The frock and the bag are not a set, and the only thing they have in common was that I rushed them off before my 5 day work week routine began. I was a bit frantic trying to ‘finish’ projects before part time work status ended, and I got these two out of the way.
The five minute frock was pretty much that! I had found a wallis maxi polyester skirt on the reduced rail (€1) in the charity shop and picked it up with the intent of maybe making another skirt, for the new job. Some days later I wondered if I cut armholes in it would it make a dress? I did and it was. I wore it for the day to see if it was comfortable to wear – it was – so shaped the armhole cuts to curves and hemmed them, and sewed down the elastic waistband which gives a slight structured boat-neck collar. It also can technically be converted back to a maxi skirt later …..should it be needed!
The blinged bag was a whim. I had picked the bag up for €3 in a reduced bin. I figure it was reduced as the lining was shredded and the bag, while being a functional black, was also a vinyl bag. I had been rather inspired by Kate’s cross stitching (at our knitty-stitchy group that meet up in Carrolls pub, Dominick St Wednesdays if anyone is in Galway and wants to pop in!) and Lulu Guinness Handbags when I planned this bag. What I had not realised is that Kate makes cross stitch look easy, which it is not. I had trialed a few cross stitch hearts and they were disastrous…..so resorted to a few hours on the embroidery machine and did this one!
I used a screwdriver to loosen the bag, and made a new lining. I then embroidered the vinyl, and then got the gutterman glue, put it together again and hoped I did it right. I get a bit frantic towards the end of fixing the bag into the clasp again as i am always convinced it will fall out or I will have missed a bit, but this is the second one ever I have done and both have been fine.
The motif I downloaded for free (and edited it to make the single smaller hearts) and when I find the link I used, I will post it here!
upsew 
I had a bag like that in Jr High. The strap broke so my mother cut it off and said “now it’s a clutch!” I was so angry!
Beautiful job!
And I’d never have thought a dress from that skirt- it’s adorable!
LikeLiked by 1 person
O no – I can just imagine – you must have been reeling in shock (I never really got clutches as they always seem to be a chore in themselves). rather pleased with how the skirt works, and its part of my daily workwear now as its so easy to wear.
LikeLike
Did you stitch right through the leather? I’ve been thinking of doing that to my black leather bag but nervous to make the first hole. (I don’t own a sewing machine- just do tiny bits of sewing by hand here and there)
LikeLiked by 1 person
Its vinyl Rebecca, so it stitched through fine and its a rather spongy vinyl so it seemed to recover well even after I unpicked the cross stitch. ( I would have been cautious too with leather) I also had the idea to cross stitch fabric and then sew it on but ultimately my cross stitch was rather ropey looking. I did find a leather sewing needle (a glove needle I think its also called) in my sewing box, and was using that and it was so sharp, perhaps that would work?
LikeLike
ahh, a glove needle. Will explore…. thank you!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Love the shift frock +++ Very 1960s minus the mini. Am a fan of the boat neck too. Well done Eimear.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks Karen – I was so pleased with it and still am -its so comfortable and effortless to wear, It drapes so nicely too. I have been wearing it pretty much ever since! The boatneck waistband also stands up and a bit away and tends to go slightly asymmetrical which I think looks way-arty!
LikeLiked by 1 person
That frock from a skirt is just genius – really love it and your creativity 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks Aimee – the fact that it was a five minute refashion was such a bonus!
LikeLike
Lovely idea! So cool! 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person