More Sari Scraps Bag Therapy

My supply of drawstring bags was depleted by Christmas and New Year gift giving, and at the same time I began to move back into my sewing room. I bought a Horn cutting table, which took Jim and I the best part of two days to assemble, but the result is terrific.

Although there is more to be done to set up the room I dug out my sari scraps, bought from Fabricana's Etsy shop last year and set about making a new supply of bags. Some of the sari scraps are quite fragile, so took a bit of care and work.

It took me the best part of a week, ironing, cutting, arranging, stitching (and in some cases, mending), finding and threading ribbon drawstrings, then finding and attaching buttons, beads or other embellishments to the ends of the ribbon to prevent them disappearing into the casing.

 I try to work around the shape and texture of the fabric piece. This for me is part of the fun of doing this - what makes it bag therapy! The spangles on this piece cost me one broken machine needle, and I had to line the top to get the full benefit of the parade of camels.

I found some little ceramic chillis in my tin of broken jewellery to finish the ribbon on one bag from this extraordinarily modern piece of silk; curvy fish buttons on another also mirrored the shapes in the fabric.

An old pair of earrings fitted the shape of this piece really well. It has the look of Indigenous Australia, but is an Indian sari piece.

This piece of pink silk has an embroidered border of doubled fabric. The detail in the hand-embroidery is lovely. I was able to fold back the single-layer above the border to create a lining for the bag.

I made a second, unlined bag from the same piece.





This piece of purple silk gauze also has a beautiful piece of embroidery on a heavier border, but I didn't have enough to create the lining, so part of the bag is see-through.

I really love the colours and embroidery in this small piece of bright pink silk - very Bollywood!

 I did a little bit of darning on this blue figured fabric - odd in a gift bag, I know, but I love preserving and using the fabric.

It also pleases me to use up buttons I have collected and saved over the years - as well as the odd felt flower that has come my way.

 

This is probably rather less than half of my sari scraps. The rest can wait for another day!