Bag lady

I adore Goodwill. In ways that make mothers clutch their breast. And it's only a matter of time before the rest of the world recognizes our commitment and we're allowed to celebrate our love openly to be embraced by all. Until then, we'll make due with the occasional conjugal visit every few weeks.

A few weeks ago I struck gold. And I mean that literally.


Hideously awesome? Awesomely hideous?

Vintage, mustard-yellow tapestry curtains lined with a material that reminds me of the plastic sheets used by chronic bedwetters. I think my heart skipped a beat; it was lust at first sight.

Drapery is generally softer than most home decor weight fabric and can be two or three times as sturdy, so I've been experimenting with reconning curtains into bags. I like my bags like I like my men: loud, colorful and able to take a beating. I started by making a ridiculously over-sized tote for school:



Which I lined with a deconned floral skirt:



It's held its own against my constant abuse and since I had more than enough left-over fabric, I decided to take it step further and make a smaller version which I then ruffled the hell out of:



I had a bedding set that I never used so I cut up one of the pillowcases to line the inside:



The ginormous bead is from a necklace I snagged from Target on clearance that I never wore because it made me look like Wilma Flintstone.

Now that I know what works and what doesn't, these will be recreated in the next week or so along with a few other designs. If you're interested in purchasing, drop us a line at refurbandesigns at gmail dot com and keep an eye on the online store.