I can’t believe how long it’s been since my last post .. I am SO SORRY *stares at shoes*.

Truth is, I became so busy in October that I didn’t complete anything. I started making up an ancient Gossypium Butterfly Tunic Kit, but it’s still a work in progress and sans photography.

I made this super-cute striped purse right at the beginning of November, took the photos ready to blog it and then .. well, this month has been so busy I haven’t completed anything else, either *shame-face*.

(OK, I did sew a button on this morning, and hand-stitched the raw edge of a ready-made sweatshirt dress I split to turn it into a jacket, but these things do not a sewing blog make…)

But, hey, at least I have this. It’s the first lined and zippered purse I’ve ever made.

I scooped up a handful of brightly-striped cotton canvas remnants at a vintage fair for a grand total of £1.50, aiming to make a tiny purse out of the first piece I snaffled (an offcut with an orange background). Alas the only zip I had to hand suited the navy piece more than the orange. So, I chose blue. As you do.

A quick straightening up of the raw edges, a little follow of the purse instructions in my copy of Making Vintage Bags, and ta-da; done.

At 10cms x 20cms, let’s not kid ourselves here; it’s a glorified pencil case. But, with its ridiculously heavy-weight zip and contrasting woven stripes, it’s currently employed as a .. *peers inside* .. ‘make-up, plus odds-and-sods’ capsule. WIN.

Because it’s nice to have something of both beauty and utility in my bag. When other things get prioritised, it’s a portable touchstone of my creativity. And sometimes I really need that.