Crochet: Straw Beach Bag {Tutorial & Pattern}

This is a crochet straw beach bag (drawstring type) I designed and made with rafia yarn recently. The rafia yarn is thin and flat like plastic strips, softer than rafia twine. It is easy to crochet and the result is surprisingly soft and gentle to touch.

This shoulder bag is made by a double layer crochet technique. The 1st layer is single crochet (back loops only) from bottom to top, then you work upside down for the second layer, just slip stitch on the front loops for each and every stitch. As simple as that!

Remember to crochet 12 holes for the eyelets. Used a long fat white elastic band ( I bought it from hair accessories shop) and sew a fabric to the ends as the ribbon ties. The elastic drawstring closure is superbly convenient, now you don’t have to pull-to-tie and untie-to-release the bag when taking things in and out. Didn’t summer supposed to be easy and relax?

Get the crochet pattern and some how-to photos after the jump. ….

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Bag Tutorial: Shaggy Bag With Lining

 

My latest creation….. the handbag which I have been talking over the previous 2 posts, where I showed how to make the zipper pocket and 6-compartment slip pocket. This is is the bag that has them in it.

Remember the loop stitch crochet video, I made this bag out of this stitch. The material I used is poly jersey interlock, exactly the same material I used for the locker hook projects. This material is smooth and has some elastic property so it is easy to crochet. The lustrous finishing makes the bag ….

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Sewing Tutorial: 6 Compartments Slip Pocket

This slip pocket is the second internal pocket (after the zipper pocket) I have made for a bag.

I always don’t feel satisfy with the slip pocket came in most bags, they don’t have enough compartments for me to put my small belongings in an organized way. So I made this, a 6 compartments slip pockets.

The front are slim pockets (credit card size) for you to put cards, eg. door excess card, toll card, parking card separately and don’t have to mess them up in a big pocket and need to throw everything out before you can find them.

The back pockets are deep and spacious compartments which can hold thicker item like a compact cosmetic pack, small mirror, slim mobile phone,etc….

The slender center pockets are suitable for keeping small items like thumb drive, pen, key, lip stick etc….

Finished size of this pocket is 8″ x 2 3/4″.

Let’s see how to this 6 compartments slip pockets for a bag ….

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Sewing Tutorial: Internal Zipper Pocket For Bag

I made a bag recently…. before I let you see the bag [update: it is here], I wish to show you how I sewed the pockets inside, both zipper pocket and 2-tier slip pocket with 6 compartments (coming soon, updated).

Want a zipper pocket to show only the zipper and not the outline of the pocket’s seams? This is the tutorial you are looking for. A zipper pocket without a side sewn line gives a classy touch for a fine bag.

Pocket lining: 8″ x 12″ (including seam allowance of 1/2″), to make a 7″ x 5″ internal zipper pocket for bag.

The zipper opening at the pocket is 7″, if you don’t have the exact zipper size, you can always use a ….

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The Born Of “The Dazzles” Vintage Frame Clutch Bag

May be you were wondering why I just showed you only detailed depictions of “The Dazzle” in my previous post and did not write down the process…. Not my style huh~ you are right…. and I am doing it here!!!!

About a month ago, I was having a chat with Sumay, my dear friend, via facebook. She was telling me that she is going to help raise funds for a charity with a party. She was extremely excited about it and told me it is for Rumah Nur Salam which shelters street and stateless children in Kuala Lumpur. She asked me if I wanted to contribute my craft as one of the auction items in this event… “Yes, why not!!!” I replied immediately, it would be so meaningful to contribute my handmade craft for such a good cause.  So, we discussed over the net, brain storming which type of craft should I do, what kind of design and how to make it worth the value in the auction etc…. Since my expertise is in handbag or purse-making, especially ball clasp closure frames clutch, we decided to go with it. This brain storming session for the handbag design took a few days and not only involving Sumay and I, ….

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“The Dazzle” Vintage Frame Clutch Bag

Here it is, I am so proud to present my latest Art of The Handmade Bag work, “The Dazzle”- Vintage Frame Clutch Bag, a bag that I truly put my heart and soul into designing and making it for a meaningful event coming soon. It is one of the items listed in an auction for a fundraising party for an organisation, Rumah Nur Salam that provides a ”safe house” environemnt for street children in the toughest neighbourhood in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.  100% of the proceeds will go to Rumah Nur Salam.

For those who are interested to own this one-and-only-in-the-world —- The Dazzle-Vintage Frame Clutch Bag, welcome to the fundraising party. I am not going to make another similar one, so be sure to grab this limited one and only master-piece before somebody else does. Of course you are more than welcome to join in even if you are not eyeing this amazing handbag I made, just join in to have fun while helping to raise funds. Let’s go party at:

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