clutches » by elke

The Tent Returns

I thought a cold, gray & snowy Friday (here in Colorado) needed something light & colorful. These clutches were made from vintage camping tents. By adding a bright stripe & the signature leather, painted tip leather tab, they became unique & one of a kind little bags. I’m knee deep into leather, wool & military fabrics at the moment & a hint of these summer colors feels so good. I have all winter to dream of tents & how I’ll reuse them in the spring again.

Have a great weekend! I’m off to a big costume party tonight & can’t wait to wear my new hand painted leather fox mask that I ordered on etsy. there will be pictures posted next week- I’m channeling the fantastic Mrs. Fox.

Once I Was An Airline Duffle Bag

I found this very sturdy blue duffle bag & managed to make 3 unique , one-of-a-kind bags from it. Because of the limited amount of material & the placement of the stenciled letters, I thought 1 tote & 2 fold-over clutches were in order. Each bag has it’s own look, from the horse bridle handles to the leather bottoms. It’s finds like this that keep me digging!

Linen Love

I’ve been busy buying & bidding on antique linen the past few months in anticipation of warmer weather & summer. I finally got most of my leather projects out of the way so I could concentrate full stop on working with linen. Oh my, I am falling in love! The fabric is so heavy & full of character. There is nothing dainty & fragile about it. I found linen from France, Sweden & Germany. After buying a little here, & a little there, I realized I was addicted to a very expensive material….. These fabrics will make amazingly beautiful handbags that will have a timeless quality & will hopefully make someone very happy for a long, long time.

Here is a peek at some clutches. Ohhhh, summer!