The Off Cuts Edit

I have now made a few bags from the boat cushion vinyl that I gleaned from a local marine upholsterer in Ringwood. It’s really great fabric. Not too awkward to sew and the colours are strong and lovely…(white, navy blue and red and also black) I am trialing it out a little bit because I don’t know how it will wear and how it reacts to my bag designs and you know things like “will it stand up on its own” (yes if the bag is not too wide) and “does it need lining” (yes). I think we are nearly there.

I have my friend Lisa to thank for this idea….I was tryng to find an eco alternative for the ouch pouches. The vinyl that I buy for that smells so toxic that I hated purchasing more and more. Many people have suggested sail cloth and although that’s a great idea, it’s also been done before and I feel I would just be copying that…no I needed something different. She said, and it seems SO obvious now, “there must be local upholsterers who have left over vinyl from the cushions they make?”

And she was absolutely right. There is also one in Lymo who was only too delighted to find a home for the excess bolts of fabric he had that he couldn’t recycle in the normal way and he didn’t have the heart to chuck it in the tip. I have yet to cut into that fabric. There just isn’t enough time in the day!

I needed a pencil case that would hold a few pens but still fit neatly in my handbag. Also my Tombow ABT (I bought this from the stationers in New Milton but Southern Stationery behind Tescos, next to The Imaginarium has them too) pens wouldn’t fit in the squarer pencil case so I needed a longer one. I love the shape of the Very Narrow Pencil Case so I will definitely be making more of these. Please do message me if you’d like one. Price to be decided but it won’t be hefty.

This is a large bag that I have made from the recycled boat vinyl. Black and white, and nice and bold. I’ve lined it with orange Orla Keily stem fabric and there’s a slip pocket on the front and a zipped pocket on the inside.

I shall be passing it over to my friend Melissa who will hopefully give it a proper bashing and trial it to see if it is big enough, tough enough etc etc. I am not sure if the vinyl stretches at all as there is a bit of give in it, I guess that makes it great going round cushions on lovely big boats. Not so good as bag, so that’s what I want to find out. So these bags won’t be for sale for a while. Until I am sure the fabric is ok. I’ve been using my bag (pictures above with the inky splatter pocket) every day for a month or so and it’s ok so far but obviously I want it to last ages!!

It’s too dark now to take photos of this now. But I will get photos of Melissa with it in a few days.

This has all taken me an age to do. It’s all very slow going as there are so many interruptions and the weather has been uninspiring or freezing and I have felt a bit meh recently but it’s mainly because I FORGET what I am meant to be making or focusing on. It was only when a friend said what a good size my bag was that I remembered I should be making more of them!! This may not be relevant or interesting but I have started HRT and I am hoping that clears my head a bit. How long does it take? I was kind of hoping it was immediate but so far…. still fogged up.

Thanks for reading!

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