by singers Beverly Knight, Shaggy, James Blunt, Gabriel and KT Tunstall, as well as actors James Nesbitt and David Schwimmer! A slightly odd mix but nonetheless, a great item if that's what you wanted. Obviously, I didn't.

Slightly bemused, I checked the parcel and found a delivery note for my book, so at least I knew where the shirt had actually come from. There was also a letter from a London radio station dated September 2007, offering congratulations on winning the shirt in a competition, together with a mountain bike. Not a bad win all in all.

I waited a few days expecting a frantic seller to contact me but heard nothing. I emailed her a couple of days ago to point out the mistake and she seemed very surprised as she had not heard from the intended recipient of the autographed shirt. Maybe they just preferred my handbag book. Who knows?

Needless to say, I have agreed to send the shirt to its rightful owner, who will then send my book on to me.  That's the theory anyway!

I spent this afternoon finishing another tie bag.  I cut it out over a week ago and haven't had time to make it up until now.  I have to say, not having enough time to make things can be really frustrating.  I obviously need to see where I can make more time.

Anyway, this bag is made from a pale blue wool fabric I bought about 20 years ago to make a skirt.  I never made the skirt, so the fabric has been sat in my pile for years.  The three ties came from a lady at my ceramics class.  She had been into patchwork but had decided to change direction.  Knowing I made bags, she kindly gave me about 20 mens ties to use.  I love using them on bags as I think they look really effective.

I have used both ends of the ties, on each side, and two of the ties have also been used for the handles.  The inside of the bag has been lined in a pale mauve cotton, taken from a man's shirt.  The front of the bag also features a vintage diamonte brooch to give it a bit of added sparkle and bling.

I picked up a very pretty vintage tablecloth recently in a  mixed lot of linens from an auction that was hand embroidered with posies of flowers. The cloth dated from around the 1940's and whilst very pretty, it wasn't something that I would really use. If I had resold it, the cloth would have only made a few pounds, if that.

Having looked at it for a while, pondering what to do, I suddenly realised that I could cut out squares of fabric with the embroidered flowers and turn them into lavender bags. I cut out matching plain squares for the backs of the bags and used a scallop stitch on the edges, trimming the fabric to accent the stitching afterwards.

I have to admit, that I really enjoy making lavender bags. They are really simple to make, so don't require a great deal of thought and you get to enjoy the wonderful aroma of French lavender at the same time. The only problem was that I was so relaxed I completely forgot to put the lavender in one of them!

The finished bags are perfect for placing in drawers and airing cupboards to make your clothing smell lovely. You can also pop one into your pillowcase to help you drift off to sleep.

As I have said before, I have over 30 bags.  Needless to say, I love bags.  Whilst I have some that are mass produced High Street finds, some of the ones I really love are a bit more individual.  One of my favourite summer handbags I found at a jumble sale a few years ago and it cost me just 10 pence!


As you can see from the photo the bag is made from butter soft tooled leather and threaded through with strips of dyed leather.  As the leather is so soft, it is a joy to hold in your hands.  The design is very simple with the body folding over at the top to hold the contents secure.  The back of the bag has a deep slip pocket which is useful for stowing away non valuables like a packet of tissues.

Whilst the bag is fairly modern, it has some age and wear to it which just add to its character.  It was no doubt a holiday purchase by someone, possibly from Greece, Turkey or even Morocco.  When I purchased it one of the handles had come away from the body of the bag but was easily fixed.   Otherwise it was in good, useable order.  I have certainly used it plenty of times and will continue to do so for a long time to come.

I am a huge fan of mixed media and try to utilise different items in many of the pieces I create, whether in my textiles or ceramics.  I can't help looking at objects and wondering if they might be useful in some future piece or other.  Often some strange item can inspire a whole creative train of thought.

Obviously, I look at clothing for fabric and am often found with my scissors in hand chopping a shirt apart.  Skirts are great as you usually have quite a large area of useable fabric without too many seams.  Old curtains are even better, with velvet ones being a particular favourite of mine.  Wool jumpers are also very useful for machine felting.  Obviously old buttons can be easily salvaged and put to good use, together with oddments of ribbon and lace.  Recently I was given a whole bundle full of men's ties, some of which have already found themselves appliqued onto a bag, with another in the making.

Thinking outside of the box is really important when using mixed media.  The principle doesn't just apply the textiles and ceramics I enjoy.  All manner of items can be incorporated into jewellery, sculpture, paper crafts and paintings too.  You really just have to keep an open mind at all times.

An excellent hunting ground is the local hardware store.  I just can't help myself when it comes to metal and wooden curtain rings, different types of wire, copper tubing and metal nuts.  Whilst in the hardware store the other day, I discovered they sold various thicknesses and colours of cording.  I had been searching craft stores for it to no avail, so you can imagine my delight!  Alongside that, I found different types of chain being sold by the metre, presumably for sink plugs and the like.  I did get a few odd looks as I was muttering aloud about the fantastic chains that were available and imagining the uses.

A few months back, I was in my local kitchenware shop looking for a spatula.  Amongst the cleaning items I came across the run of the mill silver metal scouring pads.  However, they also stocked copper ones too.  For some reason the copper ones had a beauty and almost organic quality all of their own.  I had to buy one!  I haven't quite found a use for it yet, but I will.

All manner of natutal items can be useful, shells, pine cones, stones, wood.  I have used leaves as templates before for ceramic projects and have just discovered skeleton leaves.  They look so fragile but are actually remarkably robust. Obviously they are great for card making projects but I thought I would try and utilise them in a felt piece.  I think the resulting vessel was quite successful.

I am not alone in using every day materials, with more  and more emphasis being placed on recycling, people are finding new ways to reuse products all the time.  Plastic bottles are becoming fleece clothing, tyre rubber becomes shoes, clothing is shredded and used to insulate cars.  All around us artisans are using glass  found on the beach, broken china and even plastic bags to create new and beautiful pieces.  Hopefully, you will    be inspired to experiment a little too.

I've had my current electric sewing machine, a Singer Stylist 367, for well over twenty years and I bought it second hand.  The manual is copyrighted 1974, so that gives an indication of its age.  I have to say, it has served me well and never let me down.  It was serviced for the first time a year or so ago and passed with flying colours. 

I have used the machine over the years to make all sorts of items from jackets, trousers and blouses to handbags, soft toys and curtains.  Despite only having five stitch options, one straight and four sizes of zigzag, the machine has met my needs.  Just lately though, I've had a niggling feeling that I would like a machine that could maybe do a few embroidery stitches as well.  The niggle grew the other day and I found myself googling sewing machines. 

The range of machines now available is quite overwhelming.  The price spread is from £50 to the high hundreds, they are electrical, some are computerised, they do stitches I've never dreamed of, stitch in reverse and do a whole host of buttonholes.  With so much choice, it was hard to know where to begin in choosing my perfect machine.  The most logical starting point was therefore price.

I set my budget at £100 which was an amount I felt would buy an electric machine with a dozen or so stitch options.  I didn't really need anything more than that.  The trouble is, once you start looking, it is really easy to get carried away.  I never knew stitch options could be quite so exciting!  Trust me, they are!  The fact that some machines have a monogramming option opened up all sorts of design ideas in my head.

Somehow, I ended up looking at Brother machines.  Lured by the stitches on offer, I found a machine that I really liked, it met my needs not to mention a whole load of needs I didn't even know I had!  The only problem was that the machine's recommended price was more than three times my budget.  Always one with an eye for a bargain, another internet search threw the same machine up at half the recommended price.  Finally a quick search on ebay found it bang on budget but in an auction with only a day to go.  I put in my top bid and crossed my fingers. 

A day later, I was the proud owner of a new Brother, all singing, all dancing and hopefully all sewing computerised sewing machine.  Talk about exciting!  I got it at 40% over budger but it was worth it.  The machine is fantastic.  Some of the features include forty stitches, five types of one step buttonhole (who knew there was so many?), forward and reverse stitching, monogramming, a free arm facility (I had to look up what that meant!), seemingly more feet than a centipede and my favourite feature - a picture frame.  Yes, you did read that correctly, it has a picture frame on the side of the machine.  Now, I have no desire to sound ungrateful, but why on earth would you want a picture frame on your sewing machine??! 

Somewhat reassuringly, the machine also comes with an instructional DVD.  All I need now is for it to be delivered - can't wait!  Watch my website for some hopefully new and exciting products with decorative stitching.  With so many new features, including dual needles for some of the embroidery stitching, I hope I can figure out how to thread the machine, let alone sew anything together with it. 

The last time I bought a handbag, not very long ago, his nibs said, "Not another bag!  You don't need any more!".

Whilst I definitely don't agree with that comment, how many is enough?  I would like to think you can never have enough handbags, there will always be a new bag that catches your eye.  But at some point it surely falls into the realms of obsession.

I have to be honest, I didn't even know how many handbags I actually had until just now when I went and counted them all.  I have 27, not including the stock for the website.  27 lovely handbags that I class as mine, which I use, to varying degrees.

They fall into 4 main categories, every day, evening, travel and slightly out of favour at the moment.  Some I bought, one I made and others were gifts.  They are all shapes, sizes, fabrics and colours.  There are leather, suede, various fabrics and even wool bags.  Some of fringed, some of patchwork, some are plain, some are sparkly.  And therein lies the root of the matter, you've got to have a bag for every occasion and outfit. 

I like a large handbag with lots of pockets and compartments when travelling.  A durable leather throw it all in bag for work.  When on holiday I prefer a bag that is worn across the body and for an evening out something small and sparkly.  I like my bags to compliment my outfit in colour and style whether day or evening and you will always need a plain black leather one.

And so the handbag collection grows, the hook on the back of the bedroom door can't accomodate them any more, so the migrate to the door handle, a hanger in the wardrobe and then another cupboard as well.  The trouble is though, you put on an outfit, you look for the right bag and you discover, you just don't have the right one.

It's time to go shopping again!

So many vintage bags still exist because their original owners loved and cherished them enough to look after them.   In today's throw away society, we could all certainly learn from that.   Buying a vintage bag not only offers the opportunity to have a 'one off' handbag but also gives you the chance to connect with social history.

If only those bags could talk.  What stories could they tell?  It's quite a romantic daydream.    

Think of all those wonderful evening bags from the 1920's and 30's, handmade and painstakingly beaded into intricate patterns with glass seed beads.  They wouldn't have been cheap to buy, so only a well heeled lady would have owned one.   Imagine the parties that bag attended, the theatre, the opera.   It might have witnessed a few clandestine dalliances in its time!

The make do and mend era of the war years of the 1940's had an influence too.  Materials were in limited supply, so bags were repaired and embellished to change their look.   If your handbag was a city dweller, it could have spent hours in air raid shelters.  Think of the important documents and belonging that could have been stashed into it for safekeeping.  It may have been a gift from a serviceman to his sweetheart for a night out dancing the Jitterbug.

A 1950's handbag may have listened to conversations of more conflict, including the Korean War and the Suez Crisis.  Conversely, it may have witnessed its owner swooning at an early Elvis Presley or Buddy Holly concert.  The bag would have also witnessed the increasing popularity of television sets in the home.

Was your bag being swung in the Sixties?  Or was it more in tune with Flower Power?  It would have seen the space race for the moon and a whole host of music icons starting their now long and successful careers.

To be honest, unless the handbag is a family heirloom, passed down through the generations, we really won't know the history of our vintage bag.  We can only guess and daydream.  That is half the fun though of owning such a great piece of social history and fashion statement of its time.  Just make sure that you love it as much as someone else once did.

The interview I gave to Louise at Catwalk Creative has now been published on her website Catwalk Threads.  Louise has done a fantastic job with the answers and photos I gave her and I am delighted that she gave me the opportunity.  If you would like to read the interview and find out more about me and my work, then please click on the link below:

There are lots of jokes made about the contents of women's handbags.  I think that most of us are guilty of carrying around too much.  Delve into any woman's bag and you can probably deduce quite a bit about them from the contents.  But a handbag is a private place.  A place where even long term partners fear to tread, even with prior permission.

Having thought about it, I'm not completely sure what's hiding in my bag.  So I have decided to take a peek.  In no particular order, the contents of my handbag today are:

Pair of black woolly gloves
Letter to be posted
Packet of tissues
Pink personal organiser and pen
Pink plastic comb
Shopping trolley token
Pot of rose geranium lip balm
Mobile phone
Folded up shopping bag
Elastic band - didn't know that was in there!
USB stick attached to a Mr Funny key-ring
Umbrella cover but no umbrella
Painkillers
Purse with a few coins in plus family photos and library card
Torch
Blueberry Bliss herbal tea bag - unused obviously!
Vet receipt
Another packet of tissues
Lavender hand cream
10% discount voucher for a local store
Pink hairbrush
Pink pen - OK so I like pink!
Contact lens comfort drops
Yet another packet of tissues
A bent paperclip
Plasters
Various keys
Mirror
Another paperclip in good working order
17 used stamps - they get sold to a dealer by a local charity
Part of a chocolate bar wrapper - now in bin

If I was assessing the person who owned that lot, I would guess practical, organised and someone who likes to be prepared and can lend a helping hand in a minor crisis.  Especially if it requires a tissue.  Definitely not someone with creative tenancies though! 

So that's the contents of my handbag.  What have you got in yours and what does it say about you?

I have been asked to do an interview by Catwalk Creative which is quite exciting.  I am currently working my way through their questions, which is a lot of fun and really making me think.  The article will be featured in the Catwalk Creative blog in the near future with a bit of luck.

For more information on them, visit http://www.catwalkcreative.co.uk

Having spent quite a few hours wet felting a new bag, my hands are now really chapped and sore.  The combination of lots of soap and water required for the felting process aren't great for the skin.  Unfortunately, even an olive oil based soap doesn't really help.  Wearing rubber gloves may help in the future but I'm not sure if that is practical.  Any suggestions greatly appreciated!

Just as I had I posted a great vintage bag to the website, it sold! Just like that!

I was actually toying with keeping the bag as it was a really lovely 1910-1920's beaded drawstring evening bag. The quality, and maybe the price, obviously spoke to itself and a lucky US buyer is soon to be the happy owner.

That is definitely the quickest sale to date, so I can't complain.

The site has been up an running for a year now and has proved popular.  Lots of products of new ideas for products have been developed throughout the year, which have proved successful.  These have included photo tote bags, doorstops, scent sachets and more recently bag charms.

Lots of gorgeous vintage bags have also been added and sold through the year.  The early beaded bags are definitely a favourite with people.  Some of the bags sold can be viewed in the gallery section.

Hopefully 2009 will see the site going from strength to strength.  Thanks to all the customers, old and new, for your support.