World War II

A person could write volumes about war and the toll it takes on society and I'm sure you could also write volumes about what good a war has or could have.  This is not what this particular blog is about.  This is about Green Envy Girls fascination with all things military that could be turned into super cool and fashionable wearable pieces of art.  I've been sewing and upcycling old military clothes for years.  People love anything military whether it be camouflage, military patches or military symbols.  It can represent different things for each individual, whether it be personal, purely asthetic or for its design elements. 

As Green Envy Girls makes more and more bags, we learn more and more.  I need to write a blog about all the things I've leaned about webbing and strapping for instance.  I'm always on the lookout for good, strong, attractive strapping.  It's hard to find used.  I am always visiting thrift stores and resale shops looking for such treasures.  I focus on fabrics that can be turned into a nice strap or I look for bags where I could take the straps off and use them on our bags.  Recently, I was teaching in Del City and I knew that the Brigadoon Military Surplus store was close so I headed over.  I started out dissapointed.  Everything seemed too expensive and new for Green Envy Girls but then on a bottom shelf in the middle of the store I found a bunch of old straps with metal ends on some and metal clips on others.  I sat down on the dirty floor in my skirt and began to pull all of the older, beat up straps 'cause they are the coolest.  I went up to pay and the guy informed me that these were all from WWII and the Korean War.  I absolutely love any type of object with a story.  So you can imagine how thrilled I was to get a dozen of these beautiful straps!  Some of the straps have faded writing and some have some faded print with some dates. 

This bag was made for my mother-in-law.  She had seen a bag that we had made but had already sold so she wanted one similar.  This was the first bag with these new straps.  I had to do some maneuvering to get the straps right and I think they turned out terrific.  My brother-in-law gave me his name tag to add her bag to personalize it.  I originally had decided to put the name tag on the front of the bag but my husband told me to try it on the strap.  LOVE IT!

My brother-in-law also told me about this website: 

http://1800nametape.com/. 

You can order name badges.  I haven't ordered yet but it would be neat to personalize bags with people's names or words. 

Here is the finished bag.

 I utilized the zipper again off of the military parka for the flower.

And finally here is the interior of the bag using some

pretty burlap from CISA coffee.

 

You may noticed the pretty lilly pads in one the pictures.  These were in bloom in Maggie's yard the day I took the pictures of this bag!  Enjoy!

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