This awesome Bermuda Bag is a treasured hand-me-down from my Mom. I can remember playing with it when I was little and thinking I was incredibly chic while carrying it. And of course being able to unbutton its little cover and replace it with a different one was just hours of fun. Mom gave the bag to us last year and I have been meaning to make a new cover for it for a while. This weekend the sunny weather inspired me to make this crazy tropical cover for it. Quite summery, no?
The lining is attached to the wooden handles, and then you just button the cover to the outside with the little pearl buttons. So cool.
Here's my cover with two of the ones my Mom made years ago. She made the one on the left for my Aunt and Uncle's wedding, over 30 years ago. (for the rehearsal dinner, right Mom? And it matched your dress too? *swoon*) And I love the floral on the top right. Isn't it funny how all that late 70s stuff is in style again? So often when my Mom and I are fabric-shopping I'll pull out a "retro" print and say I like it and she'll just look at me. Like I've grown a second head. And then she will shudder. But I dig it anyway. ;)
This awesome Bermuda Bag is a treasured hand-me-down from my Mom. I can remember playing with it when I was little and thinking I was incredibly chic while carrying it. And of course being able to unbutton its little cover and replace it with a different one was just hours of fun. Mom gave the bag to us last year and I have been meaning to make a new cover for it for a while. This weekend the sunny weather inspired me to make this crazy tropical cover for it. Quite summery, no?
The lining is attached to the wooden handles, and then you just button the cover to the outside with the little pearl buttons. So cool.
Here's my cover with two of the ones my Mom made years ago. She made the one on the left for my Aunt and Uncle's wedding, over 30 years ago. (for the rehearsal dinner, right Mom? And it matched your dress too? *swoon*) And I love the floral on the top right. Isn't it funny how all that late 70s stuff is in style again? So often when my Mom and I are fabric-shopping I'll pull out a "retro" print and say I like it and she'll just look at me. Like I've grown a second head. And then she will shudder. But I dig it anyway. ;)
55 comments:
OH how I wih I still had my Bermuda bag!
The unfortunate lesson: never throw anything away, because you'll want it later. Ask my storage space how that's working out.
i'm with ashley! oh what i'd give to have my beloved bermuda bag from way back when. i'm loving your covers - both old and new!
Oh, I was such a prepster! {growing up in the eighties, who wasn't?}
I loved, loved my bermuda bag! I can't find the original handles, but my mum found all my old covers. {monogrammed no less} A few years ago I bought a new bermuda bag from the Lilly Pulitzer store. Oh how i love my little bag :)
Was it hard to sew one up?
fantastic. what would be better? finding a picture of your mom with this bag...
Tres chic! [You + your mother]
I guess I grew up in a cave, because I'd never seen or heard of these bags before, but I bought a set at my neighbor's yard sale last spring. My husband, a veteran yard sailor, asked why I bought them, since I'm not a big purse person, but I couldn't really give him an answer. Now I can show him I'm not crazy for wanting to bring them home.
So cute! I love the interchangability!
Being from the ass-end of the world, we're a lot behind on the times...so I haven't heard of this bag until now, but geez I love it! And your birdie fabric cover is just lovely.
I hadn't heard of Bermuda bags either. But it doesn't stop me from loving it. And that you can change the whole look of the bag so easily is brilliant!
fantastic! how I wish my mum had kept all her cool clothes. Her mum was a seamstress and used to make the most fab dresses.
And yes my mother laughs too when I show the retro fabric I now like. She laughs a lot!!
I too have never heard of a bermuda bag until today (is it an American thing?) - now i'm wondering how i managed to live without one! What a great idea, the 3 covers you shared are beautiful + i love the fabrics!
xx.
Oh yeah, my mom and I've had similar discussions. "Look at this fabric!" "I had a dress with that same print in 1968." Of course, I can relate to that shuddering feeling a little better after walking into Old Navy and feeling like I was clothes shopping for the first day of 6th grade all over again....
wow, that is just toooo snazzy!
fun! i am certain that i had that floral fabric in my room as a child in the early 80s. maybe the skirt on my bedside table? i can't really remember the execution but i remember the print. too funny.
That bag is the most adorable one I've seen in a long while.
eek! i literally gasped when i saw your photo. i love bermuda bags! i had a little one that my mom bought me at the papagallo store when i was in fifth or sixth grade. i wonder where it is now? what i wouldn't give to have it again! your cover is lovely, too.
That's such a great bag! I love the changeable cover - perfect for fickle people. Like me. I may have to think about doing something similar, maybe with knitting, though.
the fact that it has a changeable cover automatically makes it the perfect purse!
Oh my god, I used to have a bag like that when I was around 9 or so. My first "grown-up" purse! The cover was navy and reversed to navy checks. I wish I still had it after seeing how great yours looks with a new cover!
Oh man....now I wish I still had mine!
this post brings back memories. i had one when i was younger too. :) lovely fabric covers. enjoy! xo
that is too cool. did you use vintage fabric?
I had one of those in 8th grade. In fact, I think I sewed a cover for it in Home Ec. I wonder if I did my own buttonholes... Nah, somebody else must have done that part for me. Whatever happened to that bag? I'd quite like to have it back now.
Ditto, ditto, ditto! I was totally envious of my big sister's bag - she had one cover in pink and green with her initials embroidered on it. And one with little whales. Thanks for the walk down memory lane, Julie!
Jules --
The floral fabric in the upper right was what your Auntie Lou had chosen for her kitchen -- and I remember that I made her kitchen curtains and potholders and mitts with that fabric -- and had enuf left to cover the bag. The embroidered one had a lining of a blue butterfly print, and I made a sundress with pleats in the bodice to match. Very snazzy. Though how I had time to do that with a just four and two 18-month-olds is the mystery. Thank God for the energy of youth is all I say.
And how nice it is to see this energy passing on!
PS I have been admiring the shoes this spring -- I so well remember the shoes I wore with the dress -- my all-time favorite white sandals that I bought at Lord and Taylor as a sophomore (like around 1969) -- they had wide white straps and a wooden stacked heel -- and I've seen shoes just like them for the first time this spring. The big laugh was that they were a little the worse for wear by 1981, when your uncle got married, so your Dad and I decided to paint the insoles white again (they'd gotten a little disreputable looking) so I had nearly new shoes for the rehearsal dinner.
And about those retro prints.
The 70s stuff I like too.
It's the 50s prints -- the stuff that was so "out of date" when I was a teenager -- that I still am not real fond of. Funny how that works -- the antipathies you develop when you're in middle school and high school really stick with you -- but later fashions come and go without the same emotional reaction.
i LOVE the bermuda bag. I had one when I was little with changeable covers--one with my monogram and strawberries and the other in navy with green whales. So very preppy!!
i am loving the bermuda bag and its fetching covers! i had never heard of this until reading this post and i am very intrigued. so clever! the covers are all great... i love those retro prints too.
The wood handles are driving me crazy with envy. And the bright prints! So fun.
what a wonderful bag! and it is so great that your mom kept it and now gave it to you. i think all the covers are fantastic.
My mom and I had matching bermuda bags made by Delanthe and got them at the local Papagallo store. We felt oh so chic at the time. I think they went in one of our many garage sales, but I was lucky enough to find the large version like my mom had on a local auction board for $10. So exciting! The ones I had seen on Ebay went for over $30.
I have a pattern for making covers and it's in my "do" pile. Thanks for the inspiration!
love the bags!!
i had one of those, too. wonder where it went?
I love these bags!! They're so cute. I'm making them for spring. My husband makes the wooden handles for me and I have the most beautiful fabrics for it. Silk brocades, cotton twills and tons of tapestries. Amy, can I get a copy of your patterns for the covers?
So this was originally made to have different attached covers? And you copied the ones your mom had? Is that right? Is it okay if I post this on my purse blog?--it's perfect for the theme right now.
Can anyone give me a copy of the bermuda cover pattern so I can make some for my Lilly Pulitzer?
Hi Julie,
I'm interested in making a cover for my bermuda bag. Can you send me a copy of your pattern thru email? My email is:lillyminxy@msn.com
I'd really appreciate it. I just bought a Lilly Pulitzer and would love to make some covers for summer and spring. Thanks in advance for any help you can give.
i would also be interested in a pattern as i would love to make a new cover for mine
now i'm all inspired to do some embroidery on the covers i do have
where did you find the pattern to make the covers?
I love to see someone cherish a vintage purse like the Bermuda Bag. I got my first one about 1970 and shortly thereafter the neatest boutique in town ask me to make covers for them to sell. I have now been making covers for close to 40 years. Some years are busier than others. I have a collection of handles as there are many variations and sizes of the Bermuda Bag. Enjoy, Becky Rowell
- TrendyGals
I have my bermuda bag and gave it to my daughter and I inherited my grandmothers. I would like to get new covers for them, does anyone know where to get them?
I'd love to get the pattern too. Those are beautiful.
dclori@comcast.net
I still have mine! And lots of "clothes" (covers) to go with it. Nice to see it has made a comeback :)
I have just started to produce bermuda handbags for my company Madeline Handbags (www.madelineaccessories.com). My website is under construction right know I am able to take custom orders. email for more information at info@madelineaccessories.com
Would you happen to have a copy of the pattern I would love to receive one.
I've never blogged before! But I just re-discovered my bermuda bag and, much to the chuckles of my family, have started making covers and carrying it everywhere! Let's bring them back! Start a trend all on our own!
I am so happy to find you guys! I have looked everywhere for a pattern, but can't find one - is there any way you can zap me the pattern?
I would love to get the Lilly Pulitzer bermuda bag pattern as I have been looking all over the Internet trying to find it. Is there any way you could send it to me (sfran07@gmail.com)? Thanks!
I have just purchased a Bermuda bag on ebay and am awaiting the arrival! Please send me a copy of your pattern for covers? Thank you. My email is fgordonjr@maine.rr.com
Hello all! I would certainly share a pattern for the bermuda bag if I had one, but I didn't really use one when I made this. I just traced the shape of one of the covers I already had, then assembled it in the same way. It was surprisingly easy, but I had an existing cover to copy. There are a few links in the comments above you might try, best of luck to all who are interested in making one of these!
Julie
Amy,
Would you please share your pattern for covers? My email is fgordonjr@maine.rr.com.
So cute! Would love pattern. lisapwilliams at gmail dot com
Hi!!! Just stumbled upon your awesome blog post!!! By chance do you have the pattern for Bermuda bag covers specifically designed for the Lilly Pulitzer Bermuda bag handle that came out in the late 90's/2000 time range? If so, would you be willing to share it with me? My e-mail is pamela.segal@gmail.com. Thanks so much!!!!
You can buy a copy of the pattern on Ebay; I just bought one! I wanted one of these bags as a teen in the 70's but my mom refused to allow me to have one. She only wanted me to use shoulder bags and she remembered leaving her own handbags places as a teen in the 50's before shoulder bags. I finally just bought some with covers and also the Lilly Pulitzer one. I am so happy to be carrying these now!!! I wish mom was around to see it!
I was a senior in high school in 1985 and i think we all had them but i had no idea what they were called...Bermuda bag... I had one to match all seasons and a few wild ones with hair bands of the time Journey was my favorite it looked like the album cover. I believe they were reversible too because i recall turning it inside out to a black corduroy material so my dad didn't see the rock and roll ( he didn't like hair bands, thought they all did drugs) and when i got to school I'd turn in back around...what fun they were switching with friends.
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