The Make Do and Mend Bag...

Another one of the crafts that I will be selling at the local craft fair is a handmade clutch bag. I got the pattern from a British Pathe film and decided to make it as it seemed quick and easy... So here is the original video on how to make a clutch bag and my updated guide. Enjoy!

BAGS (issue title - FOR GOODNESS SAKE !)

What to do:

1. So I pretty-much followed the video, I got a 1/4 of a metre of tweed style fabric from my local sewing shop for £3 and then cut out a rectangle 'pattern' from a newspaper.
2. I then cut out the material for the padding, (two pieces of thin wadding), the silk lining and the cardboard to stiffen it up.
3. I then sewed the lining to the tweed fabric, right sides facing together, but left one of the ends open. Turn the bag inside out to have the right sides facing out.
4. Now slip in the cardboard stiffing and the two pieces of padding either side of the cardboard.
5. Sew up the end and fold the bag over to create the bag pocket.
6. Now stitch two of the sides to secure the bag pocket.
7. Sew on two snap fasteners on each end of the top of the bag and where it should fasten to. Now it is finished!
8. As the film says if you want you can 'add the broach that he gave you', well as I don't have a he, I will search the charity shops for a suitable cheap vintage broach.

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11/11/11

So today is the 11/11/11. As (hopefully) you all know, it is armistice day. So I decided to post a video of the armistice day in 1920 when the unknown solider was buried. Here is a British Pathe following the soldiers final journey.

ARMISTICE DAY

Read a extract from a woman's diary in 1941 on armistice day here.

Happy Birthday Singer!

This year is the 160th anniversary of Singer Sewing Co. We have four in our house, I brought mine two years ago and since then have made a dress and a number of crafty projects on it. My parents have three! Once they saw my beautiful Singer it appears my dad became obsessed at buying them from our local auction. We now have the three, each in their own window in the living room. So as you can tell we love Singers.

I recently found a brilliant website where you can post your Singer Sewing Machine stories in celebration of the wonderful item. So take a look at other peoples stories here.
And to end this post on the beautiful Singer Sewing Machine the brilliant Beatles movie 'Help' dedicated their film to Elias Howe, "who in 1846 invented the sewing machine." And the film finishes with a picture of a Singer Sewing Machine, classic and brilliant.

And here are two British Pathe films on Singer Sewing Machine...

SEWING MACHINES - OLD AND NEW

SEWING MACHINES

Saw this on British Pathe today...

Just saw this video of boxing kangaroo's and thought I should share it... as it made me laugh. I really need to explore more of British Pathe's archive, but for now I shall laugh at this!

British Pathe

Yesterday whilst I was making a kitchen cabinet for my parents holiday cottage business I was listening to Radio 2 they were talking about British Pathe. As in the past I have watched documentaries about British Pathe I was excited to learn that British Pathe have put their archives on the Internet. So today whilst I was cooking marmalade I decided to take a look... I am now addicted!

I decided to start by typing in "Sexism" - as I had hoped there would be videos from the 50's showing people how not to be sexist. There is no 'how to guide' but there is a lot of sexist comments which made me laugh, so here are my few favourite videos that I found today! Click on the picture to view the video (opens a new window).

BANK FOR LADIES ONLY

BRIGHTON PROMETTES

CAREERS FOR GIRLS

SCHOOL FLAT

STOLEN FROM MEN

WIGGERY POKERY