Hand-Beaded Purses

Jennifer Deiderich has been making unusual art purses for nearly 20 years. After "paying her dues" working as a nurse and activities coordinator for a group home, she decided she wanted to do something for herself. That's when Jennifer began taking classes at a local bead shop. Eventually, she started working at the bead shop part-ime to "feed her bad habit." Today, she’s the store manager and makes purses in her spare time. Jennifer initially made art quilts before experiencing a "chain reaction of creative explosions" whereby she decided to wear her creations and began crafting purses. She makes the purses using traditional quilting techniques and embellishes them with beads. Now people stop her on the street while she’s "schlepping her wearable art."

Materials:

1 yard of fabric for purse
1/8 yard of different fabric for purse sides
1 yard of fabric for lining
1 yard iron-on fusible interfacing
size B Nymo beading thread
brown paper lunch bag (for pattern)
purse handles
a variety of bead sizes and shapes
old vintage jewelry
found objects
buttons
notions
scissors
iron
sewing pins
size 11 Straw John James needles
sewing machine

1. Use the lunch bag to create a pattern of your choice. Cut out the sides, leaving the front, bottom and back in one piece.

2. Trace the pattern pieces to the interfacing and cut out.

3. Iron those three pieces to the wrong side of the purse fabric.

4. Cut out the pieces, adding a1/2-inch seam allowance.

5. Trace pattern to lining fabric and cut out adding, a 1/2-inch seam allowance.

6. Bead the front of the purse, using embroidery stitches. Let your imagination go!

7. Pin right sides together and sew (on a sewing machine) the sides of purse to the body of purse. Repeat for other side.

8. Repeat steps for lining.

9. Place lining inside of purse.

10. Hand-stitch lining to purse along the top edge.

11. Attach purse handles and embellishments of your choice.

E-mail: Jennifer@TheBeadMonkey.com