Pocket book repair and progress on two tallitot

 My mother never took a pocketbook to synagogue on Shabbat or holidays. To her, a pocketbook meant that you were taking money or your car keys to synagogue. Both would have earned a sniff from my mother.  My mother always took along tissues in her pocket or in the cuff of her sweater because she had terrible allergies and a tissue was always needed.

Decades ago my late friend Fred told me that he grew up in a family that was irreligious. Fred, as an adult felt drawn to greater observance. He once told me that he married his ex wife because he was so impressed  she knew that that it wasn't proper to take a pocketbook to services. He laughed ruefully because he discovered that this was ALL that she knew about Jewish observance. ( And no, the marriage didn't last).

All of this is a long introduction to the fact that now I carry a pocketbook to services every week. I have a pretty severe sesame allergy. I have to take along my Epi-pen because after services every week there is a kiddush-- a light, or not so light meal.  I usually am pretty good at figuring out which foods can kill me...but not all of the time. 

I have been buying vintage evening bags and pocketbooks to hold my Epi-pen, housekeys and tissues, because like my mother I need tissues.

Last summer I had a hankering for a pocketbook similar to the one I had at some point in junior high school or high school. It may have been a hand me down from one of my older sister. It was a straw  hard sided bag with leather findings. Don't forget I grew up outside of Boston, it was what ladies used during the summers.

Anyway, I found what I wanted on eBay. I was delighted with it.

Clearly the sort of bag one might wear with Pappagallo shoes or a pair of espadrilles.

Unfortunately, the last time I used the bag, one of the rivets that anchors the leather strap on the back of the bag broke. I looked on Amazon for replacements.  I could have either purchased three rivets for ten bucks or fifty for the same ten bucks. Yes, I purchased the fifty, because perhaps I might need big brass rivets.

I had to unstitch the lining from the straw.

and then replace the rivets.

I was unable to remove the rivet on the lower left, so the slightly smaller  rivet will remail until it breaks.

Re stitching the lining to the straw was quick and easy.

As you can see the bag was made in Hong Kong. I am guessing that it is from the 60s, but it could be from the 50s or as late as the 70s.

I am glad that the fix was relatively easy.

I have not just been doing pocketbook repair. 

 I painted text on Hanoch's tallit

I also have been working on Jess's tallit.

That's Psalm 29.  I will probably go back and outline all of the letters.

I am very pleased with how I constructed the ribbons.

Bit by bit both Hanoch's tallit and Jess's tallit are heading towards the finish line.