Accessories - Hmong Purse

I don't know if I believe in love at the first sight, but with these purses, it definitely was love at first sight.  I really like the shape and structure of these.  I will go through and explain each one.  If I could, I would buy one in every color and every design that I can get my hands on.  Unfortunately, I love too many things Hmong and so every once in a while, I have to pass up a few.

This was my very first one.  I saw it at a Hmong soccer tournament and I knew I had to have it.  It is made from a traditional Hmong skirt.  All the embroidery are done by hand, in cross stitch.  It is beautiful beyond words.  In this picture, I am wearing my all-time favorite, go anywhere, wear with anything leather jacket by Dana Buchman.  I love this jacket to pieces.  The shirt is from Black House White Market and the jeans are from Sears.  The boots are made by Fitzwell from www.6pm.com.  I have gigantic calves so it's hard to find knee hi boots that would fit.  These actually have a 16.5 circumference at the top opening.

This is a Hmong skirt being displayed on a fence.  Make sure that you right click on this picture and open it into a new tab.  The details are mind blowing.

This is what it looks like when it is worn.

Here is a skirt deconstructed and ready to be made into other things such as my purse above.  Please do right click and open this in a new tab as well.  The design on the cloth is made by drawing the pattern in using wax on a white cloth.  And then the whole thing is dipped into indigo ink.  The pink and yellow ribbons are strips of cloth cut to length and then it is laid on the pre-drawn in lines.  The edges are folded underneath before it is sown.  On this particular piece the ribbons are sown on using a sewing machine.  In some, especially in the olden days, these ribbons are sown on using invisible stitches.  The embroidery is done in cross stitch.

Here are a few more pictures for a closer look at the ribbon design.  If you open this into a new tab and look carefully at the yellow and green triangles, you can see the invisible stitches that I was talking about.  There are cut out little triangles of cloth.  The edges are folded down and then sown on using tiny invisible stitches.

I was fortunate enough to be taught to basics so I understand how they are made.  However, I did not have the patience to stick with it so it is pretty much a lost art for me.  I know just enough to appreciate it's beauty and worth.