Purse project challenge

This is my submission for Woof Nanny's current bag challenge, which is to remake a bag. I did more of a rehab than a remake. I bought this vintage straw bag at an estate sale. It had been packed away for years and had no major issues other than a strong musty odor. After giving it a good cleaning I tried airing it outside in the sun for a few days. It worked a bit but soon the scent would come back . It had a vinyl lining which was still in good shape ,just a little stained and not very attractive. I thought maybe the back of the lining was moldy and responsible for the smell so I took it out it and found a cardboard backing which fortunately wasn't moldy but was what was holding the odor. It was held in place by rattan staves and I worried that if I tried to take them out I might compromise the frame. After doing some research I learned that if you can't replace the lining you can seal it, thereby holding the odor in. I used a clear acrylic sealer and it sure enough the odor is gone. I took the previous lining apart and used it as a pattern for a new lining adding a zipper pocket complete with a vintage metal zipper just like the original had.
I'd like to Thank Barb for hosting this challenge.For some reason participants have been dwindling and she's thinking of shutting it down. I hope if you've never tried a challenge before you'll give it a try , it's no pressure, loads of fun and sometimes it's a great to be given an "assignment". Without the Purse ProjectI don't know what I'd write about in my blog!

All Ashore Ditty Bag

Barb aka Wolf Nanny has been an inspiration for me since I first found her blog and fabulous flicker photos. She is an incredibly talented writer and crafter and one of the best thrift hunters around. She started a new blog called the Purse Project and challenged anyone that's up it to join in and create purses according to a theme or material. It's not a competition, it's a fun way to stretch your imagination and skills. So this is my entry for the first challenge, which was to create a bag using a kitchen towel. I had purchased a vintage linen towel last year for just that purpose. Something always seemed to come up and I never got a chance to make that bag. If it weren't for this challenge it would probably still be sitting at the bottom of my vintage linen bin. The towel was a woven Irish linen that had seen better days. It had faded in places and was permanently stained in others. It had a compass rose on one half and a port side lantern on the other both framed in coils of 3 strand with signal flags on the borders. I decided to make a nautical style bag, but the fabric was not very strong so I used canvas for the bag making it with a big round bottom and using the the linen towel for outside pockets and trim on the inside pockets. I used red polypropylene"small stuff" for drawstrings on the inside and 3 strand cotton for the handles. I tied a stopper knot on the ends, seized, fringed , and then laced them through brass grommets. I embroidered over the faded compass rose in a simple satin stitch .