Oriental Pink 17" Zippered Bag

A friend of mine goes to auctions quite a bit and knows how much I love to repurpose things. I was thrilled when she brought me several large bags of curtains and tablecloths she had found. This particular fabric caught my eye immediately. It was one curtain panel, the kind that you "draw" shut with a cord.



It looked like designer fabric to me, so I was not surprised to read the selvedge edge after I had cut it apart - "Tea Garden" by John V Jacoby for Bassett McNabb. Apparently it was originally $60/yard.

The first time I looked at it, I saw this gorgeous pink print. After looking closer, I saw the Oriental design that print was framing. I knew then that I had to make a bag with it, and it had to be big enough to showcase those designs.



And so this bag was born. It started out at 18" square, so it's about 17x15" (after taking off for depth) finished, with a 3"depth. It could easily be used as a market tote or diaper bag, thanks to its generous size. I reinforced it with interfacing to make it extra sturdy.

I accented the bottom of the bag with a pink and white striped decorator fabric remnant I had picked up at a thrift store.



It has a different design on each side.



It closes with a zipper ...



... and has four small and five larger pockets inside to help organize your things. It's lined with an elegant beige reclaimed sheet fabric.



I've listed it in the shop, if you're interested. There are also a few matching smaller projects that I'll be showcasing over the next two days, so stay tuned. (You know I can't bear to waste good scraps.) :)

I'm linking to ... Upcycled Awesome,