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Wednesday, January 6, 2016

Arts and Crafts With Authors: Blue jean purse with Beverly Ovalle + giveaway


It surprises me how many people can’t sew. I’ve been doing it for *ehem* years. I own three sewing machines. Perhaps two too many but I can’t help it. It’s an addiction! I’d kill to get one of those fancy embroidery machines! One of my machines is a serger, one is my trusty machine that I bought from Monkey Wards (Montgomery Wards). Both are pink, LOL. I like pink. The third is heavy duty so I can sew denim and heavy canvas. Unfortunately it only came in white.

I find a pattern I like and follow the directions. Or I find what I want and figure out a way to do it.

One of my favorites, and one I’ve taught to the kids at church is making a purse out of old blue jeans. I never found a pattern. It’s easy to do and fun for all ages. I even put pockets inside it to fit my kindle in. The front part, I’ve used to put in my laptop and its cords.
If you look at the picture it has one main compartment, two back pockets, three front pockets, and two inside pockets, Kindle sized! Or tablet sized. I can fit my kindle fire in sideways in the interior pockets.
First cut off a pair of blue jeans at the crotch, so that it is one big whole. :D Don’t leave it joined as it’s harder to sew through the multiple layers.

Turn the jeans so they are inside out. Smooth out and pin the front pockets so that they will lay flat and be sewn into the bottom of the purse. Line up the pockets and the front and back of the jeans. Pin them together.
Sew the bottom seam. A purse takes A LOT of punishment so I recommend sewing at least three times across the bottom. Make sure you go over the beginning and end of each stitch a couple of times so it doesn’t unravel. I did two straight seams and one zig zag seam. Three straight seams for a beginner is fine.

Decide on the strap length you want. There are two ways to do the strap. If you want one long one so it looks more like a messenger bag, measure where you want the strap to go across your body and how thick you want it. I wanted it about 1 ½ inches thick. Cut the length from one of the legs. I was lazy (it was easier!) and cut it 3 inches wide. I folded the strap so that the edges met in the inside center. Iron it or pin it to get it to lay flat.

Run a zigzag or satin stitch over the center where the edges meet. When it is done, place the strap (or straps) where you want them. For one strap, place them on the sides of the purse. For two, sew them to the front and back, each end about 2 inches from the edges. (Like my picture) Sew each strap twice to make sure they hold.
Turn it so the jeans are right side and you’re done! You can embellish it with any decoration you want. Bedazzle to your hearts content!
When I’m not sewing I’m writing! My newest is book is a Dragon Shifter novel. Stealing Hope is the first in a series and just released at Thanksgiving. http://amzn.to/1R9k7GJ

Stealing Hope
by Beverly Ovalle

November 24, 2015
165 pages
Ardent Books, an imprint of Assent Publishing

Amazon Bestseller in Erotica Paranormal AND Erotica Science Fiction 

The apocalypse has come and gone.
Those who survived learned to adapt.
Dragons awaken to once again reign over the skies.

Upon eruption of a volcano, Ari awakens to a changed world, and a knowing that his dragon's mate is near. He saves her twice—once as a dragon, and again as a man—and wins her confidence.

Hope cried out, moaning, “just change me with pleasure?”

Hope is restless and unfulfilled until she meets Ari, the man of her fantasies. The sensual tension between them heightens with every touch. When their passion explodes, Hope gets pulled into the dragon's mating ritual...and into a world of erotic sensation she never dreamed existed but now cannot live without. The dragon binds his mate to him with a ritual that shows Hope her true nature in this humorous erotic romance.

About the Author:
Goodreads-LinkedIn
World traveler thanks to the US Navy, Beverly Ovalle has found inspiration for her tales in the world around her though she is now landlocked in southern Wisconsin. Her obsession with dragons started as she collected stories and figurines from around the world. She began delving into prepping and survival in reaction to the world around her. Beverly’s experiences and wicked imagination have come together in her erotic short stories, contemporary romance novellas and now her first full length erotic paranormal romance. Beverly Ovalle is member of RWA and a proud member of ROMVETS, a group of women veterans that write romance and have proudly and honorably served their countries.
Dragons' Mate - Boroughs Publishing Group
Touched by the Sandman - Boroughs Publishing Group
Lightning Strike
Triple D Dude Ranch
Love Me Forever

GIVEAWAY
ecopy of Stealing Hope (kindle)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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