Recycled Lovlies!

I tried to make a handbag once out of some leftover dragonfly uphostery material and it just about killed me. I had never lined anything before and well let's just say it was way out of my sewing capabilities. Anyway when I saw these absolutely darling recycled sweater handbags by sassycrafter it almost but not quite made me want to give it another try. They are cute and I do have a lot of sweaters lying about but I think I'm better off sticking to hot molten glass. just don't have the sewing gene, k

Note: I just received an email from Kim Taylor designer of sassy craft bags and here's what she had to say: This sweater bag does NOT need lining! Yay!

You'll need a wool sweater. The best type is 100% wool -- merino works great. Angora is OK too (this fiber comes from goats, I think). Cashmere works well for floppy embellishments like flowers or for tiny handbags, but it never thickens up enough during the shrinking process for use in larger or more structured purses.

Take your sweater and run it twice through the washer using hot water and the heavy duty cycle. This will shrink the sweater and felt it, which allows you to cut it into any shape and not have it unravel. Then plot out the shape for your bag and sew it together. NOTE: If you plan to use wool for the handle, it helps to reinforce it with some topstitched trim -- otherwise the handle will stretch out during the first few months of carrying. I use my leftover scraps to create flower pins that can be worn on the purse or on your shirt. And you can find a couple of her sweater bags right now at her Etsy shop here. happy sewing, k