'SEWING' A Transformed Gift Bag.

Hi Everyone and a very Happy Bank Holiday to you all, hopefully you haven't got to go to work and that you are having a well earned long weekend. Todays crafty offering is a little different but I hope you like it and that it might give you a few ideas for jazzing up a gift bag and also personalising it for the recipient.

I would like to enter this for the Frilly and Funky fortnightly challenge titled " On The Runway" Sewing or Fashion. To view the DT creations and the other entries click on the link; Frilly and Funky

This bag is decorated on all 4 sides so there are a lot of different components,  I shall give details for the dies, inks and waxes used and how I made the main elements on each side.

The bag I started with was a 14cm x 14cm x 9cm brown paper gift bag which is available at most craft stores. This I cut open at the sides so that the bag would then lay flat to allow me to sew my chosen fabric to the front, back and sides along the top and edges.

I then reformed the bag and reinforced the cut sides with a piece of card on the inside. This was stuck with double sided tape.

Next I embossed a sheet of Paperartsy Crunchy Waxed Kraft Paper with the Tim Holtz Texture Fades Pattern and Stitches A2 folder. This was then cut and torn to fit onto 2 of the sides. Once in place the raised edges were hi-lighted with some Treasured Gold Wax in Renaissance.

A picture of an old sewing pattern was downloaded, stuck onto some card that resembled stripped fabric and the edges were cut with pinking shears and inked using Distress ink in Vintage Photo.

Now onto the main elements.

Starting at the top, the tape measure was stamped in black onto white card, then cut out. 4 small lengths of ribbon were then stuck onto a textured piece of brown card, an eyelet was used to attach the tape and the card and then a length of bakers twine tied to the top.

The mdf tag was given a coat of white gesso and then when fully dry a coat of Paperartsy Fresco Chalk Acrylics in Blush. The sentiment "You're Sew Special" was stamped in black archival and then heat embossed with clear embossing powder. The edges were stamped with a flourish stamp by Graphic 45 in vintage photo and then brushed with Perfect Pearls Mica in Heirloom Gold. A length of boucle wool was then threaded through the hole in the tag.

The picture in the centre was embroidered in cross stitch onto cream Aida. The frame was cut from some hammered card, edges cut with pinking shears and then rubbed with Decoart Metallic Lustre in black shimmer and the Renaissance Treasured Gold. Once dry this was then buffed with a soft cloth. I then crocheted a length of chain stitches to hang the picture with and attached a hook from a hook and eye set.

The thread card was stamped onto kraft card with versa-mark ink and heat embossed with white embossing powder. Once cut out the silk thread was then wound round the card and fastened.

The dressmakers dummy was cut using Tim Holtz Movers and Shapers mini sewing room die. This was cut twice, once in black felt and then in natural calico. The top and bottom were cut from the calico dress and then stuck onto the felt. I then sewed 2 layers of gathered lace to form a skirt and threaded some tiny beads onto some invisible thread for the necklace.

The flower was cut from Tim Holtz Tattered Floral die and the centre petals were cut using a flower punch. The outer layer of petals were cut from Grunge Paper, embossed with an embossing folder, inked with Distress inks in Dusty Concord and Victorian Velvet. Once the ink was dry I applied a little Treasured Gold in Ruby and Sapphire to the embossed parts. The leaf was cut with the Mini Tattered Leaf die, inked in Iced Spruce and Peeled paint and the edges rubbed with Treasured Gold in Olive Bronze. The flower is held together with a metal brad.

The millinery ticket was stamped onto some rose bud patterned paper using Tim Holtz Stampers Anonymous Adverts in Walnut Stain. this was then stuck onto a torn piece of T.H. Kraft-Core no 23 and the whole thing was lightly inked with vintage photo.

A pair of scissors were stamped and heat embossed in black and cut out and a piece of trellis was cut from cream card using the new T.H. die.

Now onto the assembling.

Using Walnut Stain ink I randomly stamped some text onto the fabric. The hook for the picture was sewn in place and then the picture is held with a glue dot. The Sylko tag was taken from an old cotton reel and the buttons are just odd ones found in the wonders of a "Button Box" ( A child's delight!)

The tape measure was just tucked into the top of the wax paper and then 2 press fasteners used to secure. A few pearl beads were threaded onto come cotton.

The pattern was attached with double sided tape and a brad was fastened in the top corner. the trellis was then stuck with foam pads to give some depth. The flower, leaf and dummy were all fastened with wet glue. The tag was tied to the handle and held steady with a glue dot.

The patterned paper was stuck on the bottom edge, hand sewn on one side and left unfastened on the other side so as the scissors could be tucked in. Cotton lace was gathered and hand sewn at the top and the ticket was attached with double sided tape.

So there you have it, a completely transformed gift bag. How much fun it would be to fill with lots of little sewing goodies for someone's birthday present. I hope you have enjoyed todays entry and that it fits the brief to be entered for the challenge.

If you have any questions or comments on this make please feel free to leave them at the bottom of the page and I will endeavour to get back to you asap. Hope you all have a great weekend and hopefully see you back here soon for some more crafty time. Take care and thanks as always for popping by, see you soon  Jane x