Dress of the Day 289 Turn A Tissue Box Cover into a shoulder bag - using ribbons, a zip, and checking the prices of Thai silk bags and purses
I had a tissue box cover in a pretty wine colour fabric which just matched my evening outfits. I looked at the tissue box cover and thought, that would make a nice shoulder bag. I need a small bag when I leave the table in a restaurant to visit the ladies toilet and comb my hair and re-apply my lipstick. Often I carry my mobile phone as a camera to photograph a flower display or menu on the way.
The first thing the open bag needed was a ribbon as a shoulder strap. I have bought lots of spools of ribbons from Daiso, and spotlight. The ribbon which was the right colour, as well as wide and firm, was a synthetic looking ribbon which I had not expected to be useful. But it was just right. It took only a few minutes to sew it to both sides.
Next I needed a zip closure. Again, a small zip from Daiso. I had bought a set of three. The pink looked the right colour, but it screamed for attention, as well as being pale so it might get dirty. The dark brown was the least conspicuous. You sew it low inside, a centimeter down, so you hardly see the colour in the dark of a night time dinner.
Finally, I had to sew over both ends of the zip and the two short sides at the top. Should I leave the whole thing box shape? Or draw the sides up slightly diagonally? I decided that the box shape looked bulky. I was happy with the large flat base, but wanted the bag thinner at the top to hold against myself. When I laid it flat it was easy to see where to sew.
I later checked online on several websites to see the cost of a silk, Thai silk, or other embroidered or fancy fabric tissue box cover and a cross over bag. Some bags or purses are the size of spectacle cases. A spectacle case hanging on a strap, if you add the strap, is handy on a plane when you want to take your spectacles off when sleeping, but to have them handy when you wake up and want to read or to get up to the toilet.
Note that purse means different things in the UK and USA. In the UK a purse is what the Americans might call a coin purse or wallet.
I went onto ebay and amazon, looked for Thai silk, tissue box cover, clutch bag, purse.
Thai silk is a synthetic, heavy silk, shiny, glamorous, a very good imitation. I love it. Ebay sometimes has descriptions. There are ways of testing real silk, which involves taking a thread and setting fire to it - safely, and seeing whether it burns or melts.
I showed it to my husband.
He said, 'You could keep an empty tissue box inside it to keep it in shape'.
I replied, 'I could keep a full or half full box of tissues inside it, to always have tissues in an Indian restaurant'.
Useful Websites
For ribbons and zips Daiso, Singapore, the USA, worldwide
Thai silk
https://www.ebay.com/itm/121988094829?hash=item1c670e9b6d:g:~SkAAOSw6BdXMCJJ
15.99 Singapore dollars
small crossbody bag
Cheap clutch bags
Shein
BIOGRAPHY
Angela Lansbury B A Hons ACG ALB PM5 EH5 DL5 VC5
The Author of several books including Etiquette For Every Occasion. Wedding Speeches & Toasts. How to be the Best Man. Quick Quotations. Who Said What When.
Blogs travelwithangelalansbury.blogspot.com
dressofthedayangela.blogspot.com
Braddell Heights Advanced Toastmasters Speakers Club Vice President Public Relations (VPPR), Previous President
Join BHA 1st Wednesday 7pm and 3rd Saturday 2 pm Singapore time
Vice President Public Relations (VP PR) of Tampines Changkat Advanced;
Secretary of weekly online Singapore International Dynamic Toastmasters Speakers’ Club;
Member and past president of Harrovians toastmasters club, UK; Past member of HOD Toastmasters, London. Past member in Singapore of: Toastmasters Club of Singapore (TCS); Tiarel; and Senja Cashew.
More details from Toastmasters International find a club.
Regular attendee at annual Swanwick Writers’ School, England.
Regular attendee at annual Writers’ Holiday, Wales.
Contributor to poetry readings, and after tea courses on: Speaking On Radio To Promote Books; and Plots And Character.
Winner of many club and area speaking contests in the UK and Singapore.
Language advisor to Empire Toastmasters club in Indonesia.
Language and speech workshops in Singapore.
Speaker on radio and TV in England, Scotland, the USA, and Australia.
Compiler of a school course on public speaking for teachers to prepare pupils for school open days with attending ceremonies before government ministers, Singapore.
Former member of Harrow Writers’ Circle, London, and two writing groups in Singapore.
Angela is on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Twitter. She would be delighted to link up with new friends.
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