Re-Cycling Bike Tubes.... to Make Purses!!

I am so excited to show you this.

I saw someones messenger bag... made from bike tubes.
                                         I freaked at the potentials!!

Lucky for me old friend of mine owns a bike store.
He willingly gave me a huge box of blown tubes destined for the trash.

I see a whole lot of rubber projects in my future!!

First I cut them open and cut out the valve stem.

I washed and rinsed a few to get the white smelly powder off, 

Then hung them on the line to dry off.

(The smell is almost all gone.)

                       I took a tube and cut it into 3 pieces and just started sewing.

I had no real plan but knew that something would take shape once I started sewing.
After a couple broken needles testing out how thick I could go, I got a good grasp on it.

                                               I decided I would sew a simple clutch first.
                     Something I could use right away and a project to showcase the potentials!!

                                             I am so happy and bursting with ideas!! 
                                       This is the start of a long love affair with re-using rubber.

 This clutch has a simple pocket inside for little extras that I always seem to tote around.

                                    This proves that recycling can definitely be feminine too!!