Upcycled Embroidered Belt Bag

The idea to make this bag first came from a place of feeling inadequate.

Let's start this off with some Katrina lore. I have always been very particular about how my clothing feels. For example, when I was very little, I never wore pants. Just dresses and skirts (with warm, usually Hannah Andersson tights in the winter) until I was about 12. I just hated the way that pants felt. They were so hard! Eventually, I got tired of answering when other kids asked me why I never wore pants and of getting teased outright about it, so my journey on the teenager-in-the-early-2000s to skinny-jeans-wearing-millenial pipeline began.

Alongside my own sensory sensitivities, my family shopped primarily at thrift and second-hand stores, which meant it was rare to find something that was currently "in". As I became a full-fledged teenager and these things began to matter to me, I felt that my clothes and my shoes were always just a little behind. I'd have something in mind and keep my eyes peeled every time we went to the thrift store, only to finally find what I was looking for when I didn't really want them anymore - hence their availability second-hand in the first place.

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But back to this bag.

I have been using mostly cross-body small purses for the last many (many) years and have started to feel, well, behind. I obviously am not on top of trends and while I accept this fact, and even sometimes cherish this fact, sometimes I get hit with it and it makes me feel like the little girl getting fun of for never wearing pants.

I'm not totally proud of caring about being "cool", but I do care about it, goshdangit, and in this case, I am pretty happy that I let my animal brain take over! This bag is incredibly useful, and a lot less annoying to deal with than those long strap bags of my past. I had a really lovely time making this bag, and even made two more for my friends (and have started another three that I will only post on my Instagram, so make sure you're following there if you want to see them when they are done).

Tell me - do you wear a belt bag, cross-body or otherwise? Are they still the thing, or do I remain just a skosh behind?

To see the process, check out the video here!

I hope you have a beautiful rest of your day and thank you so much for being here!

💖, Katrina

Purchased Supplies

Pattern: Small Belt Bag by Atelier Joy
Zippers: Sport Separating Zipper
Parachute buckle: Black Metal Parachute Buckle
Slide buckle: Rounded Black Metal 3 Bar Slide
Strap: Black Cotton Belting

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