from Tunic to Tote

So, the days of Christmas are over!

While realizing that Christmas has passed is not a particularly  merry thought, I am quite happy to wave goodbye to the this year trending hashtag of 'let it snow': #letitsnow ....
Because every time I see that, I picture a French man angrily demanding the boobs: "Le tits, now!"




But let's just go back a few days...
It was the third day of christmas, marking the birthday of this little goofball:

It's a slightly fluorescent niece!!
(wondering how sinterklaas left all those presents unnoticed on our doorstep)

For months, the niece-kid has been talking about "when I am four, I am going to school, where all big kids go!" And the presents to celebrate this milestone were bought weeks ago. But when I woke up, just a few hours before catching the train to her birthday party, I discovered the disaster: there was no wrapping paper!

Oh noooo! not a single piece of paper in sight! But while scavenging for something that could substitute as paper, My eye spotted a tunic with a very beautiful pattern, but a truly horrific fit:

this one!

Bought in a whiff a few weeks ago. I may have had a slight hope of refitting it, but it really was hopeless: too short, too narrow around the breast and hips, and too wide around the waist, transforming me in what can only be described as a very colourful sausage.

but wait: why would I refashion it, if I could also use it to make my niece her very own gift bag? I had only about 15 minutes for it, so no time to lose!


I began by cutting the tunic in three pieces:

like that!

The big square will become the main part of the bag, and the narrow strip make up for the straps.

I picked up the botttom part and sewed the ragged edge together to form a bottom of the bag.

like this! 

Quickly sewing two triangles at the bottom to transform it from a sack into a bag...

 I've got plenty tutorials on how to make boxed corners elsewhere on this blog: just click on the tag "bag"! 

Unfortunately, my attempt to show you what it looked like epically failed...

stop smirking Marije, you failed!! 

Well, here's a better attempt...

I do adore boxed corners...

Now all that's left to do is adding some straps!

cutting the strip in two similar pieces...

and turning them into straps by folding the raw edges inside, and sewing everything together.

tucking in the ends... 

voila!

And finally,  sewing the straps onto the bag!

even when time is short, straps need to be securely sewed on..

Done!

Much better than that dreary tunic!

filled with gifts! 

 phewww, just in time to catch the train!

hugs!