On the first day of Christmas........

 

On the first day of Christmas I made myself a new bag. For me this was more than playing with fabric to make a bag, it was a kind of sentimental journey!

The fabric I used for the bag came from Capsicum, a shop in Amsterdam which sells and creates fabulous handmade fabric, interior and fashion accessories.

Their products are hand-woven in  India.

“we strive to pay the worker a fair wage for his/her work and stimulate our producers to improve working conditions and develop environmentally friendly production processes”

 They also have a project to help street children of Delhi. 

 While I was at university in Amsterdam in ‘de Oude Manhuispoort’ which was almost next to the Capsicumshop, I visited them often. I still remember the opening of there shop in 1980. 

I was a ‘second chance’ student, already worked 13 years as a teacher before going to university. I got a bourse from the government so I needed to count my money often and I only bought at Capsicum when the fabric was on Sale. 

 I still have some tablecloths, a beautiful silk scarf and some Ikat fabric hanging on the wall in my sewing room.

I also still receive their newsletter the ‘Capsicum krant’, always a pleasure to read.

When I read that there was a small bag with 40 squares of fabric inside from the Capsicum collection from the past 40 years. I absolutely wanted them. 

 So this bag is made with 37 squares of fabric of 15 x 15 cm, i had some tiny scraps left and 3 whole squares.

There are lots and lots of seems, but I LOVE the result.