Frame Coin Purse

A few years back, I bought an Italian leather bag from a Baguio ukay, and while the lining and piping wore down eventually, the leather stayed soft and supple. I loathe to part with the leather (a pack rat, remember?) so I kept it and figured I might make something out of it when inspiration strikes. Well, as I was cleaning up, or rather, moving one piece of junk to another container, I saw my ruined frame coin purse.

So there, inspiration struck and I set out to make a coin purse. There's a link in NotMartha, but I couldn't find it anymore. Between the two types of leather pieces left, I chose the crocodile skin, or at least, it looks it came from a croc. First, I took off all the pieces of the old coin purse. Then I cut the croc leather so it would fit the frame, and I sew the sides and bottom. I didn't bother adding a lining; I actually like seeing the inner, almost suede-like part of the leather. Then I fitted the leather in the frame and hammered it without mercy. There. Quite simple.

Hamper Lining

This palm leaf-rattan hamper is one of the numerous things we bought in Baguio, and I intended it for our dirty clothes, but the entwined dried palm leaves are not suitable for clothes because they snag fabrics. So I decided to make a lining.
I initially thought of making it in full canvass, but the inner girlie-girl in me insisted I put in floral trims. Good thing I'm a hoarder because searching a bit deeper in my stash of fabrics yielded me my long-forgotten floral fabric I intended to use to reupholster our dining chairs. Anyhoo, this is a fairly straightforward measure-cut-sew job, so I won't post the instruction anymore. But if you do need it, you know where to find me, right? So there, I added a few ribbons to secure the lining and a floral lining on top for good measure.

As usual, my Sharkteeth wants to be included in the picture, so please bear with my daughter's camwhoring.

On A Roll, I Am!

It was a long weekend, and I had time to tinker around, and this is one of my weekend babies---a reconstructed necklace (never for a moment be deceived that there's a rack there; I just used the most boob-flattering angle---took me a veeeery long time!). The necklace used to be a three-layer silver-crystal-rice pearl choker (no picture); after a few uses though, it became boring and blaaah, then it kept on breaking. So I attached a few of the segments with crystals and pearls to form a Y necklace, but it was still lacking the ooomph. Digging into my arts & crafts box, I found this rhinestone heart hair accessory, which, I believe, I bought from a co-intern back in 1995...hmmm, was it that long ago? I digress. Anyhoo, I attached it to the necklace, and it definitely gave the necklace the ooomph it needed.

Madonna/Whore Leather Chest Box

Here is something I made the moment I got a free time last month. I named it the Madonna/Whore leather chest box because of the staid, almost matronly, appearance from the outside, but raaaawwwwrrr *claw the air, please* leopard print inside.

I went slumming one Sunday and found a 50-peso ($1) wine-colored leather skirt. Surveying my art & crafts supplies, I saw the craft box I scavenged from Onyxx and decided to make a leather-covered box. I'm not too good at giving instructions, but you'll catch the drift.
1. Reinforce the joint of the box inside and out using strips of leather.
2. Cut a corresponding piece of leather for each side.
3. Apply a thin layer of contact cement (smells heavenly, I tell you! shhhhh...) to the box. Let it dry a bit, then stick the leather pieces on each side.
4. The leopard-print velvet is another find from one of my previous slumming expeditions, and I used it as a lining. It's not too obvious in the picture, but the inside is lumpy because of the glue.
5. Attach a lock. I wanted to put corner protectors, or whatever those things are called, but I don't know where to find one.