Remake the fake

I'm not gonna lie, I had a fake Kate Spade bag back in the day and quickly learned it was not only inexpensive but cheap. Once you see your brand of trickeration everywhere, it's no longer a bargain.
Mix the faux with quality shoes and jewelry and the ruse might just work. However, a teenager with bargain store shoes, who has never visited a major city but carries a "$1200" Louis Vuitton handbag . . . yeah, it was probably purchased from a car trunk and not a LV boutique.

A few years ago, Louis Vuitton offered a Stephen Sprouse inspired graffiti print. Not at all a fan of the look, I was still intrigued. How about my own graffiti designer bag, Leezra style?
Well, y'know people give me stuff and last week, my friend Ann offered me her Canal Street fake Louis. While I intended paint text, a cake stencil screamed at me from the paint drawer.

Can you have your cake and eat it too?

As in, can you buy a fake and make everyone else believe it's real?
I think not.
Not when everyone else is in on the secret.








Shut up the shuttin' up, cake hole.

Craft supplies

When I opened this box, the contents reminded me of the crazy dried chicken parts at exotic food stores in Chinatown but upon closer inspection I realized that my order for 15 pairs of bamboo purse handles had arrived. Yay eBay!

Already have fabrics selected for my next handbag binge. These are from my last binge.

Monogrammed bag, gotta love it

My friend Chrysanthemum took her pretty quilted handbag to the local monogram shop and looka what she brought back!

As the Preppy Handbook states, "Why carry a bag with someone else's initials when you own will do?"

Denim handbag

Made this denim handbag from the 1970's era pattern given to me by generous seamstress lady.

Completely misunderstood how to make the handles but kept on without any major ripping. OR cursing. Upon completion, the bag looked too flat so squared off the bottom edge.*

Not really digging the purse, it is a little too long, narrow and boring so whipstitched around the handles with that heavier embroidery (crewel?) thread stuff.

The cutest thing is the interior pocket with grosgrain ribbon trim and key/pen loop.

*Two techniques to square off the bottom corners of a bag:

1) Turn inside out. Fold bottom and side seams to match, pin and mark a diagonal line, stitch. Trim to reduce bulk or leave as is.

(photo from tiny happy tutorial)

2) Turn inside out. Cut a square from bottom left and right. Fold fabric to match cut ends. Sew.


(photo from creative kismet tutorial)

People give me stuff - lots and lots of patterns

My fabulous alterations lady gave me big box of clothing patterns - Woo Hoo! Perused the offerings and kept these four and donated the remaining to local charity thrift store. I am paying it forward and backward, I tell ya! Take a look at the handbag pattern, you will see a completed version here in a couple days.

Would you like a tip on receiving stuff from folks? Talk about your common interests. More times than not, people want to share their stuff with enthusiastic like-minded crafters because their stuff will go to a good home. I assure my benefactors that I donate the items I don't keep. No way would I throw away a box of vintage patterns - Never, I say!

Silk stash yields handbags

The silk stash makes the prettiest handbags. Employed vintage buttons and hair tie elastics for closure.

Bamboo Handle Handbag

Found a sample sale of upholstery fabrics for $1 each and combined it with Mom's quilting fabric stash along with a freebie Ultra Suede sample. Embroidered a fleur-de-lis outline on the Ultra Suede for an easy-no-turned-edges inside pocket.

Holiday market booth

Got a wild hair and placed a deposit for a booth in my small town holiday market. It was a whim to see if people liked the stuff I made and if they would purchase said stuff. With a piece of chalk I mapped out a 10' X 10' space in my garage. Then I started making stuff like galvanized aluminum magnetic boards (shiny stuff!), cigar box valet boxes and handbags. Mom painted watercolor fleur-de-lis and Dawn fabricated tons of glass magnets.
My fabulous aunt offered use of her modular "walls" and Kay loaned me her ill-begotten table skirts (don't ask). The decor was kept simple and shiny! Caw, caw!

Here are some before and after photos:

Here are some holiday or craft fair pointers:

• Arrive early to claim your spot. Even if previously assigned, an early bird may be able to trade or upgrade space. I overhead a trade conversation with the phrase "don't tell anyone but I'll move you to their space".



• Bring more electrical cords than you think you need.



• Lighting is key.



• Decide ahead of time if you will accept checks. I accepted from personal acquaintances and folks that appeared to be good risks. Yes, I profiled but I have years of retail experience.



• Don't even think about keeping a cash box. Stash that money in your apron or deep pockets.



• Bring your boombox for ambient music.



• Let your product explain itself. Some folks are shy and just want to browse.



• Hangtags denote quality.



• Mark each item with price. Some folks will not ask price because they are afraid that the price will embarrass them. I know it sounds stoopid but hey, some folks are stoopid.



• Market coordinators may ask you for a door prize to promote the show. Luckily I thought to write a gift certificate on some of my logo paper. You want to draw folks to your booth.

Doe a deer, a female deer - a handbag

First project completed from a pattern!

Upholstery fabric remnant not large enough so

polka dot fabric pieced

to top of handbag.

Embroidered on both sides of bag plus inside pocket.