Having bought a few items from one of my market stalls in Glastonbury, I was asked, by a delightfully supportive customer, to make her a bespoke bag. She would be travelling to work with a South American Shaman, and wanted an “Offerings” bag to carry essential gifts and sacred objects for rituals. It needed to be light and easy to carry over the shoulder across the body, with an adjustable strap, easy to travel with and easy to carry.
I work predominately with off cuts and up-cycled/re-cycled/re-appropriated materials, giving them new life and purpose. I was sure that I had some dark leather offcuts that would fit the bill and merrily set about making up a first of it’s kind, or at least first for me 😉
This is one of my favourite creative modes, working out how to achieve the desired results using whatever I have to hand, “thinking outside of the box”. Learning new skills or developing and expanding the ones I have. Creatively moulding and utilising my own abilities. There is a deep satisfaction in trying something new and an humbling joy in achieving the result you want.
I needed a clasp or closing device, the ancestral button box provided a perfect half for this, whilst a quick YouTube tutorial or 2 taught me the rest. I now have a number of useful knot tying methods off pat.
It was, however, the embroidered leather pouches that had attracted my client, so understandably, embroidery was high on the agenda. As we discussed the designs she wanted it became rapidly apparent that this was going to be a much larger project than I had originally thought. It has pushed me way passed any expectations I had of my self and has really shown me quite how skilful my embroidery has become. It’s quite amazing what you can achieve when you say “yes” and then step up to that mark. I am a self taught embroiderer, using beginners teaching kits to learn the stitches. The remit I was given for this Offerings Bag’s decoration was a chalice on the front, a copy of one of her own, and a visca pisces on the back.
Another first for me was sewing an adjustable strap with buckle and retainer. I only have a small standard sewing machine which I didn’t think would be man enough for the task, so all of the stitching was done by hand with a saddler’s sewing horse. I’m very happy with the results. Not bad for a first attempt, hey?
And finally a wee video of the finished item, initially taken to show my client her finished piece. The background track is a piece of music created by my son using some of my poetry, as part of his music tech finals many years ago. I hope you enjoy.
I am happy to take commissions for a variety bespoke crafted work and paintings, please do get in touch if you’d like something made just for you.
Leave a Reply