Don't switch the channel!!!

 Last week I made one of my large market tote bags out of this fabric that is based on Caribbean folk art.  I do not normally go for the folk art look but the second I saw this fabric, I had to have it!    I also purchased some of it's sister fabric at the same time that had a white background.  This would be the second market bag I have made from this fabric.  The question for me always is what do I do with the scraps left over from the market bag?  I looked at some pictures of folk art but did not see anything that set my creative juices flowing.  I really wanted to do this lovely fabric justice but let's face it, I am no folk artist!

My neighbor Marie is a fabulous folk artist and a student of every decorative painting technique there is and she has mastered most of them.  So, as I was pondering what to do with the scraps I realized I needed to start channeling Marie.   For some reason the local coffee roaster came to mind at this point.   Go Figure...I feel one should support local businesses when ever possible, so my morning cuppa is made from Dean's Beans.  There is just NOTHING like going into that place and smelling all those roasted beans and since they grind it right on the spot, my car smells like heaven on the way home.  The slogan for the business is "What would Jesus Drink?"  LOVE IT! 

The first thing I designed was a greeting card using the fabric with the white background.  I wanted to add a little pizzazz so I asked my self..."what would Marie do?" Why not make a very simplistic bird and applique it on the front of the card?   I took the same design but with the colors of the wings and body reversed from the card and laid it out on the black fabric and it just didn't pop.  What would Marie do?  I  found this perfect yellow fabric in my stash and appliqued the bird onto it and then used the black fabric as a border around the bird.  It ended up being an 8" block.  Yup, I could make that into a hot pad but I have TONS of hot pads in inventory so what else could I make?  What would Marie make???  A couple of years ago I sold 2 hot pads to a lady who told me she was going to make them into a purse for her granddaughter.  At the time, I could not see how she was going to do that.  Well, time to see if I can figure that out.  The block could be the front of the purse and...I have enough of the black fabric to make the back a bit longer than the original block, fold it over at the top, put a loop on it and sew a button onto the front and wallah, I have a flap and a closure.  A cute little shoulder bag!   I went out and got some black braided cord but, how do I attach it so that it doesn't look like it's just been stuck on it?  I tucked both ends of the cord under the binding and attached the binding to the back of the purse.  I also tucked the closing loop under the binding on the flap.  I rounded off all the corners so I would not have to miter them and proceeded to attached the binding to the back of the purse.  I folded it over to the front and using my hemming stitch, attached the binding to the front.  I then pulled the strap up towards the flap since it came out of where I attached the binding at a 90 degree angle and whip stitched the strap 1/2" up from where it emerged,  just below where the flap turns over.  I have made several tote bags over the years but his was my first purse.  AND, a folk art design to boot, so, a definite departure for me.  I was hoping that it would come out looking good enough that I would be able to sell it and to my great relief..it did!  Needless to say, I can't wait to show it to Marie.  Maybe I should invite her over for a cup of coffee?  HA!!