the brea bag

For Mom


(I apologize for the excess of pictures, I was pretty excited about how this one turned out.)
Knit from the Brea Bag pattern located here:
http://www.berroco.com/exclusives/brea/brea.html

and I must say it is a fantastic pattern. Normally when you start by casting on 126 sts and cabling every other st it gets complicated, but as long as you stick with the pattern it's smooth sailing.


I wanted to make something for my mom for her birthday that she could actually use (I have been known to give scarfs and mittens for August birthdays, which always gets a curious look) But this pattern when I found it, I knew was perfect: elegant, and useful. One of my favorite features of the bag is of my own creation, and shown below:


The zipper! Because, as you might have thought at first, I did not go out and buy a zipper and go through all the pain and trouble of sewing a zipper myself. The solution is much easier.
I went to a thrift store and bought a brown child's jacket. Then I sewed the jacket inside out so that the zipper of the jacket becomes the zipper of the purse! And, the inside has a nice soft lining. I would recommend this method to everyone.

Also as a note of interest, I found the button (that I think matches so well) in a tin of buttons I inherited from my Great-Grandma. The strap was made from a belt (also bought at a thrift store) which I cut to the right length and attached by sewing the ends of the gusset through holes on either end. The result, I believe, is a beautifully functional and sentimental bag. Happy Birthday Mom!