This week has been very busy for me, and I’m afraid it’s meant I haven’t managed to post as much as I wanted to.
This afternoon I grabbed some time to make a present for a little boy whose 5th birthday party we’re going to tomorrow. Mum had the idea of making him some kind of treasure bag that he could put small, precious things into. I developed the idea further into a pirate’s treasure bag. We’ll put some old, foreign coins into it -”pieces of eight” if you like – and he can add his own treasures after that.
I started by creating a skull and crossbones pattern from a piece of scrap paper, which I then cut out of dark blue felt. I then gathered together various fabric scraps: denim, vintage kimono silk, indigo Japanese print, some red and white linen upholstery fabric… The idea was for the bag to look like it was made out of various bits of old flags. I then sorted through my metal buttons and mother of pearl buttons for added embellishments.
I wanted it all to look like it had been roughly patched together so I sewed everything a bit wonkily with stitches showing in contrasting colours. I sewed a little hidden patch pocket inside. The skull and crossbones I sewed on by hand with small red backstitches. I then added little brass beads from India, vintage mother of pearl buttons, and three old metal buttons. The bag closes with a blue zip, and has a long strap so he can wear in slung diagonally across his body.
Here’s the (almost) finished bag, front and back. The strap is actually only held on by pins but the light was fading and I wanted to photograph it in natural light! I’m still undecided whether the skull needs eyes or not. I’m thinking of maybe embroidering them on in red. What do you think?
that’s so cool Luce, i reckon you should embroider the eyes with white, and do them like crosses. and then a line of teeth as well: a horizontal line and then a bunch of short verticals along it for teeth. Go you! fun projects rule! xxx
I love this Lucy! I can feel all the love that’s gone into making this lovely creation via the telephone line…did you finish the eyes yet? How about: define the eye shapes in running stitch, and then carefully cut out their centres (on the inside of the stitching leaving a few milimetres clearance), to reveal the background. I think its called ‘reverse applique’.
Hi Amy and Tipsy! Thanks for your great suggestions and supportive comments! Aim, I’d totally had the idea of doing the teeth like that as well and then forgot about it, so thanks for reminding me (great minds think alike and all that!). I think I’ll definitely do it! : ) And Tipsy, great idea about the reverse embroidery. I’m planning on doing some other skull and crossbones things and thought I’d cut eyes out of the felt first for them, but it hadn’t occurred to me do it for this bag after I’d already sewn on the skull. Clever! (Although a little nerve-wracking to do incase I cut right through the backing fabric!) Hope you’re both having a great weekend. See you tomorrow! : ) Lucy xx
Oh, and I forgot to say that we ended up not being able to go to the little boy’s actual party yesterday after all, so I have a little bit more time to do the eyes and teeth now : )
hi lucy,
i’m rabia remember me,
my uncle nad’s nniece,
this is some cool bag,
you know how i love art and crafts but i can’t undertand all this text can you a simple way.