My dear friend (and sister) Linda loves pink and green. She says that when she sees them together it makes her heart sing. And just as her birthday was approaching, it occurred to me that nobody deserves a heart-singing pink and green uno by sumo more than she does.
I found a pink and green striped cotton fabric and trimmed it with pink silk. I had a bit left over, and made a matching wristlet that can be attached to the inside of the purse or carried separately.
And since it’s an uno, she will never see anyone else carrying her purse. Linda, let’s hear you!
My Aunt Emma is elegance personified. So when she told me she wanted a sumo original, my suspicions were confirmed: I rock.
Emma liked Kika’s purse, but wanted a smaller bag. She chose a red and cream toile, which we coordinated with a deep red silk. The lining is ecru silk, with pockets and a key fob. A vintage button adds the finishing touch.
Thank you, Emma, for carrying a sumo. You rock.
Note: This blog was created to showcase my purses and other creations. But today I chooose to use it to rave about my BFF Tahra.
One of the greatest gifts the Universe ever gave me was when it put Tahra into a house on my street. I have no doubt that she magically appeared, just down the block, so that she could be a sort of guardian angel for me.
In addition to helping me find my creativity and myself, and teaching me a lot of different things, she increased my cool factor by about a zillion per cent. She gave, and still gives, the most incredible gifts. (How else could Yours Truly be wearing a purple denim jacket with an anatomically correct bluesman pin on the lapel?)
She has also introduced me to some of the neatest people, like the gorgeous, talented, and hilarious Victoria, also known as Mama. Why are Californians so damn beautiful?
She taught me the joys of camping, helped my drive a stick-shift, and even put me to work at a children’s carnival. Which, surprisingly enough, I did very well at.
Can she:
Write a song, dance, sing? Play guitar, ukelele, dulcimer, and mandolin? OMG yes!
Make a roux, crochet a scarf, drive a huge RV like it was the family sedan? Seriously.
Adjust your back, cut your hair, or help you bury your dead pet? Yes, and she will give the eulogy too.
Tell me where all past years are, and who cleft the devil’s foot? I would not be the slightest bit surprised.
Her judgement is keen. Her opinion is straightforward and she can back it up objectively. And don’t even ask her if these pants make your ass look fat!
There isn’t much Tahra can’t do. Pretty good qualifications for a guardian angel. Happy birthday Tahra. I love you.
Website designer Linda Woods, who created my blog and taught me to use it, challenged me to refashion some worn-but-still-loved shirts into new items.
I made three into pillows, but couldn’t complete the project without making at least one handbag. Here are the before and after pics.
If you need a custom web designer or social network marketer, Linda can be reached at: lindawoods1@bellsouth.net.
Tags: "jeweled shirts", "shirts become pillows", Custom Bags, custom web designer, ReFashion, social network marketer
My dear friend Tahra showed me this beautiful piece of Egyptian print fabric, and I guess she saw me drool, because she gave the fabric to me. I made it into a skirt for my mom, and lucky for me, she didn’t care for it, and gave it back to me.
I made it into a purse for myself, which I am carrying this winter. I love the navy, teal, and gold with just a touch of tan and red.
The icing is a flattened “evil eye” glass bead. My friend Carrie (who writes a highly entertaining blog, “bilingual in the boonies”) brought it to me from Greece. The bead is a perfect complement to the fabric, and I attached it to the top as a closure device. I just flip it over to open and close the bag.
Thanks to two friends, I have a one-of-a-kind purse. And really, shouldn’t sumo have an uno by sumo?
p.s. Check out “bilingual in the boonies”, even if, like me, you know nada espanol.
p.p.s. Did I mention that Tahra is a TV star? She is the star of TahraTime, which is syndicated on many PBS stations. How cool is that?
double-click on image to enlarge
Tags: cotton, custom purse, Egyptian print bag, handbag, one of a kind, OOAK, purse, unique, uno by sumo
bridesmaids threaten to throw down
When my sister got married 35 years ago (yikes!), these were the bridesmaids’ dresses we wore. I recently found my skirt in my mom’s attic, and thought it would be cool to make Sis a purse from the floral skirt fabric.
I used a tip from Mary Mulari, Queen of ReFashion, to make a handle that can be carried short and doubled, or long for a shoulder strap. I made belt loops and used scrumptious yarns to tie around the bag. Inside, the usual: zipper pocket, key fob, and big deep pockets.
When I proudly presented the purse to my sister, she didn’t recognize the fabric. Well, it has been 35 years. Yikes!
Kika is beautiful, exotic, and sophisticated, and I hope that this uno by sumo purse is perfect for her.
The shell is made of black & white cotton toile with black dupioni silk, bonded to cotton canvas. The front features a removable drop of black and red beads.
The lining is black & white poly/cotton gingham, with a key fob, zippered pocket, and three large deep pockets.
Dimensions are 13 x 4 x 10.5 inches.
Kika, your new purse is on its way!
a peek inside
Tags: cotton, Custom Bags, purse, silk, toille, uno by sumo
These handbags are basically the same, except for the fabric and trim. Each is one of a kind, because I won’t make another bag of the same type in the same fabric choice.
I call them uno by sumo, which is the guarantee that nobody else will be carrying your bag.
Each bag features a print fabric bonded to canvas for strength and durability. I like to use silk for a contrast trim, but sometimes use another coordinating fabric, as in the bamboo bag on the left.
The inside has a keyfob, a zippered pocket, and three large deep pockets whick keep small items from disappearing into the bottom of the bag.
Dimensions are 11 x 13 x 3.5 inches, perfect for carrying one cat or two small kittens.
Mimi at rest
Don’t let this sweet face fool you; Mimi is a tiger inside. She stalks, she crouches, she hides.
Someone gave me a cute but very large scrub top in a cat print. Since I already have no less than six cat print tops to wear, I chose to make this one into a pet bed. Mimi says that it fits just fine.
Tags: cat bed, cat furniture, pet bed, ReFashion
Below is a bag I made for our former lab manager Kim the Fish Lady. Kim was all about fish. Fish bowls, fish stickers, and colorful little plastic fish, which she gave as rewards for good customer service. I earned a few myself, and made some into earrings.
Kim eventually moved to a bigger pond. Saddened to see her go, we determined to give her the best send-off ever. We gave lots of fish gifts, and I made this fish tote for her. The outside was canvas with fish images, and the lining and matching mini-purse were made from a cool Laurel Burch fish print fabric.
I covered a board with batting, more cute fish fabric, and iridescent ribbon to make a memory board. I hope Kim is happy in her new job, and I hope her memory board is covered with happy pictures.
