All new!

A new prototype has rolled from under my presser foot! And I like this one a lot - to the extent that I might do a tutorial for a light version if there's enough interest (and if I can find a spare couple of hours, that is).

I started this bag two nights ago, with no particular plan in mind. I cut a piece of fabric - I didn't even bother to take out a ruler or measuring tape, I just cut! And the rest just happened...

What I like most about this bag are definitely the handles. I saw this very minimalistic approach to handles - unfortunately, I can't remember where - a while a go and I decided I wanted to try a version of my own. Hence, I punched a couple of holes in the leather straps (with my new 4 EUR hole puncher, my new best friend) and sewed them on by hand (so much easier than sewing them on with my stubborn machine, it turns out). I added the little leather patches on the inside to give the tote a finished look there as well, and to add some extra support to the fabric - I must say that I really, really like this little detail.

All that remains to be done now is putting the bag to the test. I just need to make sure the handles will hold up well enough before I take this bag to the next level...

Triangles and polka dots

I gave some hints last week about 'something' I whipped together for the birthday girl.
Since she's officially ten now, and all the presents were unwrapped and all ten candles were blown out last night (the cake we still have plenty off, but that's a story for later),  I can finally show you some pictures.
As some of you already guessed, I made a flag garland.

I used whichever fabric I had available from my failing bag business. Well, that's not entirely the way it went (for the colors, I mean - the bag business is failing, LOL! A bag anyone??).
Let's say that I found some of these colors to go really well together, so well that I had stacked them that way last time I cleaned up my crafts closet.  So, when I started on my flags all I did was take out the entire stack and cut triangles. The big surprise, however, came after I finished the whole thing. That's when I remembered my leather polka dot garland from a while ago. A perfect match color-wise, as it turned out, but I especially like the repetition of the polka dot pattern in one of the fabrics I chose for the flags - it happened totally unconsciously, but it's there and I like it!

Now, if you want to try this, all you need is fabric in a couple of different prints and/or colors, cut to triangles (I used the same size triangle for all flags, but you could vary sizes if you like, or even combine different shapes), some biais tape and thread. 
Since I didn't have any biais tape, I used twill tape, which I folded in half. To make the sewing easier I pinned the flags in between the tape. Limited by the length of my twill tape, I didn't leave space in between flags, but you could of course space them out a bit. I threaded my machine with two different colors of thread. Also, since the twill tape was rather on the narrow side especially when folded, I used a zig zag stitch, just to make sure the triangles got caught in between the folded twill tape.

For the polka dot garland, just hop over here to find a short description.

Wishing you a good week!

xo, P.

A garland to celebrate...

 

Just whipped this garland together this morning - a multicolor garland made with leather strips. My punch cutter let me down recently - I think it didn't like the leather I tried to punch too much...
So, no polka dots for this one. But hey! I like squares and rectangles even better anyway!

You can also find it here.

And before I sign off for the week, I'd like to thank you for all your positive comments and cheers to the opening of my Etsy shop. This means a tremendous lot too me!! So, a big thank you, girls!!

Wishing you a great and relaxing weekend!

xo, P.

Flowers? Stripes? Or both? :: DIY lace trimmed scarf

One of the fun things about cleaning up is that you come across hidden or lost treasures. In the mess I generated I discovered yet another old favorite shirt of mine - or actually it was a button down shirt dress, very long, flimsy, white and gray stripes, very summer-y and with side slits reaching up to the waist. Don't worry: it really was a decent dress - it came with a long white tank top under-dress. The under-dress has long gone, but not the shirt, which I'm really happy about. I cut it to pieces and paired it up with a gray flower printed flimsy fabric I bought not too long ago. I added some lace trim and there: a new scarf, combining old and new. Isn't it lovely?

And so easy to make too!

This is what you need:

- two rectangular pieces of fabric of equal size (mine were 110 cm by 38 cm or in inches: 43 by 15)
- lace trim equaling the sum of both short ends of the fabric (76 cm or 30 inch)
- pins, tread, sewing machine

Instructions




1. With the right sides facing pin the two rectangles together squeezing the lace trim in between layers (at the short ends only) and such that the lace trim faces inwards as shown in the above pictures - you don't want to see any of the trim sticking out! Also, to have neat corners , have the lace trim start in a little curve as shown in the picture - you don't want the lace trim to get caught in the side seams!

2. Sew everything together but leaving a small opening in one of the long sides for turning. Check if the trim got nicely caught in the seams everywhere - correct where needed.

3. Clip the corners.

4. Next, turn inside out through the opening. Shape and press with iron. Close the opening by hand or with the machine.

5. You can leave the scarf as is or for a slightly more distressed look, wash it and next, twist it until completely tangled up. Leave it to dry this way. Once dry, undo and you'll have a nice and nonchalantly wrinkled scarf...

Zippered

A vintage zipper, these stripes, and the usual recipe of  leather and linen...
M.'s favorite bag so far, she says.

If only I could find where to have my own tags printed at a reasonable price - the iron-on transfers on twill tape are a bit disappointing... Suggestions anyone for cotton twill tape printed tags?

Another old shirt project :: a tutorial

As already mentioned in my previous post I did take pictures of every step in the process of making my new little toiletry bag. Being only one step away from a tutorial, I decided to write down everything now that it's still fresh in my mind. So, that's what I have ready for you today: a new tutorial!

There are several reasons why I like this project. Most importantly, the way in which a much loved shirt was put to a new use and will start a new life. But also how all the little details of the shirt fitted in so nicely. The buttons and button holes make for a great alternative to the traditional zipper. The loops in the back, made from the button tab of this former roll up sleeve shirt, can be used either to hang the bag or simply to hold a small rolled up towel or washcloth. But it all started out with the pockets and the cuff screaming 'I would make a great pocket for your lipstick'... I hope this tutorial will be an inspiration to some of you to recycle that favorite shirt and save it from the bag with cleaning rags...

Needed:

- an old dress shirt
- 2 rectangular pieces of linen (or any other fabric), in my case 2 pieces of 24 by 37cm. This could be any size of course, depending on the size of the shirt.
- batting, same size as the 2 rectangular pieces of linen
- sewing machine, thread, pins and needles, ...
- iron

Step 1: Cutting up the shirt

The possibilities are unlimited. The idea was to use the nice features the shirt had like the cuffs, roll up sleeve button tabs, the placket, the yoke...
The picture below shows the parts used.


from left to right: the cuff and part of one sleeve, button tabs of both sleeves, the yoke (upper back part), shirt front. All parts were cut close to the top stitched edges or seams.

Step 2: Front pockets of the bag

2.1. Take one piece of linen and place it on top of one piece of batting

2.3. Make a pocket from the cuff by folding the cuff as shown in pictures 1 and 2 below. Press with iron. Next pin into place onto the front piece of linen plus batting -picture 6.

2.4. Fold the other sleeve part such that the split faces up - it will figure as the pocket opening. Now cut the piece to size (rectangle or square)- picture 3. Right sides facing, stitch the bottom and side seams closed. Turn inside out, shape and fold in bottom corners as shown in picture 4 and 5. Press with iron. Pin into place onto the linen plus batting - picture 7.

2.5. Now stitch both pockets into place on your sewing machine - picture 9. Press with iron and put aside.





Step 3: The back of the bag - loops

This is an optional step. If you don't have any button tabs on your shirt, you can either make some loops from the left over fabric of the shirt or you can just omit. I added this detail because I liked the finishing of the button tab and button on my shirt and because I find it a handy feature to be able to hang my toiletry bag.

3.1. Take the other set of linen and batting and place them on top of each other.
3.2. Take both sets of button tab and button and place them on top of the linen at equal distances from the sides - as shown in picture 1, making sure the tab points downwards.
3.3. Top stitch into place - picture 2.
3.4. Fold upward the tab and pin into place - picture 3. Top stitch. The result should look as shown in 4.




Step 4: Assembling the bag

4.1. Place front and back on top of each other, right sides facing and stitch the side seams and bottom seam - picture 1.
4.2. Box the corners by folding the bottom corners as shown - picture 2. Sew into place.
4.3. When finished turn inside out again; the bag should look as shown in pictures 3 and 4.



Step 5: The bag lining

This is probably the hardest part of the bag. The idea is to use the button closure of the shirt as the closure for the bag. If you haven't done so yet, cut the front of the body of the shirt to size.

5.1. Only if you have a printed shirt, or the fabric has a selvage: fold the button pad in, i.e. towards the wrong side of the fabric (the inside of the shirt) and top stitch into place - picture 1. The reason you do this is because you want the right sides of the fabric to face inside your bag.
5.2. inner pocket: cut the yoke to size taking into account seam allowance - picture 2. As the yoke was nicely top stitched in my case, I used that side as the top for the inner pocket. If this isn't the case on your shirt, however, take some extra seam allowance and finish off the top seam first, before continuing.
5.3. Fold in side seams and bottom seam of the pocket to be. Press with iron - picture 3. Next, pin the pocket into place and then top stitch onto the lining - picture 4 and 5.
5.4. Put both pieces of lining with the wrong sides up in front of you and close the buttons. At either end, you stitch the button and buttonhole part together with a couple of stitches to secure - picture 6.
5.5. Now fold the lining right sides facing and the buttons facing upward. Pin the side seams and bottom seam to make a bag. Next, stitch together, however, on both side seams, staying clear from the top edge (button closure) for about half the full width of the placket (button hole pad) - picture 7.
5.6. In order to box the top corners, fold the corners as shown in the picture 8. Do so for both top corners. Secure.
5.7. Box the bottom corners to the same size as you did for the outer shell of your bag (linen). With the right sides of the lining still on the inside, and hence the wrong side of the fabric facing you, you should obtain a boxed bag with two outward pointing "wings" at the top.
5.8. Now, pin the top corners (the wings) to the outside of the bag as shown in picture 9 and 10 and secure with a couple of stitches.
5.9. Place lining inside bag - the corners will fold in as shown in picture 11.
5.10. Pin the lining to the bag as shown in picture 12. Top stitch the bag and lining together. Done!
(Note: to avoid too thick a layer to sew through, trim the batting a little, and fold your outer fabric over the batting before starting to pin the lining to the bag.)



I hope I made myself clear enough, if not just drop me a line.
Good luck and happy re-purposing!

Another old shirt project...

I just finished another old shirt project today. And I'm totally pleased with the way this one turned out. It didn't use the 'quick and dirty' approach like I did in my previous two old shirt projects. No, I gave it a lot of thought. I thought about it for several days, actually. In my mind I worked out every single detail before finally handling the scissors, not wanting to mess up my shirt. I even jotted down the steps and made some rough sketches, something I hardly ever do. You see, I really loved this shirt. I always did. I bought it at GAP when little H. was still a baby. I loved the fabric, the paisley print, the little details like the roll-up sleeves. I made one mistake though, when I bought it. I chose the wrong color. Too pale, especially now that I lost my Californian tan. It makes me look like I'm sick, so I stopped wearing it. But in those days I wore it a lot - it made a perfect breastfeeding shirt. But even though I stopped wearing it, I didn't want to get rid of it - it has too many memories attached, I guess. So, when I came across this shirt again in the 'washed but not ironed' laundry bin, I decided to work it into a new project, with a challenge attached to it: to work as many of the little details of the shirt as possible into the project. Of course, I came up with a bag - what did you expect?

A toiletry bag this time.
Don't you think it looks cute?
I made pictures of all the steps, so if I find the time I might do a tutorial. The girls, M. in particular, have tried to claim my new little toiletry bag already but I think I might will hold on to this one... Because, you see, that little pocket on the front perfectly fits my favorite lip stick inside...

I'm wishing you all a great weekend and a wonderful Mother's Day if that's this weekend in your part of the world! For the French mom's Mother's Day is still a couple of weeks away...

xo, P.

And another one yet...

My brain is totally in "bag mode" these days
This one's a bit more in my comfort zone, color wise...
It just depends on the day, I guess.


I needed fabric for the lining of this one. So, I went to the Marché St.-Pierre yesterday morning. My favorite store also carries leather now. I didn't buy any, not this time, but I had the hardest time to resist. They had the most gorgeous purple leather, perfect weight, very soft. Would have been nice for a purse. I'd better stop thinking about it!

I did find some absolutely great linen, though - stripes, in very soft shades, candy colors really, on a brown background. It took me a while to make up my mind as I found it a bit pricey at first, but now I'm really glad I bought it.
It's weird, but with nice fabric like that I'm finding it really hard to start cutting, too worried to destroy what's perfect, and also because I realize that one project eliminates another potentially better project, once the fabric cut.

So, for now, I just want to look at it, unfold it to admire the colors, drape it to see its flow. No scissors allowed yet!

Color

I guess I was in a mood for color...
A full size shopping bag, with colorful leather rectangles, bright orange lining, and natural oatmeal colored linen of course...

Getting ready...

We're almost there! Tomorrow we can start packing for real. Only a few more things to label and we're done!
As you may know from previous posts, little H. has food allergies. This means she has to take some medication with her on her trip too, just in case. Most likely, she won't need any of it, but you never know. Because I didn't want to send her away with her meds in a plain plastic bag I decided to make a bag instead - very last minute, I know. To make it even more last minute I couldn't really figure out what I wanted it to look like exactly. I wanted it to be very basic and handy for the teachers (easy access to medicines as well as posology and other useful information). So, this is what the 'allergy kit' ended up looking like - a very basic drawstring bag indeed. The beauty of this bag, however, is in the detail I believe.

I used a red cross picture, found on the net and printed it on iron-on transfer paper together with her name. On the back, I made a little transparent pocket finished with a fabric flap and Velcro closure. It perfectly fits index cards with all necessary allergy information and the posology for the different medicines - right within eye sight whenever needed. To make this pocket, I used the vinyl envelope some new panties came in. I have been saving up vinyl packaging ever since I came across this interesting project through Whip Up. I used French seams as described here and made boxed corners. In order to keep the bag from opening I added a small fabric "stopper" to the drawstring, which slides up and down accordingly.

This project took me way longer than intended and necessary, but it's so much nicer than a plain plastic bag - don't you think??

Now, one more thing before I sign off: make sure to come back next week as I'm planning a small giveaway here - just to say thanks to all of you for the support, the encouragements, the compliments, the cheers... I felt/feel deeply touched when reading all of your comments... Thank you so much!

In the mean time, I'm wishing you a very nice weekend!

Cheers,

xo, P.

New prototype

I got a new 'prototype' ready. And I think I like this one. A lot. Chocolate brown leather for the reinforced corners, oatmeal colored linen - still by far my favorite fabric - for the outside and a very soft off-white printed linen for the inside.

And now, I need to run - I still need to get a small Easter-themed something for my girls and I volunteered to fix some sort of cake for little H.'s class tomorrow. I might give our moelleux au chocolat another try ...

Have a wonderful day!

xo,P.

The GrassShopper...

This is what I've worked on last Thursday - another shopping bag. I named it the GrassShopper because of all the green. A bit lame, I know! And I admit, the green leather is really, well uhm, green. Quite different from the shades of brown and grey you usually get to see here. But it suits the season, I thought. I saw this green leather a while back at BHV here in Paris. I didn't buy it at first, went back a couple of times and then last week I finally gave in. I shouldn't have waited much longer as they only had a couple of pieces left. I still have enough leather for at least one more bag like this, and I have something in mind for the scraps as well. For the lining I found some really nice coated cotton with a graphic print.

Also, this was the first time my sewing machine behaved really well, or maybe it's just me. I found a way around most of the problems I previously had when sewing leather. I might list them at some point when I further have perfected 'my skill'.

Now, what will I do with all those bags, you say. I'm not sure if there still would be any interest for these in the already saturated market of bags and totes, but ideally, I'd like to start selling them. I still need to figure out how, when and where.
I'll keep you posted, I promise!
But for now, I'm wishing you a great week!

xo, P.

Variations on a theme :: a felt bag

I never thought a plastic produce bag would bring this much inspiration...
Here's another take on the very same bag - a "slashed" felt purse.
And just like the T-shirt grocery bag this one's really easy to make too.
A perfect little purse to take to the park, with an apple, a book, some sunglasses and sunscreen tucked inside.
Not that we need any sunscreen here right now, but you never know...

xo, P.

Quick fix grocery bag :: a tutorial

We had grapes this weekend. So? They were really good. Seedless white grapes and they came in one of those plastic bags, with cuts all over to make it stretchy. Hours after we had the grapes, while in the kitchen, my eye fell upon the plastic bag again. It was just a glimpse, but enough for me to hear it scream: please, make me!
I didn't pay too much attention to it until yesterday morning. I was working on something else when all of a sudden I remembered the bag. It didn't take me too long to think it through. All that I needed was a shirt.

I found a shirt - an old favorite but hopelessly stained one (bleach* near the bottom hem). And after some cutting, sewing and some more cutting I ended up with this bag.
It's probably one of the fastest and easiest bags I ever made, but I do like it a lot!



In case you want to give this super fast and easy grocery bag a try as well, keep on reading as I wrote down some instructions for you.

What you need:

- an old T-shirt
- scissors
- matching thread
- a button
- a piece of ribbon
- sewing machine



Instructions:


1. Take an ironed adult size T-shirt, right side out. (You could use a kid's T-shirt for a smaller sized bag).

2. Fold it in half as shown in picture 2.

3. Cut off the sleeves as shown in picture 3 and put them aside as you'll need them later to make a little pouch.

4. Cut around the neck-line as shown in picture 4.

5. Sew the bottom of the shirt closed using a French seam. If you're not familiar with the French seam check out this post. (Basically, you sew the hem closed on the right side, turn the bag inside out and sew another seam, sandwiching the first seam inside). Next, sew boxed corners, as explained here, in step 1. You could iron everything flat now, if you like.

6. Place the bag in front of you on a flat surface. Starting from the bottom, fold over the bag as shown in picture 6, about 2 1/2 inch, that is.

7. Now, starting about 3 inches from the side, with your scissors make 1/2 an inch to 3/4 of an inch cuts through all layers, leaving about 1 1/8 inch between every cut. Continue like this all the way to the other side and stop about 3 inches from the side seam.

8. Next, fold it over some more (an additional 2 to 2 1/2 inch) and repeat the cutting, but now right in between two cuts from the previous line, as shown in picture 8.

9. Go on like this a couple more times, depending on the size of your bag - I did 5 rows in total.

10. Optional - Pouch:



Take one sleeve and cut to size, such that the folded bag fits inside the sleeve (make sure to add seam allowance). The hem of the sleeve will be the top of the pouch (if its a tunnel, i.e. tubular all the way around so you could pass a ribbon through)- if not, sew a tunnel). Sew the cut-off sleeve closed at the other end using a French seam again - you can box the corners if you like. At the top: make two small incisions (front only) at the center of the hem. With a safety pin slide the ribbon through the tunnel, and pull the ribbon ends through the button. Make knots in both ribbon ends. To close the pouch just pull the button all the way up and vice versa to open.


As with all of my tutorials, please note, this tutorial is intended for personal use only. Therefore, do not reproduce, sell or commercialize in any form without permission. Thanks for understanding!


* the bleach stains ended up the in hem and one of the boxed corners!!

A quick fix leather bracelet

I mentioned it yesterday, that I actually had time for two crafts while the girls were playing. So, here's number two - a quick fix leather bracelet. And while I was at it I wrote down some instructions for this quick fix.

Leather and leather jewelry seem to be everywhere lately, but that's not where I got my inspiration exclusively. While I was going through my reader, I came across these absolutely gorgeous booties (with free pattern - found through CraftGossip). Too bad my girls are too big for these now. The part I like best about these booties is the strap with button. They remind me of the strap and button on my wedding shoes... Well and the rest you can see here...











You'll need:

- a piece of leather; mine measured 22 by 3cm, for a loose fit. Measure your wrist and adjust accordingly, taking into account whether you prefer a loose or tight fit as well.
- a button
- scissors or a rotary cutter (I should get me one of those...)
- (heavy duty) thread
- a leather sewing needle
- pen and ruler


Instructions:

Use the template below. Mark the cutting lines on the back with a pen. I made three incisions length wise, 0.5cm apart, and about 17cm long. And one small vertical incision, the size of the button, for the button hole. To make sure the button passes, rather than making the button hole longer (and hence too long to hold the button still), cut a small "v" at each end of the incision.

Sew on the button.

To get the twisted look, pull one end of the bracelet through the incisions a couple of times, while holding on to the other end. There's no order or limit in doing so, just play around with it until you get a nice twist and are satisfied with the way it looks...

I'm definitely satisfied with how mine looks, and I can totally picture myself wearing this bracelet with a simple white outfit, a nice leather belt, cute strapped sandals, on a bright sunny day...

Oh, why can't spring just begin and then summer would be next...

Polka dots :: a garland

Winter break is still on, so I have been busy with keeping the girls busy, mainly, for the past two weeks. But thanks to clever planning on my behalf - both girls have a friend over at this very moment - I found some time for a craft - or two...

This is craft number one: a garland with the leather polka dots from a couple of days ago. Simple, easy, but I like it! I used two different colors of thread for the sewing to get a baker's twine effect (and also because I couldn't make up my mind as to which color looked best).

Not sure if I'll keep the garland for special occasions or have it up in our "studio" (I'm a bit worried about a clash of colors) or in one of the girl's rooms maybe ...



Instructions: for this little craft I used a circular (paper) puncher, leather scraps in different colors, thread and sewing machine. Cut circles with the puncher, thread the sewing machine with two different colors top and bottom, "feed" the leather circles to your machine - for the space between circles, just continue sewing without feeding... Don't forget to make a knot at the beginning and end to secure.)

A special delivery

We just got back from a short trip to Brussels, where we visited my parents. We had a special delivery with us - a late birthday present for my mom from big girl M. She made her grandma a pair of PJ pants, similar to the ones she made herself a couple of weeks ago. This time we used a pattern, though (Burda EASY 7765).
No need to tell grandma was totally thrilled and proud of her little girl...
I'm totally in love with the fabric - I still have some left and wonder if big girl M. could make me a pair too...

Shimmer

I worked on a small project with leather again this week. When I went out to find the new legs for the mini couch make over, I also checked out the "leather department" at the same store and found a piece of white leather with a slight pearl shimmer and a piece of brown shiny leather. Shiny and shimmery, are so not me at first sight.

The daffodil buds in the snow still fresh in my mind and the ric-rac of this wallet I got myself last summer, inspired me to make this little wallet.
I paired it up with a hopefully white and hopefully soon to bloom hyacinth.

Valentine's day :: another how-to

Still in need of a Valentine's Day surprise or just another fancy way to wrap that present? Then keep on reading as I might have something for you.

I still had a crocheted heart left I wanted to use. I decided to make a little drawstring bag - very simple with a couple of details added to give it a sweet little touch. This what it ended up looking like.



The good news is - if you like this little bag, that is - that I have some instructions ready for you, so you can make one of your own.

What you need:

- red yarn enough for crocheting a drawstring, a big heart, and two tiny ones
- a crochet hook
- an embroidery needle
- embroidery floss
- an old white sheet or any other piece of fabric for the bag
- sewing machine


Instructions:

1. Cut a rectangular piece of fabric corresponding to the size you want the bag to be (don't forget to add seam allowances on the sides and at the top). Cut the fabric such that you'll have the fold of the fabric at the bottom of the bag - I used a 35cm by 90cm piece.

2. Position and pin the heart, for which you can find the instructions here, onto the front of the bag. Stitch into place either by hand or with the sewing machine.

3. Close the side seams using the French seam as explained here.
Note: close the side seams all the way up to the top.

3. Button holes for the drawstring: at the front of the bag, mark where the two button holes will come (you'll need two, 1cm high and about 1cm from either side of the center and 7cm from the top). Make the button holes with the sewing machine and cut open. Here's an "astuce" - a hint - for cutting open button holes. If you put a pin at the other inner end of the button hole that pin will keep you from cutting too far and hence cutting the stitches as well.


4. Fold the fabric over, on the wrong side, to make a tunnel of about 2.5 cm wide for the drawstring (the button holes nicely centered in the middle of the tunnel) and sew on the machine.



5. With the red yarn, crochet a drawstring in chain stitch. Put a safety pin through one end and pull the drawstring through the tunnel.

6. Crochet two tiny hearts (found through Whip Up here) and attach to each end of the drawstring.

7. Now you can further decorate the bag with some embroidery. You might prefer to do this before you start sewing, but I prefer to do this in the end because it's easier for me to visualize the end result.

And that's it!



You could use these bags for about anything, from wrapping presents to protecting the finest lingerie...

Valentine's Day :: zakka inspired zippered pouch

I finished my little project today: a zakka inspired zippered pouch. It was fun and easy to make. For the past week or so, I had been thinking of something to use my crocheted hearts for. It was only when I visited Eloleo's blog and saw her latest creation with free-style embroidery, that all pieces fell into place. A zippered pouch with the heart free-style embroidered onto it! So here it is!



The part I like best? The zipper! A vintage zipper found at our local "mercerie". The girls start laughing as soon as I even mention that store. It's ran by three ladies. And all three they have in common they do not always appreciate the presence of kids at their store. And they're very conservative. Like with the zipper today - Ok, maybe in this case I was the one being conservative. I took the little pouch with me and I had a certain idea of the kind of zipper I wanted: a metal one. I spotted a nice red-ish one. "Oh non! Red wouldn't work, beige is what I needed. A beige polyester one, that is.". Well, I didn't agree. And I did not only buy a red zipper but a whole array of zippers, all in faded candy colors. At a bargain price, because these were old zippers nobody else wants anymore. Again according to the ladies at the store. Good thing I'm conservative when it comes to zippers...






And the second best part are the three little hearts in the back.