No longer!
This impressive book by Lisa Lam (who also has an amazing blog) has all the information you need about anything having to do with making spectacular bags. It is geared toward the beginner with lots tips, secrets, information and advice for more advanced sewists. I can't wait to get started.
Last fall I was given this skirt. I had contemplated what to do with it. Now I have a plan!
After I wash it to make the wool nice and "felty," I'm going to attempt this:
Isn't this an awesome bag? Lisa takes you step by step through all the amazing designer details. The skirt has some great orange taffeta lining and some orange leather around the waistband and I'm going to attempt to incorporate both of those somewhere into the bag.
And speaking of orange, it just makes me so happy that my Cheetos (baked, not fried--I try to be as healthy as possible with my junk food) bag has "selvage" color registration dots on the package. And you can thank Mark for pointing that out to me...