Wednesday, May 19, 2021

Purses of various kinds, edible and otherwise

 Breaking news from the White House: 

A letter from Joe telling me to look out for the relief payment which arrived several weeks ago, and not to spend it all in one place. I expect he was carrying it around in his pocket for weeks forgetting to drop it in the mail.

I wonder if I should let him know I did spend it in one place, but it added to the sum of happiness for at least four  humans that I know of. 

On to the other breaker: the Changing of the Purse. 

I doubt if I'm the only person who has several purses and ends up using one most of the time. 

Here's a selection for your viewing delight

Reading clockwise from seven o'clock, a hand made Indian bag brought back for me from an Indian friend whose philosophy is that a lady can't have too many purses. This one is Gujarati I think, with those windows, and the shells. 

Next an African handmade woven straw with leather handles, from an organization selling their crafts in the West at fair prices. 

Then one I crocheted freeform using hardware twine, and lined with a scrap of linen.  

Another Indian embroidered bag, different region, same friend. 

And finally, a freeform Tunisian crochet one I did, lined with a scrap of black satin, and closed with Dorset buttons.

And another bunch

Top, a knitted one I made, with an Icord handle, lined with linen, to house the Dollivers for travel to photo shoots. I said they were gowned and bagged, they claim I meant bound and gagged.

Moving on to a little group of sparkly antique purses another friend found at a great flea market she used to go to, Columbus, if you're local, and decided I couldn't live without.

And here's the Winter Suede, free cycled to me, lovely quality, now divested of its vax stickers, emptied of an interesting variety of contents and ready to rest.

To give way to the Summer Crochet, from the thriftie, and often mistaken for my work, which is nice but not true in this case. And now stocked up with pretty much the same stuff from the Winter Suede. Loyalty, that is.

Future edible purses are in progress. The pasties I'm so devoted to for using up tasty items and being great when I can't think what to make, to be exact.

Here's a bowl of various ingredients. This is the equivalent of what Renaissance and Elizabethan musicians had in the way of sheet music. 

The composer, knowing they'd got professionals out there, would write a few intro measures, might indicate sharps and flats, not always, then say there you go, lads, that's the idea, embellish at will until you think it's gone on long enough or the queen's looking fed up, then finish with these few measures. Done. That'll be fifty three ducats please.  I've seen music exactly like this.

Modern feeble musicians need it all filled in, I ask you. Especially the ones I play with, most of whom, well, me, haven't even found out what the circle of fifths even is for.

Anyway back to pasties,  edible purses. The contents, since we are modern cooks and need to know (old recipes were as sketchy as old music, aren't you glad you live now?), anyway the contents are:

Mixed mushrooms which, cooked in butter, smell whoah! a hot Italian sausage, cooked in olive oil, a bunch of cilantro I found in the freezer, and the rest of the crumbled blue cheese. The other bowl, oiled, houses the dough, resting for an hour while I played with purses.

Now I'm off to play with dough.

And read the latest Maisie Dobbs, which I picked up this morning from the library.

16 comments:

  1. I used to be a purseaholic. I still have SO MANY purses. I mean, I was just nuts about them. And I still love them. My favorite purses are bag-like. I've never liked very structured handbags. Not my type. I have many leather bags and I have a deep fondness for them and for Indian bags like the ones you have. At one time I carried one of the big woven African straw bags like the one you have. You could carry a baby in one of those! And its diapers.
    Right now I am carrying a quite petite red leather Coach bag that I asked for for Christmas one year. It doesn't hold much but it holds enough. It reminds me of old hippie purses.
    See? I'm still obsessed. I've often said that I love bags, bowls, and baskets and I do. I think it is a womb-thing. I love things you can put things in.
    Thanks for letting me go on.

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    1. That was great. I offered you a place to release pent-up bag love. How are you on boxes?


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    2. I believe that I hold boxes in a more normal esteem. They do not call to me although I have a few homemade boxes that I do love.

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    3. Boxes are fun to make. Alas, once you start you can't stop any time no matter what you say!

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  2. I rid myself of numerous purses a few years ago. Now I switch between two throughout the year. Plenty!

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    1. I use those others for storage. The African one has weaving tools, the Indian embroidered one holds winter gloves, the other has knitting items. But they don't travel with me like the two main ones.

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  3. I have a purse that needs to be tossed sitting on my bedroom dresser. What is it with purses? Sometimes they're just hard to get rid of. You have some beauties in that first picture.

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  4. You have a lovely assortment of purses! I used to be crazy about purses like some women are about shoes, but since I retired I haven't bought a single one. I have several nice ones I rotate but this past year I've used the same one because it could be easily cleaned since we had to deal with covid. I really need a new billfold but find it so difficult to find one that properly holds all the cards we have to carry these days!

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  5. I've never particularly been a purse (or shoe) person. I know several women who have a purse for pretty much every outfit they own and that thought just horrifies me. I find one I like and wear it into the ground and then bemoan the fact that I can never find another just like it. I've used the same wallet for probably 6 years (or more) and don't foresee its demise for quite some time yet. Same with shoes - I think I only own 4 pairs and one pair of winter boots. The past couple of winters I've looked at my boots and thought that maybe it was time but then I remember how hard it is to find ones that fit and amazingly I manage another winter out of the ones I have. As for purses - I think I have maybe two in the cupboard and one in use. One of the two is a crazy quilted version that I made a number of years ago and have never used. Might have to send that one on a 'vacation' to the thrift store.

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    1. I find them handy for storage, and carrying current projects about. My knitting tools are in my quilted tote, hanging up.

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  6. I like the first purse you showcased. Myself - I have two - one for Sept-Apr, one for the rest of the year. Not very exciting but I always know where it is and what's in it!

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    Replies
    1. Yes, my two operative purses are that way. I know what's in them. I couldn't keep up with changing purses more than twice a year!

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  7. I have two very small purses, just big enough for my wallet, phone, and keys for those rare times the clothing I'm wearing doesn't have pockets. I stopped carrying a purse by the time I was 20 or so. just couldn't keep up with the bastards and always have to carry it around or hooked over a shoulder. no thanks. if I can't put it in a pocket, I don't take it. of course, the women's clothing industry thinks women don't need functional pockets for the most part. drives me nuts.

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    Replies
    1. I think they're under contract with the bag manufacturers.

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