Thursday, November 4, 2010

Mini-Purse Making

My gym has keychain membership cards. Most of my clothing choices work at the gym -- except I have to switch out my sandals for sneakers -- or my Vibrams. Which means that all I have to worry about is bringing music. After forgetting that simple addition several times, I started looking for a way to carry music with me all the time -- which ended up being a mini-purse attached to my keychain.

The first one was the tiny container bag for those re-usable shopping bags -- like thisTrendy Shopping Tote Bag - Gold Trace Flowers Pattern (S1), but I picked mine up locally. The little one that's made to hold the big one was just the right size for my nano and headphones. I clipped it to my keychain and it was nearly perfect. The problem was that it's a snap closure -- and hung on a keychain, the snap dangles on the bottom, catching easily on things and dropping my nano -- usually at the grocery store. Possibly because that's where I shop the most.

Anyway, I started looking for a zipper pouch about the same size and I found one, but it wasn't very well made and fell apart within a month of me getting it. It was mass produced and vinyl (since I'm cheap), so I thought I'd look on Etsy for a new one and found this! It was adorable, and for a good cause, and I was so tempted.... but it's vinyl and I'm being a little distrusting of the durability of that material right now.

So I went into the craft room and dug out the leather scraps I'd picked up at a garage sale a few years ago. (It was a giant envelope of upholstery samples.)

This was my first try, but the eyes are a bit bulky and it ended up being a bit tight for the nano.

Second attempt. Smaller eyes means smaller eye-stems in the back. It fits much better, but I didn't think he was as cute as the first try. So....

Dragon! He might have too many protruding bits though. We'll see.

Then, I had an idea for a simple vampire face. So I made another.
And then, thinking of Kim Harrison's Halloween Costume Contest, I decided to make a burning bunny and learned that I should have cut into the white and put the red behind it. I'm not sure it even looks like a bunny. (The red zipper mouth probably doesn't help. And I wish I'd had red eyes. I may try this one again with the pink eyes like the first guy.)
So when I made the Wolfman, I put the teeth behind the mouth. I think it works better, though I don't know if he looks like a Wolfman as much as a somewhat frightened dog. (But here's where I think that creating these things could be addicting.)
And my sewing machine considered dying when I tried to sew those ears.

But now I'm out of ideas. At least for a few minutes. And I have to figure out what to do with all these mini-purses. Christmas presents, anyone?

4 comments:

  1. WANT! What do I have to do to get one of these? I will participate in any contest or jump through any hoop!!! What do I have to do? Pretty please?

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  2. -laughing-

    Dragon is staying with me. Frankenstein (attempt #1) has gone home with my sister. If you wanted one of the remaining 4, send me an address. Clothdragon at gmail. If you really loved one of the already taken -- it will take longer, probably till the end of NaNo, but I'd be happy to try again on them. Just let me know.

    :)

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  3. WARNING: Above offer is limited to Barbara, and perhaps others who have talked with me through enough various mediums to consider themselves friends. If this is someone's first time here or first time letting me know they've been here, there will be hoop-jumping -- starting with answering yesterday's super-hero question.

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  4. Thank you thank you thank you thank you!!! Squeeeeeee!

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