Seeing Sparkles

The rainbow clutch is done! Because I assembled most of the pieces along the way, the final assembly went a lot faster than I thought It would, and honestly I was not ready for it to be over. I originally planned to sell the clutch,  but the little details I put in along the way gave it character, and those details have made it precious to me.

I learned that my purse frame used to be a part of a chainmail purse, and it used to have a small metal rod to hold the fabric to the frame. Although the rod is no longer there, the holes that held it in place are, so I threaded some strong yarn through the holes, and around some beads to "replicate" the rod.

I found some brass bead spacers from some old bracelets to use.

Then, there was the problem that, also because the frame used to be for a chainmail purse, there were no holes in the frame to secure the fabric. I decided to improvise by wrapping some silk yarn scraps from my weaving mentor over the sides of the frame, and then secured the fabric from there.

And finally, the last piece. I went to the local craft store to pick up some bronze chain for the purse strap, but the only kind they had wasn't strong enough. So, I used about 80 tiny 4mm jump rings to connect two lengths of the chain! The new and improved chain is VERY sturdy, but I think I don't want to see another jump ring for a week or two. Let's just say that the tinier they are, the more frustrating they become to work with.

I know that this all sounds like I was just making life more difficult for myself, but once I had all of the pieces I knew exactly what I wanted the finished purse to be like. I love all of it, from my crazy yarn, to the tiny little jump rings. I wouldn't change a thing.