Wednesday 9 February 2011

Third transformed canvas bag

Here is the recipe for a fab bag. First you need a plain canvas bag, undo all the stitching, take the handles off and unpick the side seams. Makes it easier to work on.

Then you need some colourful aluminium drinks cans. You cut the cans open and cut twentyfive squares, carefully picking out the best bits of the design. I use a cardboard template so each one is exactly the same size. Then you punch holes around the edges, equally spaced, a paper punch will do the job. Next you crochet around the edges through the holes. One more to finish and they are ready.

Then you stitch all the squares onto the front of the bag. Work out where you are going to put them first, move them around untill it looks right.

I chose red wool, and used matching red velvet for the lining, and handles. I covered the original canvas handles to reinforce them.

Nipped the corners on the inside to give it a flatish bottom.

Tow rows of machine stitching around the top edge, using the original needle holes as a guide.

Before I stitched the bag together I added a pink bead in between the squares.

And here are the twentyfive squares. The back of the bag is left plain.

Here is the finished article. It is too nice to be a shopping bag, and probably not big enough. I'm not sure if it can be washed because I don't know if the red colour of the velvet would bleed into the white canvas. It might make it pink. Probably best to try and keep it clean.

Now I must think of another idea for the next one :o)

19 comments:

  1. Ilona that is amazing! What a truly creative person you are :-))

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  2. Wow you are so clever and inventive. I loved the spider bag :)

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  3. It looks great! You are so creative.

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  4. It's a lot of beer to drink! LOL!
    Clever recycling!

    Sandie xx

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  5. You make frugal look VERY stylish!! ~Liz

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  6. Beautiful, I would use it as a knitting bag so it would not get dirty.

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  7. It is gorgeous, love the colours, you are amazing.

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  8. You are SO inventive. It must be very fulfilling to have the ability to design and create such astonishingly attractive things. I've loved them all - all the decorative objects and the arts 'installations' and the many bags you've made but THIS one is special, hopefully

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  9. You need to nake a bag making book Ilona! They're great

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  10. Gosh, that's amazing! How inventive you are. You could even take it further and make a whole dress or top out of it!

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  11. Fabulous! You deserve your own exhibition, it would be a sell out xx

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  12. That's fabulous. You could use it for when you go off on your travels in the car for handy stuff, easier to access than the rucksac.

    I washed all of my little German shoppers I've acquired over the years I've been going over there - but the colour ran, so they are now a dismal shade. Still OK to use though!

    You could have a market stall to sell your lovely bags - or even a stall in a proper craft fair, you'd get more money from them there.

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  13. That is such a good idea. I love it. And it really is attractive. My onlyworry would be in cutting myself on the aluminium squares before I managed to crochet the edging on... but then I am a health and safety nightmare lol! Actually the squares could be used to embellish a lot of things... mmmm... thank you for the ideas!

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  14. What a fantastic bag, you have such amazing ideas!

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