Snowflakes

It hasn't been a typical winter in rural Manitoba. We haven't had our driveway cleared a single time. Zero trips to the toboggan hill. And no snow days.

Until today, that is.

After a night of heavy, wet snow, the roads are clogged and the schools are closed.

Seems like kind of the perfect day to post a bag called "snowflakes".

It's random collection of lace bits and doilies are reminiscent of the view outside my windows this morning.

Ahhh, that's more like Manitoba!

The bag turns inside out shows four interior pockets.

Interested in this snowy, delicate lacey bag complete with "The Manitoba Sugar Co." in pale blue lettering; a velcro closure; interior pockets, and loads of detail?

Leave a comment below. You can choose to purchase it right now for $45.oo Cdn, or try your luck at bids beginning at $20.00 Cdn. The bag will remain available until Thursday, feb 23, 2012.

Feed Sack (.....And... SOLD!)

This bag tells a story that I'm fond of. The body used to be a throw cushion that I bought at the thrift shop- one of those cushions you remember from your grandmother's house. I might have had it on my own couch for a time, but with my lifestyle as a daytime substitute mommy, throw cushions mostly have one definition: "THROW". So, they generally get stored in places where they're soon forgotten, or get sewn up into something else entirely.

Like this bag.

The faded "certified" strip came from an old feed sack that my sister and I found in an abandoned farm house. The "lady of the house" was a bit of a hoarder. Which in some aspects made for a really fantastic treasure hunting day for me. In other aspects, I just wanted to scrub my hands up to the elbows, go home, and vacuum every last corner of my house.

I had fun using all manner of dresser scarf/ embroidery accents to flesh out this bag. The top has a velcro closure as well. The straps are fashioned from a tea-stained table runner, and a blue scalloped tablecloth.

And I'm so glad to have such a fun-loving way to use all those doilies. They're pretty common in thrift shops in my neck of the woods, since past generations of women have been quite traditional, and expressed themselves in the few opportunities they had available: the kitchen, and the needle. (not hypodermic in this case).

The bag turned inside out: Another great spot for the ratty feed sack. (I mean ratty in the nicest possible kind of way.....) And yes. It's been washed!!

The other side of the inside: a much more feminine way of having pockets; this is a rescued piece of bed skirting, here used to create three interior pockets.

And there you have it!

Certified! It says so right on the bag.....

Interested? You can buy it now for $45.00 Cdn or try your luck with a bid starting at $20.00 minimum. Bids will remain open until Friday, Feb 17, 2012.

More and More and More... Amore (sold too!)

More love where that came from.

I might have had valentines day on my mind this month and got just a little carried away with the heart theme.

Velvet has that effect on me.

So do buttons, ric rak, and second hand cross stitch.

This bag is constructed in the same way as the two heart bags preceding it. Two small pockets on the front panel, one pocket on the back, with Velcro closure, and two inside pockets.

The last two photos show the bag turned inside out, so you can have a better look at the way the pockets are laid out.

Like this sweet bag? Wannit? you can buy it now for $45.00, or place a bid for $20.00 and see where it takes you. The dimensions are identical to the bag that precedes it. If we go with the bidding option, I'll close bids at 7:00 pm cst on thursday, February 16, 2012.

Thanks for making this re-entry so successful. It feels good to have figured some things out on my new gadget, and to be able to blog without wanting to scratch my eyes out.

Love Knows No Holiday (sold to Stephanie for buy it now price)

But I'm super glad that there is a special holiday just to celebrate love.

It's one of those holidays where everyone should win. If you don't get all fussy about romantic love (just one narrow strip of true love, in any case), you can use the excuse of Valentine's Day to just look around and get giddy about all the love in your life.

The strap is a celebrated necktie, and the front panel pockets used to be a lovely piece of hand embroidery. Cross stitch; to be precise.

The back panel and majority of the bag's body is made out of vintage drapery.

A second layer forms a pocket, complete with velcro closure.

The bag's interior is a cacophony of colour. Many remnants work together to form 2 pockets, which brings our bag's total number of pockets to four.

This lovin' bag measures 8" across its base; 9.5" top to bottom; and a width of 3".

You can purchase this bag right now for $45.00 Cdn, or place a bid for a minimum of $25.00 and see where it takes you. I'll leave this bag's bids open until Thursday, February 16, 2012 at 7:00 pm, cst.

Now, go be nice to someone. Pick someone annoying if you have the chance. It is Valentine's, after all!

Pretty AND Tough (that one sold in twelve minutes!)

When the women of yesteryear gathered to embroider and crochet delicate little doilies, did they ever dream that their work would help to feed hungry people far away? would they be pleased, or appalled to see their handiwork stitched all together all willy nilly with a whole lot of other random goodness?

Since I can't ask them, I can only rely on my own imagination. And I've decided that there's no better use for carefully hoarded, beautiful, delicate hankies than this. Right here.

I ha

I have a particular fondness for that small crocheted flower. It used to be part of a much bigger, more overwhelming whole. But taken on its own, its just small and sweet.

Each of the repurposed linen doilies gracing the front of this bag also double as small pockets. Tiny ivory buttons add detail.

The last two photos in the series are of the bag's interior. A tablecloth and another decorative doily make up these pockets.

The bag may look feminine, but its less fragile than one might think. The exterior used to be a drapery panel. (her sisters still hang in my dining room.....)

Measurements: 17" across the top of the bag; 15" deep.

5 pockets in total.

velcro closure.

Interested in this bag? Buy it now for $40.00 or put in a bid starting at a min of $20.00. I'll leave this bag up for sale until Wednesday, February 15, 2012 at 7:00 pm cst.

Happy Heart Day (sold)

I like Valentine's Day.

It helps to be in a secure, longterm relationship with a sweetheart that I still love after all these years.

But in my mind, Valentine's isn't just about romantic love. It's about L-O-V-E which we all have a reason to celebrate, whatever our situation.

I like the fiery, unabashed colors of Valentines.

I like the shape of a heart.

And I love expressing all of that with fabric, buttons, neckties, and trim.

The particulars of this lovely bag are as follows:

7" across; 9" lengthwise; and 3.5" in depth.

The adjustable shoulder strap is fashioned from a cheery red necktie, and a piece of happy trim.

There are four pockets: two on the inside; one under the flap on the front of the bag; and the fourth on the rear of the bag, with a handy dandy velcro closure.

The exterior of the bag is fashioned from a rescued piece of red velvet, and some heavy old curtains. The front pocket is full of playful pictures of a man and woman sharing a bicycle (very much in love, of this I'm sure).

I will sell this bag using the auction format, with the first bid starting at a minumum of $35.00 Cdn.

Let the bidding begin in the comments below. Bids will close on Monday, Feb 13, 2012 at 7:00 pm, cst. Now. Go love on someone!