Sew Powerful Purse #142 (2024) for ME!!!

I made 3 similar flaps like this one. The first one was during the Flaps of Friendship, where we exchanged flaps with someone else and that person then completed the rest of the purse and I also completed a purse from a flap I received (well 2 flaps as I joined twice). This was like the second flap I sent to someone. I liked it so much when I made the first one, I made 2 more. The other one I did a bit differently with a purple flower and a swirl in the center of the flower.

I used my husband's upcycle gray pants to make the exterior of the purse. 

The background fabric was a donation and I was able to get 3 flaps using it, but I had to add a strip at the top to make it tall enough on all 3.

I used a decorative stitch on the webbing.

Front of the purse is where I used the front pocket of the pants, which has 2 pockets, plus the pocket I created as per the pattern.

I added a slip pocket with a pen pocket inside this purse. 

Inside slip pocket divided by a pen pocket.

The back has a large slip pocket.

Peeking inside the back slip pocket.

I really loved how this purse turned out and I thought I did a great job making it, but then this happened:

I wore this when we went out one day and was told it didn't look good on me. I know it was because the strap cut through my large chest. I couldn't get that out of my head though. My feelings were hurt😢, but I am built the way I am built and I cannot change that, even if I lost a lot of weight I would still be large in the chest. So I ended up cutting the strap at the sides and leaving enough of it to wrap around strap hardware rings. Then I made a wider strap and thread them through the rings. I thought I had measured correctly and made the strap 1 1/4" wide, but it came out 1 1/2" wide. 1/4" isn't that big of a difference, but the original strap was 1" wide, so 1/2" is more noticeable and the new strap looks so out of balance now with the smaller bag size😭. I don't know if I should make another strap now or just use it as it is. I shouldn't have listened and just wore it like I made it in the photos above. I don't even want to share how it now looks. I cannot even donate it because I added the hardware, so I would have to remove all that and add the webbing strap back again and patch together the parts that were cut off in order to have the proper length of strap. Ugh!

So all that got me thinking about what does look good on me? Maybe I need to stop wearing cross body bags altogether? But I love the hands free aspect of a cross body bag. I cannot wear shoulder bags as they are constantly slipping off my shoulder and if the bag is too heavy, it hurts my shoulder. I thought about a sling, which can be worn on the back like a backpack or in the front across the chest, but if I wear it like that, it will just be the same issue again. I have backpacks and I like them, but if I am just popping to the store having to take the backpack off and on can be a pain, but they are great for going to shows and such. I am sure wearing a backpack also emphasizes my chest too!

Then there are fanny packs-waist or hip bags. I suppose that would make my waist or hips look larger or if worn like a sling in front across my chest I am back to the same problem again! I even thought about making a small bag that ties like an apron around the waist, like they wore hundreds of years ago. But why shouldn't I just make and use a bag that I like? Why should someone else's opinion on how I look even matter? I need a bag to carry my stuff and it needs to please me in the style, color, size and the function of the bag, and not someone else. If I am told that again, I will empty out the contents of my bag and just let him carry it all then!😠Thanks for letting me get this off my big chest!

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