Little Blessings

It has been an interesting two days, basically in the form of a sewing marathon! A friend's cousin asked me to make a purse for her. Seemingly simple, it turned out to be very complicated, but very special! She had recently lost her husband and had saved his favorite jeans and button down shirt for a potential project. Although she sews, she didn't feel she could manage to make her vision become reality. So she asked me. I found a wonderful free pattern for a stylish hobo bag, and we got together yesterday morning to talk about what she envisioned and what I thought I would be able to incorporate from the jeans into the purse. After a field trip to the fabric store for notions, thread, and heavy-duty needles, she went home and I embarked upon what turned out to be a 9 hour creative adventure. I had to deconstruct the jeans and the shirt and turn them into bag parts. The front and back of the bag had to be pieced in 3 parts from the leg fabric, which really turned out to look nice and jeans-ey after I top-stitched them in gold jeans thread.




Here's a breakdown of what all the parts became in the bag:

leg fabric - body of the bag
belt loops - stitched 3 together to make loop closure
frayed bottom 8"of one leg turned upside down - inside pocket the width of the bag
back pocket with Levi's tag - front outside pocket of bag
other back pocket lined with shirt fabric - eyeglass case
small key pocket from right front pocket of jeans - attached to inside pocket for small change
waistband with button and buttonhole - shoulder strap
shirt - bag lining, zippered inner pocket, and scarf bow

 And here's the finished product:

Eyeglass Case

Zippered pocket in lining

Upside down leg hem pocket with small key pocket attached to other side of lining. Isn't the shirt fabric fun?

Completed bag (the Levi's tag on the pocket is hiding under the bow)

It was, to me, a labor of love for my friend's cousin. As I created it, I hoped it would bring her joy and comfort, and perhaps ease some of the loneliness I know she has been feeling. I took it to her home this morning, and judging from her reaction, I knew it was going to contribute to her healing in a special way. Grateful for all the blessings in my life, I feel like I was truly fortunate to be able to do this for her.

So when you reflect on your blessings, do something to bless someone else. You never know how positive an impact you might make on them for even just that moment!