Pretty Purse Tutorial

Make a nifty little purse for your next shopping trip. This purse is so quick to make you can make a new one in no time.

 

MATERIALS
27 x 24.5cm (10½ x 9¾in) red fabric (Miss Thread Woodlands) for the outer
41 x 10.5cm (16 x 4in) blue floral fabric (Paradis Woodlands) for the card pocket
10 x 11cm (3¾ x 4¼in) red and white stripe fabric (Row by Row Woodlands) for the coin pocket
Two 13cm (5in) lengths of 2.5cm (1in) wide cotton lace 
Snap fastener
Heart shaped wooden button
51 x 26cm (20 x 10in) lightweight iron-on interfacing 

FINISHED SIZE
Approx. 10.7 x 8.9cm (4¼ x 3½in) when closed, 24.1 x 10.7cm (9½ x 4¼in) when opened

PREPARATION
Use ¼in seam allowance throughout.

 Instructions

1 From the outer material and lightweight interfacing cut two 10¼ x 4¾in strips. Then, following the manufacturer’s instructions, fuse the interfacing onto the wrong side of the fabric. Fig 1

2 Cut a 16 x 4in strip from the card pocket material and lightweight interfacing.
Then, following the manufacturer’s instructions, fuse the interfacing onto the wrong side of the fabric.
Fold the fabric into three equally sized pockets, letting each pocket sit a ¾in higher than the previous one. It is helpful to have a few bank or loyalty cards to hand when doing this to help you form the pockets.

The unit should finish 4¾in tall. Gently remove the cards and iron the pockets flat. Fig 2

3 Cut a 3¾ x 4¾in rectangle from the coin pocket material and lightweight interfacing. Then, following the manufacturer’s instructions, fuse the interfacing onto the wrong side of the fabric. On the top edge (4¾in wide), fold over a ½in hem, press, then topsitch. Place the cotton lace on top and stitch in place. Fig 3

4 Place the bottom of the coin pocket on the left-hand side of the folded card pocket section, right sides together. Pin, stitch along this edge, then fold out and press. Fig 4

5 Place the pocket unit on top of the left-hand side of one of the 10¼ x 4¾in outer strips, wrong side to right side. Stitch across the bottom of the coin pocket twice. Fig 5

6 Take the remaining piece of cotton lace and place it on the right-hand side of the second outer fabric strip, ½in in from the edge. Pin, then topstitch. Fig 6

7 Take both outer pieces and place them right sides together, with the lace to the left and pockets to the right. Pin and sew all around the edge, leaving a 3in gap of stitching along the middle of one long side. Turn the purse out through the gap, push out the corners and press, folding in the seam allowance at the gap. Pin and stitch around the purse, about ⅛in in from the edge. Fig 7

8 Fold the purse into three and place inside a book for a couple of hours to help it ‘remember’ its shape. Hand sew a small snap fastener to the inside of the purse and a wooden button to the outside to finish. Fig 8