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Friday, March 01, 2024

Sewing - a cut little purse with a bright inside


I brought home some scraps from our fabric sorting last week.  The black fabric with the bright embroidered polka dots seemed perfect for making a small purse for a little girl.  There was just enough fabric to make up the purse pieces and I found a small piece of black quilting cotton in my stash to make the strap.  The inside was made from a scrap of beautiful quilting cotton which really makes it fun.  I had never made a small bag like this before so I searched for one on line.  I found one that was about the right size for this project and printed the fabric and cut my pieces - one from the bright cotton for the lining and one for the back from the polka dot fabric.  One of each for the front of the purse and a strip of each for the strap.  The strap is just over 30" and the overall size of the bag is 8" wide and 7" tall.  The instructions asked for a 3" wide strap.  I thought it was a bit much but decided to follow the instructions.  I had to go back on line to check if I had put the strap in correctly because it interfered immensely with the folding of the flap to the front.  After checking the photos on line I had correctly followed the instructions but being as they did not work well I decided to make some adjustments.  I removed the strap and resewed the seams.  That finished the bag so then I unraveled one side of the strap and resewed it to be 3/4" wide.  Then I played with several placements before sewing the strap ends to the inside of the bag as close to the back as I could on each side.  This way the flap comes through and is barely hindered by the strap.  I added a large black snap and then covered my stitching on the flap with a green button.  Done!!  I am happy with the final product but will be looking for a different pattern for making a small purse for next time.    Therese