The next element of my Portuguese turn of the century peasant outfit was a drawstring bag made out of scraps of fabric. Traditionally, these bags were used to carry small meals, like sandwiches. My father, who lived in Portugal until his 20's, remembers using a patchwork bag like this! Called a saco de trapos in Portuguese, this project was a nice way to use up scraps and create a useful accessory that could take some wear and tear.
Many Portuguese folkloric and/or ethnographic groups use
sacos de trapos as part of their outfits.
 |
| A member of the group O Cancioneiro do Alto Minho, holding a patchwork drawstring bag. Photo courtesy of O Cancioneiro do Alto Minho. |
 |
| More examples of patchwork drawstring bags used by O Cancioneiro do Alto Minho. Photo courtesy of O Cancioneiro do Alto Minho. |
I used scraps of cotton or poly cotton fabrics for my bag. I tried to have an equal mix of printed and solid fabrics. The bag is approximately 9 inches wide and 11 inches tall; it's still a bit small, however, and I could have made it larger. It is lined in the
same lovely, stiff cotton my petticoat is made from. I even made a pocket inside to keep my cell phone separate from my keys and other things that could scratch it! It is decorated with two tassels made out of pink, green, white, and cream yarn, and fastens with a .5 inch wide twill tape through a drawstring casing.
 |
| One side of the patchwork bag. |
 |
| Detail of decorative embroidery on the patchwork bag. |
 |
| The other side of the patchwork bag. |
 |
| Chain stitch embroidery on the other side of the bag. |
 |
| The cell phone pocket, which fastens with a wooden button and fabric loop. |
The Challenge: #5 Practicality
Fabric: Cotton and polyester/cotton scraps
Pattern: Self-drafted
Year: mid 19th century to mid 20th century
Notions: Wood button, twill tape, yarn
How historically accurate is it?: 95% -- I lose points for the polyester blends and polyester thread
Hours to complete: About 5
First worn: Sunday, June 14, for the Portugal Day Parade
Total cost: $0 -- Everything came from the stash!
