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Friday, 6 July 2012

Purse mania continues!

You may have noticed I am excited about frame purses and am working my way through the patterns and purse frames available at u-handbag!  I am so impressed with Lisa Lam - her turn around is great usually the following day or the next and I am loving the things she has on offer!

Well I am teaching myself as much as I can in preparation for making my partner's purse in our little In the Frame Purse Swap!





I am loving the challenge so much and the results apart from a bit of a hiccough with the baguette bag - but all sorted now!


I love Lisa Lam's patterns as they are really quite easy to follow though I would have liked letters/numbers/symbols to match the markers on different pattern pieces then I would not have managed to go wrong - guess Lisa didn't reckon with someone as daft as me!  Haha!


Anyway two more patterns and frames successfully tried out and I am pleased with the results!


I made the Mother and Daughter purse from a kit I bought on U-Handbag - the fabric was Lisa's choice - Happy Mochi Yum Yum by Monica Solorio-Snow (or the Happy Zombie) and polka dots!  Can't go wrong with those!









And now the Fortune Cookie Clutch PDF Pattern (instantly downloadable - so no hanging around if you have all the ingredients) - I took the pattern and frame from U-Handbag and went my own way with it!  Heavily influenced by this book









If you haven't come across steampunk, think Victorian futurism and Jules Verne with a bit of Terry Gilliam whimsy and you won't be far wrong!


Anyway I thought I'd try a bit of machine Free Motion stitching so I picked some motifs from the book and doodled with Aurifil 50 weight in the needle!  This gave a finer doodle and the chance to create more detail which I needed in translating these motifs to thread and fabric: a key, an escutcheon, a cogwheel and a bit of lace with some lettering thrown in for good measure!


I teamed some blue linen with a recent purchase of Lakehouse Dry Goods from Mandy at simplysolids!  Yum this fabric fits the steam punk theme so well - Victoriana lettering!  And inside a flash of gorgeous Liberty fabric which I found at FQ Retreat - feathers - another match for the steampunk look!  Never would have thought of seeing Liberty and Steampunk in the same sentence before - never mind the same purse!




Well here she is:








Or here is a clearer shot!


I think I like experimenting! 


I still have more frames so more will follow...without a doubt!


I know I am advertising heavily today but I am not being sponsored by any of these people - though if you are watching ??  it would be no big deal to shout about your products!  Oh well you can but try!  Teehee!









16 comments:

  1. You have to check out the patterns at Urban Threads ....they have some great Steampunk embroidery patterns.

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  2. You are going to be the official purse queen!! Look at you go.

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  3. I just love the steampunk fortune cookie purse. If you are my partner STOP now as I love this one. In all probability I am not your partner so if you want this one road tested then I am your woman!!!!! As Susan said, you really are the purse queen! Di x

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  4. You've gone mad!
    Love them both though, and I managed to spend another £40+ online last night! x

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  5. I love this purse!! And it seems like you're a bad influence on Hadley!

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  6. Oh wow Nicky, awesome steampunk, right up my street, I'd feel very cool toting that purse I love it :-) And naughty Hadley ;-)

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  7. Oh my goodness, you have really been bitten! Love the fortune cookie shape, need to know more as to just how easy it is :)

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  8. God loves a Try-er! Fabulous sketching, as always! Jxo

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  9. These are ALL great. Cannot fault you!
    I don't suppose you could be my partner again?? ( said very quietly, and sort of rather hopefully)

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  10. Wow how many purses are you making. They look great. Love the steampunk style =D

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  11. Gosh your purses are amazing! I can't decide which I like best!

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  12. You are such an artist and soooo brave for doing that beautiful FMQ! I just recently learned about steampunk and it definitely has its charm!

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  13. Well done on both, love how the steampunk one came out :o)

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  14. I love both of the purses, but the aqua colours on the mother and daughter purse win it for me I think.

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  15. can't believe I missed these purses - love the top one and that bottom one is just sooo cool :)

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