Tag: DIY

  • How I Made This Structured Crochet Flower Bag

    How I Made This Structured Crochet Flower Bag

    I have been dreaming about this structured crochet flower bag since the winter of 2023-2024, and after a year of moving, pausing, and waiting for the right spark, it finally came together. It mixes crochet flowers with a structured base and a bit of sewing, and it turned into one of those handmade projects that stays in the back of your mind until you finally sit down and bring it to life. If you are looking for inspiration for a spring project or simply enjoy seeing how a long‑awaited idea becomes a finished piece, you are in the right place.

    A Bag a Year in the Making

    After a little winter hibernation I am finally back and ready for spring again. This flower bag has been waiting for its moment for a long time, and honestly so have I. I actually finished it months ago during spring in the south hemisphere, and now here I am in the north, patiently waiting for spring all over again. It feels very on brand for me that this idea started back in the winter of 2023 and only now decided to become a real bag. Apparently 2025 was the year of finishing long forgotten projects, and since I just realized this blog turned one year old, we can call this an accidental anniversary post too.

    How the Idea Finally Clicked

    I wanted a flower bag for a long time. You have probably seen a few of them around, and of course I wanted one too. I even started crocheting flowers back in 2024, but the moment I tried sewing them together I knew it was not going to work. The bag looked soft and floppy and absolutely not the structured beauty I had in mind. So the flowers went into a project bag for a very long nap. I moved countries, went on a whole adventure, came back, and there they were, still waiting for me like nothing happened. They did not even turn themselves into the bag I wanted while I was gone, which was honestly rude.

    Then one day I walked into the craft shop where my mom takes her amigurumi classes, and I saw a display of bags made with plastic canvas mesh and t‑shirt yarn. And that was it. The light bulb moment. The missing ingredient. The second I saw them I knew exactly how to bring my flower bag idea back to life.

    How to Make a Flower Bag Like This (The Short Version)

    Once I finally had the missing piece, I gathered everything I needed for this bag. Here is what went into it:

    • plastic canvas mesh
    • light pink cotton yarn borrowed from my mom’s stash
    • all the crocheted flowers I made back in 2023
    • a pair of D‑rings
    • a detachable chain strap with lobster clasps
    • a tuck lock clasp
    • a tapestry needle
    • a basic sewing kit
    • pastel green satin for the lining
    Can you spot the old attempt? Also I had to DIY my perfect shape of mesh, but you can find the right one easily.

    This is not a step‑by‑step tutorial, but I hope the materials and process give you a good starting point if you want to try something similar. There are plenty of great tutorials out there if you prefer following instructions, but it is also completely possible to have fun and figure things out as you go.

    I started by covering the entire plastic mesh with the pink yarn to create a base for the flowers. One pass did not look great, so I went over it again until the mesh disappeared completely. Once the base was complete, I placed the metal hardware where I wanted it and began sewing the flowers on while the bag was still flat. I saved the ones that would sit on the corners for later, because I still needed to shape the bag and I wanted a few flowers to cover the edges.

    After the majority of the flowers were sewn in place, I moved on to the border and joined the sides together, which finally brought the bag shape to life. You can absolutely sew your lining while the bag is still flat, and part of me regrets not doing that. It would have cut the war short and saved many lives. But I still had flowers to sew over the corners, and I needed the lining to hide those stitches, so the lining had to wait.

    Once the bag actually looked like a bag, I sewed the remaining flowers on the corners. I did run out of the dusty pink yarn, so three light pink flowers ended up side by side, but you might only noticed because I told you.

    With all the flowers in place, the outside was looking great. The inside, however, needed work. I chose a really pretty pastel green satin for the lining, with a bit of stretch that somehow made it both harder and easier to work with. I spent a full day measuring and playing around with the sewing machine, trying to turn that fabric into something that resembled a lining. I am definitely not the person to ask for sewing advice. Believe me, I struggled. But I made it work somehow. When it was finally time to hand sew the lining inside the bag, I could see the light at the end of the tunnel.

    After that, all I had left to do was glue half pearls onto the center of every flower, which felt incredibly fast compared to every other step in this project.

    The Final Result

    And after twenty two days of working on this, the bag was finally done. I have not actually had the chance to use it yet. So far it has only been out for the photo shoot. But for a bag that took more than a year to get out of paper and almost a month to bring to life, I think it can wait a couple more months before it goes out into the wild. I am glad I kept those flowers tucked away for so long, because in the end I finally made something that looks exactly the way I imagined.

    If you have ideas resting somewhere, keep them close. They might not be ready today, but one day the right spark will show up, and they will come back to you exactly when they should.

    And if you are here looking for inspiration, I hope this shows you that projects like this are not as complicated as they look. They take time, yes, but the steps themselves are simple and very doable. You do not need a full tutorial to try something similar, and if you ever have questions or want a bit of guidance, feel free to email me or send me a message. I am always happy to help.

  • The View Dress | Free Crochet Pattern | Series Hub

    The View Dress | Free Crochet Pattern | Series Hub

    The View Dress is a bold, made-to-measure crochet piece with a dramatic cowl neckline at the back and a silhouette that’s shaped to your body. It’s designed to be flexible, use any yarn weight and compatible hook, and let the fabric reflect your style. Whether you want something breezy and drapey or structured and cozy, this pattern adapts to you.

    I stitched mine in black bamboo yarn with a 2.5 mm hook, from Colombia to Brazil, and documented every step. The result? A five-part blog series that walks you through the entire process, from swatching and shaping to straps, neckline, and final tweaks.
    This pattern is free, customizable, and designed to travel with you, whether that’s across a continent or just to your favorite chair.

    Materials & Sizing

    • Yarn: Black bamboo, fingering weight (I used around 8 balls of yarn for a size XS)
    • Hook: 2.5 mm
    • Sizing: Custom-fit based on your own measurements
    • Notions: Stitch markers, elastic thread, hooks & eyes

    If you’re crazy like me use the same yarn as me. But you can absolutely choose any yarn weight and compatible hook. This is a made to measure pattern, so it adapts to your body and your style.

    The 5-Part Series

    1. Part 1: The Start of The View Dress
    Written from a plane over the Amazon. I introduce the project, the yarn, and the plan to crochet a dress while traveling. Includes swatching, early design thoughts, and why I refused to quit this time.

    2. Part 2: Skirt’s Front Panel
    From Bogotá to Cartagena, I explain how to shape the front skirt panel with custom measurements and stitch math. Includes tips on gauge, increases, and how to calculate your own fit.

    3. Part 3: Skirt’s Back Panel
    Written from Nazca, Peru. This post covers dart placement and shaping for the back panel, with extra increases to fit your curves. Plus: row-tracking tips and travel updates.

    4. Part 4: The Top Portion
    From bust shaping to strap construction, I walk through the top half of the dress. Includes neckline finishing, closure ideas, and a few stories from the Andes and beyond.

    5. Part 5: Mistakes I Made and How to Fix Them
    Final tweaks for fit and silhouette, because frogging was not an option. Learn how I adjusted the cowl neckline and side flare with elastic thread. Plus: blocking tips and final thoughts on the finished piece.

    Share Your View

    Whether you’re crocheting on a mountaintop, a city balcony, or your favorite cafe, I’d love to see your version.
    Tag me @_angemade and use #CrochetingWithAView so I can cheer you on and share your moment.

    Transparency Note

    This pattern hasn’t been formally tested by others yet. Just me, crocheting across South America with a lot of improvisation and stubbornness. I’ve updated the posts with fixes and tips as I went, and I’m here to help if you run into anything unexpected. Once the pattern is officially tested, I’ll update it accordingly.

    Handmade is always a little experimental, and that’s part of the magic.

  • Crocheting on Two Wheels (part 5) Mistakes I made and how to fix them

    I finally finished the dress, but if I said it was perfect on the first try I’d be lying. Even though this is my third attempt, and it’s the first version that actually covers everything it needs to. In this post I’m sharing the two small fixes I made, why they were needed, and how I corrected them.

    Back Cowl Neckline Too Low

    When I designed the cowl neckline at the back I left too much extra fabric. As a result the cowl hung lower than intended and made the back panel longer than the front. Part of the issue came from using my hipbone measurement instead of the waist measurement (see Part 2 of the series) to start the skirt. Simply adding some positive ease should be enough. Losing a bit of weight on the trip only made the problem worse.

    How I fixed it

    1. I measured how much fabric to remove from each side of the skirt panels.
    2. I resewed the panels together, tucking the excess fabric inside.
    3. when back and resewed the folds, with only one instead of two folds.

    The side of the dress had a loose fit

    The dress flared too much at the sides partly because it’s backless and partly because I made that section a bit too long. To bring the sides in I used elastic thread.

    How I fixed it

    1. I slipstitched with a black elastic thread along each side edge.
    2. The elastic holds the edges together while remaining flexible when I move.

    Final Fit and Feel

    After these tweaks I’m very happy with the finished dress. It fits my hips exactly as I imagined. The bamboo yarn feels light, soft, and drapey. It was tricky to work with at the start, but once I got used to the splitting the project flowed beautifully.

    Blocking

    I skipped blocking on this piece (do what I say not what I do), though bamboo yarn will stretch slightly. In my other projects I haven’t noticed major changes, but I’ll be careful when washing and blocking this one. I plan to reshape it as it dries so it holds the silhouette I want.

    Updates and What’s Next

    By the time this post goes live I will have updated the earlier posts so you can avoid these same mistakes. If you still run into trouble, that’s part of the handmade journey. We’ll fix it together instead of frogging the whole thing. This dress has too much baggage to be frogged.

    If you run into any trouble making your own version of this dress, don’t hesitate to reach out, I’m here to help. This pattern asks you to figure out a few steps on your own, but it’s much simpler than it first appears. Happy stitching!

    If you decide to make this dress, I’d love to see your version, especially if you’re crocheting with a view. Whether it’s a mountaintop, a city balcony, your favorite café, or just someone you love nearby, share your moment. Bonus points if it’s outside. Tag me and use #CrochetingWithAView so I can cheer you on and share the inspiration.

    Want to stay in the loop and never miss an update? Subscribe to my newsletter or follow me on Instagram @_angemade. Let’s keep crafting together!

  • Crocheting on Two Wheels (Part 3) Skirt’s Back Panel

    Where have I been?

    Last time I wrote, I was in Quito. I had just seen the Mitad del Mundo, where the Ecuador line is. Today, 22 days and 1,671km later, I’m writing from Nazca in Peru. On my Instagram I’m still in Trujillo, that’s our secret. I leave my posts scheduled to make sure I can post one everyday.

    Since then I’ve seen foggy forests, beaches, deserts, canyons, a beautiful lake between giant rocks, an oasis, the Andes. Went from sea level to over 4,000 meters high. I hit some really bad roads but enjoyed great views everywhere.

    Head to my Instagram to see all the places I’ve crocheted along this trip. Stick around until the end to see the final result.

    I finished the front panel by the Sausacocha Lake, about 1,200km ago. I started the back panel the next day, in Trujillo behind a Moche temple. I should have written this back then, but here we are.

    Let’s dive into the back panel

    As I mentioned last time, on Crocheting on two wheels (Part 2), the back panel is just a little more complicated than the front.

    For the front panel, I made 18 increases over 9 rows, evenly spaced across 45 total rows.

    For the back panel, we repeat that process with extra increases to account for the difference between our Cf and Cb measurements.

    You might ask: Where? Along two lines, like the darts in pencil skirts.

    To do this, calculate how many stitches it takes to go from measurement Cf to Cb. In my case, a 10 cm difference equalled 28 stitches with my gauge. 

    We have two darts, so each increase row adds 2 stitches. Therefore, I need 14 increase rows (28 divided by 2).

    I’m placing those increases every other row because I want it to grow faster, than the sides. That gets me to 28 rows, the side increases (which are the same as the front panel) are done over 45 rows.

    Quick tip to track  your rows

    To track my rows (regular ones, dart-only increases and combined increases), I noted every 45 increases rows on my phone. 

    This way I don’t lose track of what I should do next, especially when it’s very hard to see this black yarn.

    Now, where to place those “darts”?

    It’s simple: we started the panel just like the first, with regular rows (no increases) from point A to B. Same number of rows and stitches. I then began dart increases after two rows of the increase section. As you can see in the previous picture.

    Future Angela will make an appearance here too. Just a reminder that the previous paragraph was a mistake, so go back to Part 2 if you need. But you should have done the first panel already, just repeat the correct way of doing it here too.

    Then divide the number of stitches you ended up by three, if it’s uneven, put the larger section in the middle. In my case I had 118 stitches, divided by 3 it’s 39.3333. So that allows me to divide my stitches as 39 | 40 | 39. I’ll be placing my stitch markers on the 39th stitch from each edge. After each dart increase, shift the marker inward: the first increase adds a stitch before the marker, the second adds one after.

    With that all figured out, crochet until you have the same amount of rows as the front panel. 

    Six-Week progress check

    I feel like my speed got a bit better, I’m used to the routine now, after six weeks on the road, it was about time! During this time I’ve launched a pattern, boosted my Instagram activity, and i have had a sale going.

    I hope to keep up this momentum, the second panel should not take as long as the first one, even with more crocheting to do. Soon enough I’ll have part 4 for you, where we can join the panel, add a little something and maybe talk about the top portion.

    Also if you have any questions (crochet or travel) leave them in the comments. And if you’re planning to make this dress, show me your progress with a view! It could be a mountain, a window, your favorite person, or just a cozy corner outside. Wherever you crochet, I’d love to see it, tag me and use #CrochetingWithAView so I can cheer you on and share your vibe.