Little Purse Bag Tutorial

DIY Mini Purse | Bag sewing FREE  Step by Step  Tutorial. How do we make this little cutie? 

 

Gather these supplies:
-large scraps of two different bright fabrics
-fat eighth of lining fabric
--felt in coordinating colours
-Sizzix Big Shot die cutter
-Sizzix flower dies
        OR
-selection of felt pre cut flowers which will layer on top of each other
-white Perle 8 cotton
- 18cm zipper - a bit longer than you need but it will work out!
-small amount of thin wadding
-beads for the zipper pull charm
-pretty button
- decorative bias binding
-50mm head pin
-6mm split ring
-glue stick
-water soluble marker
-your usual beading needs
-your usual sewing needs

To begin with cut a couple of circles 11.5cm diameter of your outer fabric and your lining (you can use any household item to trace around and use the water soluble marker). Put the lining aside for the minute.

next cut two circles of wedding about a centimetre smaller than the outer circles and glue this wedding to the wrong sides...

You can use fusible wadding if you prefer.

Time to embellish! I have used my lovely Big Shot to cut some felt flowers using the flower layers and leaves die. I am after quite a retro effect and this is the perfect choice. My die is a little older but this one is also good and will give the same effect. 

Cut one large flower, one daisy and one smaller flower in felts which coordinate nicely with your fabrics. Then layer them in the middle of the the front panel. when you are happy with the placement, glue them down. Mine look like this...

Time to get busy with the Perle cotton! Stitch your flower down with long stitches, some lazy daisy stitches and some cross stitches - 'read' your flowers and decide where the stitches will look best.

Then add your button....I cannot resist polka dots!

The back has a stamped label and all you need to do is to sew it to the centre of the back section like this...

When you have the front and back panels just right, lay the lining over the outer and then baste around the edge. From now on, treat these as one piece...

Quilt around the label and the flower too. This will make the whole structure more solid.

Time for the zipper gusset.  From one of your outer fabrics cut two strips 3cm x 8cm. Fold in half and topstitch over each end of the zipper...

Cut four more strips 25cm x 3cm, two of lining and two of outer. Swap the foot on your machine for the zipper foot and then sandwich the zipper in between the layers with the lining on the bottom and the outer on the top, right sides together.

Gently pull the lining and upper into place and iron. Topstitch along the length of the zipper section.

Trim the zipper section to 23cm long. You now have something which looks like this...

 Cut two more strips 15cm x 5cm. One is lining and one is outer. These strips will form the rest of the side. With the wrong sides together, sandwich the end of the zipper section between two ends of the new strips
Sew across. Do the same on the other end, with the right sides together again. open out and topstitch to keep the lining neat. 

Now. Time to add the sides to the front and back. We will bind so that there are no raw edges inside. 

Pin it within an inch of its life! It is a bit of a fiddle and you might consider basting. I did and it was certainly easier and worth the extra effort.

By the way, I have opted to have my binding visible on the outside so I am sewing my seams with the lining together. 

This means that the binding is part of the decoration. If you don't want this, sew the seams with the right sides together which will put the seam inside the purse and then you bind it there.

Anyway, sew a seam around whichever way you have decided to do it and then bind. By hand is a lot less fiddly than machine and it doesn't take long. Repeat for the other side.

Here is what I have now...

Don't forget the back...

All that there is left to do is to make the hanging charm. Take your head pin and thread the chosen beads on...

I have gone for colours which are found in my fabrics. I love the glass beads and they make the project super pretty. Make a loop on the top and then use the split ring to attach it to the zipper pull...

 Et voila! Finished!

Thank you so much for sharing this time with me. These little purses make great gifts and they become easier and easier with practice. Super useful too. This jewellery when travelling or makeup. Coins are good too of course although I will admit that it is getting a bit big for that. Useful and practical and pretty - what more could we ask for!