10 January 10
Custom Order: Rachel
A friend named Rachel purchased this coat in high school and loved it. Wore it for many years. Wore it so long the shoulder wore clear through to the lining. There were a few tears and holes in the coat, but most of the fabric was still in great condition. She asked me if I would be able to turn the coat into a bag that would enable her to carry her Mac laptop as well as normal purse things and a folder or two of paperwork for when she went to meet clients. She also wanted a pocket for her phone, a pen slot, and a small zipper pocket on the inside for keeping small things out of the way.
There were a few things that Rachel wanted to keep that were on the coat. There were four buttons on the coat and she loved them and wanted to have them incorporated into the design of the bag. We talked about it briefly and I discovered a great way to use the buttons so they would create design interest in the bag but still be useful as well.
The buttons are slightly curved up, which makes them easier to use frequently on a coat. However, it also makes them easier to catch on things, which would happen more frequently on a bag than a coat. Since the buttons will be used for more decoration and securing pockets on the bag, they’ll be sewn with the curved side down so they don’t catch on anything and so they hold more securely.
The coat had these huge pockets on the side of the coat where there was plenty of room for a hands and a variety of other items. We agreed that these pockets would make a great design element on the sides of the bag. One of the pockets was still in great shape. The other pocket had a fair amount of wear and would need to be adjusted to maintain durability. Stay tuned for how the bag looked when it was finished.
Comments
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Cinnamon, you are such an artist. You brought the bag over last night, and I’m still just stunned. This is absolutely nothing short of my beloved coat with all of its uniqueness, in bag form. This coat got me through college (including a year in Paris), through three years in Boston post-graduation, and through two years in Chicago post-Boston. I’m not one to become attached to things — let alone clothing — but this was special. I’m so glad I get to keep it with me for more memories! Thank you so, so very much!
— Rachel on Jan 22, 05:14 pm
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