Vintage Fabric Bag

Hey, I'm Anna and I work in Oxfam Oxford Road as volunteer on Monday afternoons.

I study Fashion and Textile Retailing at the University of Manchester and love crafting and making things out of old fabrics and odds and ends.

A few weeks ago I spotted some old floral fabric which was donated to the shop and decided that it would be perfect material to make a bag!

So as soon as I got back to my flat I had a look through some of my crafting magazines and I remembered that I'd seen a pattern in one of them for a messenger bag.

If you've never heard of Mollie Makes then you should check it out. It's a new crafting magazine full of contempory and fresh ideas, great photos and inspiraition to get you crafting.I've seen it for sale in Sainsbury's, Fallowfield as well as W.H.Smiths and I guess in the more niche shops in the Northern Quarter too.

Ok, so it's probably something to buy as a treat (it sells at £4.99 per issue) but it will fuel your crafting thirst for at least a few weeks! That's if you're anything like me!

http://molliemakes.themakingspot.com/

The magazine's designed to be really easy to follow and make things from and comes with templates which you can copy from the magazine or download and print from the internet!

Here's the link to the pattern peices see pages 2-5

http://molliemakes.themakingspot.com/sites/molliemakes.themakingspot.com/files/attachments/mms10.blog_templates.pdf

The pattern and method I used is by designer Jane Hughes of teawagon.blogspot.com and it’s really easy to follow.

All you need is:

120cmx75cm medium-weight fabric (for the outside), 100cmx75cm lighter weight (for the lining), ric-rac, ribbon or lace for the pocket decoration, 1 button, small piece of velcro, thread, tape measure, pins, scissors and a sewing machine.

Method:

Outer bag

1. Cut out the templates from the link above and place on fabric.
2. Take the front pocket and hem over the top (1cm from the top). Mark the centre point 1cm down and sew a button hole.
3. Place ribbons and decoration on the front pocket and sew in the desired place.
4. Place the front pocket piece face down onto the front of the bag and sew together (right sides together) leaving a 5mm seam allowance.
5. Pin and sew the front and side panels (right sides) together and snip the corners to allow movement.
6. Press the seams.
7. Take the back piece and pin and sew to the side (like you did with the front).
8. Press a 2cm hem at the top of the fabric.

Lining

1.  Take the inside pocket piece and hem the top (1cm). Fold over the other three sides of the pocket (1cm) and press.
2. Place the pocket in the desired place on the back lining piece and sew along the sides and bottom of the pocket – leaving the top open.
3. Sew the side panel of the lining to the front and back panels of the lining (right sides of the fabric facing).
4. Press a 2cm hem at the top of the lining fabric.
5. Pin and sew the velcro to the centre front of front and back of the lining. Leave the lining inside out.

Strap

1. Take the strap fabric and fold under 1cm on both edges along the length. Fold in half lengthways, wrong sides together, press and sew along the edge.

Assembling

1. Place the lining (inside out) in the outer bag.
2. Pin and the lining to the main bag at the top inserting the strap between the outer and the lining. Make sure that the strap is not twisted.
3. Sew together along the top and then run another row of stitching 1cm below for strength.
4. Cut open the button hole and sew your button in place.

 

So here's the end product and I love it!

Authentic Fendi Messenger Bag

Date: 12th Feb
Time: 1.30pm
Challenge: To travel to Selfridges to autheticitise a donated fendi bag

I arrived in Oxfam at the start of my shift to be given the challenge of going to Selfridges to take a Fendi bag to the concessions. I had to check if the bag was authentic or not and if so what price it would retail at.
To be honest I wasn't sure what to think and I didn't want to get my hopes up, especially if it wasn't real.
I took the bus into town and walked to Selfridges into the fendi concession on the ground floor. After I told the manager why I was there, she agreed to look up the bag on their store database.
At this point in time I really wasn't expecting much and thought she would tell me it was a fake. But to my suprise she told me that it was an authentic, in mint condition and that the R.R.P at this time was £385.00! Telling me that last season it would have sold for £500!
I couldn't believe it! She then told me that she used to work for a charity shop when she was at college and because she could understand what this would mean for the charity, she put the bag in a paper fendi bag, wrapping it in ribbon!
I then travelled back to Oxfam with the good news!
It made our week!

We are retailing the bag at £190.00 - a REAL bargain!
It is a Sweet Messenger in Zucchino fabric with leather trim.
Pop into the store if you're interested to check it out!

The differents style in Oxfam by Emeline

Hi everybody !

The idea of today is to present five different style of clothes. We know everybody is different and that's why we have a lot of different styles here in Oxfam.

1 : Women's workers

Tessa was wearing a pink shirt (£3.99), with a floral scarf, alongside large brown trouser and beige bag. Her outfit is really perfect for work, particulary in an office. Tessa has a role of a business fashion woman.

The second outfit was worn by me.

I'm wearing a purple shirt (Ben Sherman £9.99) with a blue tie (£3.99), pink cashemire pullover (£14.99), black bag (£3.99) and simple slim jeans.

My outfit is perfect for looking like a serious worker and a business woman alongside the black heels I wear.

2: Spring's 2012 colours

With this second outfit Tessa and me were posing with fashion colours of spring and summer of this year.

Tessa was wearing with light pink ; simple shirt (£3.99) and flowers' skirt (£4.99) paring with brown ; jacket (£5.99), belt (£4.99) and necklace.

I was wearing with mint skirt (£3.99), hair-band (£1.99) and necklace (£1.99) paring with pink' flowers shirt and bag (£2.99).

You need this pastels colours if you would like to look fashionable this spring !

3: Digital / Geo Prints

Tessa was wearing dress with different patterns ; flowers, sea with palm-trees and maps of the world (£8.99).

I was wearing in beige blouse with shoulders (£5.99), the skirt I wore is printed with abstracts patterns (£5.99) .

Abstract patterns and originals printed come back fashion so you can dare to wear that this year !

4: Floral style

Here we would like to present two florals outfits.

Jess, volunteer on Wednesday was wearing with beautiful floral dress with a lot of different colours, very pretty for the return of the sun.

I'm wearing with white skirt pairing with pink shirt (£5.99) and accessorized with flowers scarf (£1.99) and big flower slide (£1.49).

 

5: 1960s style

 

For the last photo we present 1960s style.
Jess was wearing with polka-dot dress (£8.99) pairing with very 1960s coat from Kookai (£8.99)

I was wearing in dress with flowers patterns colour gold pairing with beautiful cap (£10.99).

Fashion: Lois's first working day by Honey

Lois looking good with the latest Oxfam clothes that are available in the Oxfam Oxford Road shop.

 Lois goofing around outside the shop with H&M fur cardigan (£4.99), spring dress (£8.99) and heels (£3.99).

Lois sorting out the Oxfam products in the end of the working day in a orange trenchcoat (£6.99), leather shoes (£4.99) and a beanie (£1.99).

The workers in travel.. by Emeline

Hello everybody,

Here we have two tired workers - Jacky and Chris. They are very happy today to take some holidays as a break in their busy lifes! The idea of today is to show the vintage and class outfits of this two busy workers.

Firstly we have Jacky, wearing with a simple dress (£4.99), a very vintage jacket (£3.99) and this beautiful black heel shoes (£7.99), the perfect outfit for a business woman! But today the business woman leave in holidays so she have her beautiful vintage suitcase.

Enjoy Jacky it's a break well deserved!

Secondly we have Chris, he is always perfectly wearing and he is very perfectionist in his job. Today, he is wearing with his better vintage suit pairing with this light scarve. He leave in holidays in few mimutes with his brown suitcase matching, evidently with his outfit.

Relax Chris you aren't late, you are on holidays !