The Purge: Home Dec Weight Fabrics

Have you heard about "The Purge" over at Stitched in Color?  Rachel is encouraging bloggers to use up those un-loved fabric from our stash. 

I love this idea of a "purge" and want to participate.  Packing all of my fabric for a cross-country move this past February was a real eye-opener.  I gave lots of things away and tried to keep only what I thought I would use, but there is quite a bit of fabrics that aren't exactly super exciting to me anymore.  One category of fabric that is difficult for me to use is home-dec weight fabrics.  I never put the stuff in quilts, and never buy more than a yard, so they are kind of hanging around, waiting to be made into bags/purses.  So this is where I am starting with my purge: using up the heavier weight fabrics from my stash.  

My sister-in-law, Melissa, came to visit a few weeks ago and I was amazed that she was still using this purse I made her back in 2008:

I was flattered that she still had it and was using it, but I knew she was due for something new.  I had her pick through a bunch of my home dec fabrics and she chose a nice Echino fabric.  I definitely don't think this fabric exactly qualifies as an "unloved" fabric, but it definitely was overdue to be used- I am sure I've had it for years.  

Melissa chose the free Wasp Bag pattern and I had this whipped up in about two days.  It was an easy project.  I think the big horned sheep in the corner of the bag is hilarious!  (It was also funny that I scared a baby deer out of my yard when I walked to our fence to take this picture).  

Here's a picture of the back:

Bag linings are great for using up un-loved fabrics, I happily used up most of this Tufted Tweets print:

Melissa also indicated that she liked this Ikea fabric from 2007(!), so I am surprising her with a simple tote bag too:
 

It's also lined with a coordinating fabric that I am happy to finally put to good use: