Handmade Purse With Pin

Jill Brogadir shows how to design a handmade purse with a three-dimensional suede flower pin.

All About

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Jill Brogadir is an energetic young woman. By day, she is a middle school English teacher and by night, a crafter. She has been making purses for about four years. At first, she didn't have much luck using a sewing machine and ended up sewing them all by hand. While watching other purse makers on Crafters Coast to Coast she was inspired to kick it up a notch and this time, successfully took on the sewing machine. She makes a lined purse with a pocket and beaded handles.

Materials and Tools:

fabric
stiffener
iron-on adhesive strips
iron-on adhesive sheets
3/8" nickel colored grommets
punch
hammer
grommet setting tool
18-gauge wire
glass beads
suede fabric
sparkly seed beads
beading thread
yarn
two-part epoxy
pin back
needle nose pliers
snap closure
pinking shears
scissors
sewing machine and thread

Figure B

Steps:

1. Cut two pieces of 9-1/2" x 10-1/2" purse fabric. Cut lining pieces the same size as the purse fabric. Cut out a piece of fabric for a pocket.

2. Cut two pieces of iron-on adhesive to fit the purse pieces allowing a 1-inch seam allowance on the top and iron the adhesive onto each purse piece. Remove the paper backing.

3. Cut two pieces of stiffener the same size as the adhesive pieces and iron them onto each piece of purse fabric.

4. Cut a 1-inch square piece off the stiffened fabric at the bottom corners.

Figure D

5. With right sides together, stitch around the sides and bottom of the purse using a 5/8-inch seam allowance.

6. Sew the two bottom corners on a diagonal creating a bottom to the purse. Turn the purse right side out.

7. Cut the edges of the pocket with pinking shears to prevent fraying. Place the wrong side of the pocket to the right side of one piece of the lining and adhere with iron-on adhesive strips. Stitch around three sides of the pocket leaving an opening at the top.

Figure F

8. Place the two pieces of lining with right sides together and stitch the two sides. Turn right side out.

9. With right sides together, place the lining around the purse and sew around the top.

10. Turn the lining right side out and stitch the bottom of the lining closed. Push the lining into the purse.

Figure H

11. Mark holes for four grommets, two on each side of the purse. Punch holes for the grommets. Fasten grommets into the purse with a hammer and grommet tool.

12. Cut a piece of wire about 14 inches long. Insert the wire through one grommet from the outside of the purse and twist it around the grommet.

13. String on glass beads to make an 8-inch handle. Insert the other end of the wire through the grommet on the same side of the purse from the outside and twist to close the handle. Repeat the process on other side of the bag.

14. Using a snap tool, punch both sides of snaps into place in the middle of the purse.

Figure K

15. Cut out a 5" x 9" piece of suede. Cut out a flower pattern and trace it onto the suede. Cut out the flower.

16. Pinch each petal together and hand-sew at the bottom of the petal with beading thread. This creates a three-dimensional flower. Repeat for each petal.

Figure M

17. Cut a 6-inch piece of feathery yarn and wrap it around your finger. Wrap the loops with a 1-inch piece of yarn and tie a knot. Cut the loops.

18. Glue the yarn to the center of the flower with two-part epoxy.

19. Using a piece of beading thread, push the needle up from the bottom at the base of the petal, thread on about 10 beads until they reach the tip of the petal and push the needle down at the petal's tip making a bead spray. Make three sprays of beads per petal.

20. Glue a pin back to the suede flower and pin it to the purse.

Website: www.jillsie.com