Malteser Purse

As an homage to my cultural heritage, I present my Malteser cocktail purse.

Made from the larger Malteser packages, it zippers shut and the handle isn't what it seems. I bought round crafting beads, painted them chocolate brown and coated them in shellac so they looked like the yummy balls of goodness.

This was a one-off project, made for my use and first unveiled at my Auntie's wedding. Needless to say, the cousins luuuuurrrrved it.

Album Totes

What good are your albums if you never listen to them? Make bags out of them! Better yet, let me do it for you.

I'm selling these at my local farmer's market along with other crafts my friend and I make.

And I melt down the album to use as a sturdy bottom to the bag. My prototype is one that I still use more than a year after making it. It's of an old Donny Osmond album. The record smashed but it still holds up, despite my abuse. And, I swear, women of a certain age are forever coming up to me to tell me how much they love my bag. And now I have a place to sell them and spread the joy.

Make Your Own Retro Clothes/Bias Tape

I used to work at a vintage clothes shop on Queen Street in Toronto when I was a teenager and used to have a plethora of really beautiful clothes. I had this pink and green 50s skirt with a Taj Mahal border. I owned a really cute 1960s boat neck top with yellow and blue daisies. I went to the prom with a taffeta gown from about 1955 with a delicious off-the-shoulder cowl neck.

But maybe because they were so readily available, and maybe because I lent them out and never got them back, and maybe because my metabolism slowed to a crawl, most of my clothes are gone. And I miss them!

I'm still on the lookout for great pieces but these clothes are really quite old. They're few and far between and I'm really hesitant about ordering clothes from EBay. Nothing like trying it on, you know?

So I make them.

I find lots of patterns at church bazaars where, let's face it, there's lots of seniors. The patterns usually go for a song but, if you buy, keep in mind that a size 12 in 1960 is considerably smaller than a size 12 today. Luckily, the body measurements are printed on every pattern envelope.

Another place you can find retro patterns is in the costume section of the big name pattern company books at the fabric store. Some companies, like Butterick and Vogue, have retro clothes right in the regular clothes sections. They've updated the sizing and even print the pattern multi-sized. If you're built like me, you'll need a larger size in the boobs than in the hips, so instead of cutting an extra inch in places where you need it, the pattern takes out the guesswork. And you can always alter, mes amis. It's better to cut big than too small.

One really simple and unique pattern I found was Butterick B4790. It's originally from their 1952 catalogue and took me a couple of hours to make. It takes lots of fabric (4.5m) but hooks up with a snap in the back and a couple of buttons in the front as it wraps around you.


I think I may make this dress again, but use two contrasting colours next time (a red inside "dress" and a black wrap).

It's finished with bias tape or bias binding, which I love to use. In this case, it finished the seam but it has lots of uses. I learned to make my own, which comes in handy if you don't want a contrasting edge or if you don't want to pay for it. If you have leftover fabric, it's really not difficult to make. I was going to post how, but this link is so clear, I couldn't say it any better.



This dress cost me all of $18 to make. It reminds me of licorice allsorts.

Kool-Aid Jammer Belt Instructions

There's tons of sites that tell you how to make Jammer bags. That's how I started.

But, frankly, belts are easier to do, especially if you're new to sewing.

You will need:
- 7 empty Jammer bags (for a belt for a young girl)
- one set of 1" wide (28 mm) D-rings (available at fabric shops for about $1.50)
- thread

1. Wash and dry 7 Jammer bags. This is the most tedious part. I slit the bottoms and soak them through a sink of dishwater. Then, I either let them air-dry or, if I'm in a rush, I wrap a tea towel over a chopstick and dry them that way.

2. With a rotary cutter or very carefully with scissors, cut lengthwise strips from the Jammers, making sure they're a little less than 1" wide. You want to make sure they will fit in the D-rings.

3. Select 7 strips and sew them, overlapping just a tad, top to bottom. If you think you're done, you're so wrong!

4. Select another 7 strips and sew them like you did the first time. No, you don't have two belts, unless you want your belt to look budget.

5. Sew the two 7 Jammer long strips together, wrong sides facing. Almost done!

6. Thread one end of belt through the two D-rings together, and fold the first Jammer strip in half. This is where the D-rings will sit. Sew the end of the belt to the seam you made that held together the first and second strip. To keep it stable, sew as close to the D-rings as you can.

7. Trim uneven edges (especially if you used scissors) and wear with the snazz yo' momma gave you!

It Always Goes Back to Kool Aid Jammers

I'm kinda known around my area and through my family for my Kool Aid Jammers creations.

It started with handbags and evolved from there. I can make these things in my sleep and, when the mood strikes, I figure out new things to make with this garbage.

So this blog will be devoted to stuff I create. I'll give patterns, too, because my kindergarten teacher said I was very good at sharing. And if you can make money from it, rock on. Just use your powers for good, chiquita.