Project by Martha Connor Van Dyke from New York, N.Y.Materials: fabric
thinner, lining fabric
zipper
key ring
magnetic closure
fabric strip of feathers
sequins, beads, lace, etc.
ribbon
needle
thread
pre-made steel wire handle
pre-strung beads
Steps:1. To make the fabric bag base: Sew a basic rectangle bag (figure A) out of fabric (Martha used felt) and line it with a thinner, lining fabric. This could be black, a complementary color or a print. Sew by hand or by machine. Martha used four panels of fabric sewn together to ensure seams were in the proper places. 2. Work in a patch pocket on the inside, or a tab with a key ring, and/or add a zipper or magnetic closure to the bag itself. 3. Wrap the bag in couple layers/rows of feathers that come sewn to a fabric strip. Visualize or measure for placement; then sew on the lower, under layer of feathers before the top layer. Add different types of feathers, different colors (they come in lots of colors), make it fluffier with more feathers or minimalist with just one row and the rest of the fabric bag displayed.
4. Sew (or apply with a glue gun) trim onto the exposed edge of the strip of feathers; this could be sequins, beads, or lace for dressy bag, or a more casual ribbon trim if preferred. Martha’s "baguette" strip of beaded trim (figure B) was created using a beading technique that is pretty simple but unknown if you've never worked with beads. She prefers to make the strip of beads and then attach it rather than attaching individual beads one by one to the bag.
5. Attach a pre-made steel wire handle. Over that, wrap more trim, a swath or pre-strung beads (figure C), ribbon, matching yarn, or fine silvery chain. You could even sew a thin sleeve of fabric (perhaps to match the lining) and slide that over the handle before sewing it to the bag. Any of these techniques help add texture and color, but a plain handle can be nice too, especially if you choose a funky one like bamboo.
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