Metallics & Microsuede Fabrics In My Stash

Updated 10/11/14:  I just added MS 14 - Brown Alligator (faux, of course!)

I think metallic and micro-suede fabrics add that little extra to fabrics such as furs (not to mention the cool animal and snake prints)....and here's what I have in my stash:

Check out this PORANGE fur purse I made with the Python Gitter (M12 above) and orange faux fur!

Orange and Purple faux fur purse in my Faux Fur shop

Lovely Aqua

I love this combination of shiny and flat, smooth and fluffy.  And the color?  Forgetaboutit!  I love this, I can't wait to finish my project and I'm not even exactly sure what it will be yet!

How To Make a Fur Purse (Your first considerations)

I've come up with a list that I think about when I am making a fur purse.  You may be able to come up with more considerations, and feel free to post them in the comments.

1) Where will the fur pieces be sewn on the purse?  If there is an area that will get a lot of wear, I use a coordinating fabric in that location.  This additional fabric can also add interest to your finished piece.  The below photo shows the bottom piece of my bag.

2) Will you be using zipper?  If the fur is going to be near the zipper, I sew an additional non-fur piece above the fur.  In the photo below, I have animal print on either side of the zipper, above the fur.

3) Will the purse be held against the body, like in a cross body bag or shoulder bag? If so, I may use a non-fur piece in the back or the part that will be against the body.  In the case of the bag above, I decided to use fur on the front and back.  This bag hangs low on my hips and I felt this bag style wouldn't look right without fur on both sides.

4) I like interfacing on my bags and even though this bag is a slouch bag, it can stand up because of the interfacing.  Always sew the interfacing on the fur piece, NEVER iron it on as many furs will be damaged from heat.  After you sew it on, cut the interfacing to the seam to reduce bulk.

5)  Especially with medium to long pile fabrics, make sure you cut the fur in the seam allowance as this will reduce bulk.  After you are done with a seam, you can use a needle to pull out any fur that is trapped in the seam.

5)  Zippers can sometimes get lost in all that fur, especially if the fur is a long pile like this is.  I like to use a decorative zipper pull for easy access (see the string of beads on the right).  And it's so pretty!

6)  Here's the finished furry beast!  I love my bag!  Here's a black one I made too.

Faux Fur Inventory (updated)

An Embarrassment of Riches...that's the polite way of saying I have a fabric store in my sewing room.  My gosh.  I put together my faux furs with some faux pleathers and I think I'll use this on my Etsy site, Faux Fur Frenzy.  I was pretty impressed with how much I have!

Thanks Again!

After an hour of yucky photos,  my husband took this purse group photo...isn't it pretty?  It's funny how a simple thing like putting the handles down on purses makes a big difference.  Also, I had a bag hanging above the other bags...it appeared to be floating and it looked ridiculous!  I can't wait to do another one of these closer to Christmas, lots of lace, ornaments, beads, sparklies!

My Husband Does It Again !

I can design and sew bags and purses, but I can't actually name them.

Well, I take that back, if I wanted to name my bags, like, the Fuzzy Pink Bag with a Handy Pouch, or That Shiny Green One, Great for St. Patrick's Day!, then yep, then I would be your girl.

But my husband thinks of pretty cool names for my bags.

Today he came up with name for my new line of bags, he called it the Angle Bag. Don't you think that sort of rhymes? Here they are!

http://www.etsy.com/shop/FauxFurFrenzy?section_id=7159539

White Cloud with a Silver Lining

White Cloud with Silver Lining

I thought this was an appropriate name for this white fluffy bag with silver sequins. I know this sequin fabric has been around for some time, but I've just fallen in love with it.

And I love the pristine white against the animal print fabric.

I just uploaded this bag on Etsy.

Tell Me Why When You're so Blue

SKY

Tell me why when you're so blue,
You're most tranquil (In a good mood)?

Like blue ink spilled you're smooth and wet.

Your enormity scares me,
Comforts me,
Spares me,

From emcompassing doom
When in grey gloom you sometimes cry.

I wrote that poem when I was about 17 for a writing class. I remember I was outside on a spring day...feeling the vastness of the sky, the air was a little cool (it was a Florida day in the morning) and birds were active all around me.

It's not spring yet, but people are anxious for it. Here's a few treasuries with spring time blue in them (and my Sea Wolf bag).

Sea Wolf Bag in my Faux Fur Shop

Sometimes I feel blue...
by Mariam-Kankou from Kankou
http://www.etsy.com/treasury/Nzk1MjM0OHwyMzU5MDYyNTI1/sometimes-i-feel-blue?index=0

For that wedding by the sea....
by FlowDesigns from FlowDesigns
http://www.etsy.com/treasury/NTUyOTI0MnwyMzIyNzI3MzI2/for-that-wedding-by-the-sea?index=6

Retro touch
by Milleta from milleta
http://www.etsy.com/treasury/MTI3NjQwOTd8MjMxNDMyNTc3Ng/retro-touch?index=5

Let it be a normal day!!
by valeria from valeriatelier
http://www.etsy.com/treasury/ODUwMTI3NHwyMjg3NDIzMjMx/let-it-be-a-normal-day?index=9

Hearts, hearts, hearts!!!

I'm a romantic at heart, and it's something I probably would not have admitted as a teenager, but I feel very comfortable admitting it now. I love the soft pink of a valentines day heart, enhanced with beads, jewels, and cotton rose fabric lining.

Pink Beaded Faux Fur Heart

And wouldn't that be nice if the heart had an opening so you could put a piece of jewelry inside or a love note?

White Fur Heart for Weddings

Check out the soft lilac pastel faux fur that I make hearts keepsake purses with.

Lilac Keepsake Heart

Here's other romantic purses to share with your loved one.  

Romantic Grey Faux Fur Items

These are three more treasuries that have romantic, soft grey items in them:

Charcoal Grey by Shayna Norwood: http://www.etsy.com/treasury/NzUzMjI1NXwxMjU1OTE1OTI5/charcoal-grey?index=1

In the land of the Wolf by Elena: http://www.etsy.com/treasury/MTAyMjkzNjZ8MTI0MDM0MzUxMg/in-the-land-of-the-wolf?index=3

These Cold Gray Skies by Karen Rudd: http://www.etsy.com/treasury/MTcyMTUwNjN8MTIzODk5MzEwMg/these-cold-gray-skies?index=4

These also feature my Grey Wolf Cozy Bag! http://www.etsy.com/listing/85450448/large-cozy-bag-grey-wolf-ready-to-ship?ref=tre-1214934566-2

Thank you!

What's better than a cozy bag?

What's better than a cozy bag?

A bigger cozy bag! One thing that's pretty apparent, the female persuade want big, big, big bags!

I increased the size 4 inches across, and still the all around pockets, that seems pretty popular.

These are two cozy bags to compare. The one on the top is a medium size, and the bottom picture is a large bag.


http://www.etsy.com/listing/65072825/medium-cozy-bag-brown-bunny?ref=pr_shop

http://www.etsy.com/listing/84434679/large-cozy-bag-brown-bunny-ready-to-ship?ref=pr_shop

Breast Cancer Pin

I'm really pleased at how these pins came out--they are so pretty and feminine.

http://www.etsy.com/listing/83688179/fur-ribbon-pin-breast-association-fake

I salute you, breast cancer survivors, and all the woman who have battled before you!

Faux/Fake Fur is still Fabulous!

I've seen lots of buzz on the internet and the stores about fake fur for the coming season. Well, good, because I have lots of fake fur too. :)

The jist of what I'm reading is that fake fur has been improved over the years...it's more luxurious, more real looking, easier to take care of.

I'll vouch for that. Except for my obvious fake furs (the red, green and aqua ones) I can't believe how plush my bambi/bunny furs are. And the grey long haired is always a showstopper.

Some of the Faux Fur that I use to create my purses

I love the combination of fur and shiny fabrics like sequin. Or with colorful beads and buttons.

 

Fur and Sequins Bag

Faux fur jewelry coming soon!

I Love You With All My Heart!

I just started a new line of delicate purses and keepsake holders--I made them from plush fur and they are fully lined...great as bridesmaids gifts, too!

http://http://www.etsy.com/listing/72344252/i-love-you-with-all-my-heart-small-purse

http://www.etsy.com/listing/72340871/i-love-you-with-all-my-heart-purse-in?ref=v1_other_2

http://www.etsy.com/listing/72339323/i-love-you-with-all-my-heart-purse-in?ref=v1_other_2

The Saga Continues - How to Take Care of Fake Fur

I wanted to show you before and after pictures of fake fur that I washed and what the fur looks like after it's made it into a purse.

The first picture is a little frightening, because it looks like a drown rat! And this is very thick fur, too, so the drying time was about 36 hours. I dried this fur in my condo, not outside and it was sprinkling outside, which extends the drying time.

So, I guess my message is, be patient, be careful, and go slowly when cleaning fake fur.

You can check The Brown Bunny Cozy Purse out on my website:

http://www.etsy.com/listing/65072825/cozy-bag-brown-bunny

Fake Fur Fiasco

It happened innocently enough.

I made a big, fluffy long-haired, dark brown fake fur coat for me three years ago. I'd never washed it, and I was nervous about taking it to the dry cleaners (you know, saving the environment and all). So, I closed my eyes and put it in the washer on gentle (did I mention I also put the matching hat in the washer?)

After the wash, I took it out and was pleasantly surprised to see that it was all in one piece (plus the hat).

Then, guess what I did? I put it in the DRYER!!! Yes, not on high heat, but still in the dryer. For about 20 minutes.

When I took the coat and hat out, they looked and smelled wonderful. The fur looked beautiful. And I was thinking well, well well well well.

I have lots of fake fur, some very beautiful that I've paid a lot for. So I had a lovely long-haired grey with purple fur that was a little matted in spots. I spritzed some water on the fur and put it in the dryer. For about 10 minutes.

I took it out and NOOOOOOOOOOOO. NOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!

The long hairs were all crinkled. I tried to brush them out and they looked worse. I gently washed the fur and put cream rinse on it. Isn't that was you do for frizzy hair?

No, no and no. So now, I officially have 2 yards of fake fur that looks like fur from an animal that died of old age. I'm not going to throw it out because I never throw failed projects out. I'll use it for something.

What a powerful lesson this was!

Lovely Fluffy, Furry Bag

I am so excited how this purse came out. Normally, I like all my purses small, but this bag is so pretty, I'm making an exception. I'm going to make a ruby red fur purse this week, the fur is so gorgeous! I just put this one on Etsy.

Make sure you stay tuned to my blog and Etsy so I can show you all the fur choices if you'd like to order one of these bags.

http://www.etsy.com/listing/63795384/20-off-sale-cozy-bag-in-plush-grey-and

And guess what, it's 20% off!

Keep warm!

I finished it!

I am modelling my newly created very brightly colored dress, with the Purple Madness purse: http://www.etsy.com/listing/33657915/purple-madness-2-purse

The cotton-poly fabric has stretch to it, so it's cool and comfortable. I have enough fabric left for a sleeveless dress or short skirt, so email me if you're interested in a price quote.

By the way, I LOVE this dress!