I need something to put my cell, wallet, and Advil in. Normally, I would just use my purse that I made, but it looks like something out of M*A*S*H*, no joke.
It's for a pirate woman. I have a top that I'm going to make, but I'm not sure about the bottom half.
I'm not looking for something H/A, necessarily, but not like my purse. And I'm not willing to shell out $30 for something pre-made. I do have access to some leather and tools to work it.
Any ideas? What do you use to carry your non-H/A stuff?
Gosh, I'd bet most of us have quite an assortment of pouches and bags and things!
A simple drawstring bag of pretty fabric or leather will serve well enough, particularly if what you must carry isn't too heavy. I like to have the straps separate from the drawstrings, but you can do either.
I actually got very lucky and found a wonderful mundane purse that actually had belt loops on the back! I've worn it for six or seven years now, and it's one of my favorite pieces--just large enough to hold the necessities for Fair. You can see it clearly in this picture. (http://pic50.picturetrail.com/VOL417/1033223/8281948/110825768.jpg)
An option you could borrow from the 18th Century is a tie-on pocket (http://www.vam.ac.uk/images/image/10286-large.jpg), worn under your top skirt. I find mine amazingly practical and user-friendly. It's essentially just an oblong pouch of fabric, sewn to a strip of twill tape and worn round the waist. A slit in the front layer allows access to the goods inside. I spoke at a festival last weekend, and carried my wallet, cell phone, sunglasses AND a battery pack for a cordless microphone in mine!
Oh, thank you for the pictures! I like that purse in the first picture. Doesn't look too hard to put together.
Hmmm...
Pouches
http://www.karen.htmlcreators.com/accessories.html#pouches
The Baron always wears the black leather pouch. There is a loop on the back side for hanging from his belt.
I nearly always wear the pouch called the round pouch. This pouch consists of some velveteen, some matching lining, a 4 inch circle of heavy cardboard, half of a 4 inch diameter wooden embroidery hoop, some tassels cut off of length of tasseled fringe, and a gold button that looks like a knot. The pouch has a wide self fabric loop at the top which is pinned to the underside of the bottom of my bodice. The girdle passes through the loop so it appears that the pouch is hanging from the girdle.
I add inseam pockets to all my skirts, the Baron's Venetians and trunkhose. I am even working on adding pockets to the Baron's ancient kilt. This is the pocket pattern I use for my inseam pockets. I modify it slightly for incorporation into a waistband.
http://www.karen.htmlcreators.com/pocketpattern.jpg
Since I can control the size of the pocket by increasing the size of the pattern, I make some huge pockets. All manner of things can be hidden in there. ;)
The pocket bag used in period is very similar to the one in Gem's 18th century link except the slits in the center of the hanging pocket were stitched to the side seam openings of the Venetians or trunkhose.
Karen's pocket pattern is very similar to the one I use. I'm not sure I could live w/o pockets any more!
I noticed recently that H&M had some leather purses for under $20 that reminded me of a sporran. We even thought about buying one and adding a loop for a belt on the back.
Of course, a basket always works well too!
I'm not sure if I'm going to have pockets. I guess I should figure that out before I start going all crazy with pouches, eh? :D
The round pouch looks good. I have about a zillion little 3 inch sewing hoops (half, I was making dreamcatchers, and did a thing at school a couple years back).
And of course I don't really need to bring my wallet, I can put my money and ID in something else, my wallet is a bit chunky. I'll be seeing my friend on Sunday, and she's the one I'm going with.
I don't carry a wallet. The purse I wear (because it's a mundane piece) actually has a main pocket, a front flat pocket, and a tiny credit card slot. I carry my phone, one credit card, my ID, and a pillbox.
Okay, so I will be wearing pants, black Dickies, one back pocket. I don't think it is big enough for anything, let alone that I wouldn't put anything in there.
I do have belt loops, and will be wearing my leather belt (made it myself, ;D). I could take a strip of leather, fold it in half, sew up the sides (ouch, and tedious), then punch holes around the top for a drawstring. Or I could do pretty much the same thing with fabric. Then I could use the drawstrings to tie to my belt(loop). Right?
Vinyl could give you the look you want at a fraction of the cost of leather, and could allow you to decide exactly what you are looking for. Then you have the option of making it out of some other material.
I bought several tassels that were Christmas ornaments to decorate bags with. The were very cheap after the holidays and because they are decorated gives bags an extra punch.
I'm not worried about the cost of the leather, my great-grandfather did a bunch of leather working (including horse gear and bull-whips :o), and my grandparents now have what was left. Which includes some really nice stuff.
I made my first pockets on an overdress to wear to Mayfaire last Saturday. From now on I will incorperate hidden pockets in all my outfits, they were heavenly to have, it was the first time that I didn't worry about my camera or my wallet. Love the pockets!