Friday, July 21, 2017

Adding Buckle to Longchamp Backpack

I needed a bag for my European trip but the last time I used a backpack purse, I was pursued by many pickpockets.  One pair even had my bag unzipped and started opening my wallet, luckily a local lady alerted me.  But I still want a backpack, my shoulders hurt form a regular shoulder travel bag.

I chose this bag because it's impossible to unzip with the snap down without me noticing.  But I also wanted to be able to carry it around in museums so I decided to sew a clip to the back pack straps.  The backpack can be worn as a purse albeit upside down using the new buckle, the extra strap can be buckled around my waist and take the weight off my shoulders and lastly, I can buckle the bag to my seat back or armrest when I am in a restaurant.


Saturday, July 8, 2017

Converting Travel Vest to Travel Skirt

My husband had this travel vest for 10+ years and it still has its store tags.



I was going to donate it, but I have been trying to be more ecological about clothing and have been altering clothes rather than buying new so here is a new challenge, what to make.  I can't alter it to fit me as a vest without cutting off most of the pockets but it's wide enough for my hips, so a skirt.

I cut off the shoulders along the ruler.


And added some fabric from the shoulders to patch the V-neck and make the waist straight and used grossgrain ribbon as waistband facing.  Also sewed along the sides removing the armhole fabric and shaping the skirt. Note that there is a waist drawstring in the back of the vest/skirt.  I took the string out and left the casing as a design detail.  Which just means, I was too lazy to rip it out.


And finally, the skirt.  I wore it around travling, great pockets for passports, cell phone, money, kleenex.  There is a large inside pocket, pick pocket proof and big enough for maps.  I didn't even need a purse.