When we were living in Japan, I was absolutely starved for English reading materials. Amazon.com became one of my somewhat dangerous friends. It gave me so much pleasure and yet emptied my pockets at the same time. Anyway, I ordered this book but never got around to making anything inside until this last spring break. The book is pretty good. It spells how to make different handbags and how to alter them to what you really want. There are also basic patterns included, but the book is so clear, they're not really necessary. My clutch is lined and made out of recycled 69 cent cloth napkins and pom-poms from the thrift store. The only thing new included is the velcro enclosure.

Here's another thrift store find. I bought a cheapy a-line black skirt, shortened it, and added some patch work. Oh so easy, and I just zig-zagged the patches on instead of giving them a finished edge.