A New Bag

 I took one of the lace pieces and used it to decorate a bag I made using some brown corduroy, a 'wild' orange/brown print fabric, and those lucite purse handles I'd found at the second-hand shop.
Inside, there is one plain side, and the opposite side is filled with 8 pockets, half the full length, and half shorter to allow for holding a variety of items.

I've used interfacing between the layers of the orange/brown print to add strength and stability both on the bag back, and in between the material layers used to create the pockets. The pockets are edged with corduroy to help prevent the pocket fabric from wearing.

What I like about this bag:
1- it's machine washable, except for the handles
2- the handles are a recycled item and can be removed easily for laundering the bag
3- it's not too large, but can carry a lot of differently sized items
4- the handles can hold a key chain, it can be popped off if undesireable, or flipped into the bag for security while still easily accessible
Here's the outside, front:

You can see there is a key chain attached to the handle. It has brown leather dangles hanging from a dark brown oval disc carved with the form of a frog. The top of the lace is secured beneath the fabric handle cover, carrying the inside fabric to the outside for a little contrast and interest.

The back:

Isn't that fabric wild? I think it would sure wake me up in the morning!

                                    Inside, showing the pockets:

I do have to sew all around the outside of the oval lace doily to secure it to the brown corduroy. Then, this bag will be on its way to someone very special. I sure hope she likes this surprise! And maybe there'll be a few little surprises tucked into those pockets, too!

May you have a nice surprise in your day, too!

Thanks for visiting.

Hugs from Suz