Up cycling

 that is what they call making something out of something that had already had a life as something else. 

It is something that I have known my whole life, my Grandfather was a fixer, mender and repurpose before considering something new.  There was not always either the money for new or during the war years new to be had.  My Dad is similarly inclined and initially for the same reasons.  So I learned about it whilst it was still all for the practical and had not become the fashionable.

My mother made clothes for me and my dolls, things for the house and every item was considered to see if it would be of use as something else before it was disposed of.

If it is something from a charity shop I feel like it is a double win as the charity gets some money for their good work and I get something to work with.

So this is the first of hopefully two posts about up cycling from a pair of curtains.  It was the tree pattern that caught my eye in the charity shop. The curtains were lined and made to go on a curtain pole, so there were 20 metal hoops in the top of the curtain.

I cut the top off, the curtains a bags length below the rings. Curtain fabric and lining together, as the rings caught in both of course. There was enough to make five bags (four rings to a bag). I added gussets to the sides (with lining added) and then it was time to decide how to do the handles. 

I have done a bag with the curtain rings before a-curtain-bag and just used the material. I wanted something different this time. After thinking about it for a bit I recalled some white cord that had joined my collection of "stuff" and I knew what I wanted.

Two lengths of cord for each ring...looped through

 and then plaited (a four plait that I learned how to do when learning to make bobbin lace)

The pin stopped me pulling to hard and squeezing the material of the bag onto the ring.

If  you are wondering about the other end, or ends..well I did wonder myself if this was going to work out. I sewed the plaited cords together about an inch before the loose ends, then the loose ends together.

I laid the two loose ended on top of each other and sewed them together. That was both messy to look at and a tad rough on the hands for a bag.  I had a plan for that, there are always small bits of wadding left when I am making quilts. Some of those thin scraps wound round the middle of my now joined straps and then covered with the same material the bags were made of.

I did not have any recipients in mind when I was thinking about the construction of the bags and I had the main sections of the bag cut for some time but had not made a start.  Then I decided who they would be for and finishing became time bound.

I made five and four were to go to Missionary Sisters and the fifth to a member of my local church who has been of great help to my mother's Family History.

Just to be sure the bags would be recognisable I added a small personalisation (and a hand made tag) to each bag. The recipients had fun trying to find them and one sent me this picture with glee when she had found hers.

I considered putting their full initials on, but I did not have enough of the right letters for all of them so I just stuck to their surnames.

I hope that the next part of using the curtains, and what I bought them for in the first places will go as well.