A Bag in a Hurry

When we were planning our trip to see my son in Cambridge he called me on the Friday to tell me that we were booked in for a meal on the Sunday evening at his college and that it was formal wear.

Panic stations nothing like having plenty of notice! what to wear? I'm a jeans, sports wear type of person and formal wear doesn't really figure in my wardrobe..but wait what about that navy and white dress that my friend gave me last year the one she had never worn and had been hanging in her wardrobe for ages, the one that has now been hanging in mine for ages.

Out came the dress and I tried it on, it didn't look too bad but what about accessories I had no navy or white bag to go with it,  too late to shop for one I had too much to do on the Saturday, too late to make one or was it??

There ensued a manic search for a pattern for a nice easy quick crochet purse and a mad hunt amongst my stash for navy yarn.  Cotton would have been preferable but I didn't have any but I did find some acrylic, was there enough? yes! just enough with not a scrap left over after making this....

I loved it and I was so lucky to find that diamante button amongst my button stash.  I needed a strap for it just in case I wanted to put it over my shoulder.

I found this necklace in my mums jewelry box it was just the thing, I'm sure my mum would be happy for me to use it in this way.

I even lined it!

First I cut two pieces of foam to put into the bag to give some firmness and definition and then another mad scramble in my fabric stash box.

Tadaaa!
Please excuse the really bad stitching but I was in a hurry.

All done! 
it was at this point my daughter phoned me to ask what I was taking with me, I told her I had made a purse to go with my dress, oh can you make me one in cream please! will you have time?

Well I did have time but only just!

 Using one of my charity shop finds for a strap

Scrap fabric for lining

I finished her bag late on Saturday evening just in time!

We crocheters are very lucky people we can knock up something lovely in no time, now you know why we always need a stash of yarn, fabric, buttons and beads at the ready, you never know when you will need to make something in a hurry for a special occasion.

You can find the very easy pattern for this lovely purse here, it's one to have at the ready just in case. :)