I've been making this purses and I'm smitten by them! I have bought this lovely Heather Bailey fabrics a few weeks ago and was looking for a special project for them. I bought the fabrics on Etsy. Can't remember in what shop, but many fabric suppliers do Heather Bailey fabrics. The purse frame is from Etsy too, from this shop called bagpurseframes. They have lovely stuff, can't wait for my next purse-project! The pattern is a "free adaptation" (Ahem!....sorry, you know me now, right? me and following instructions?...yep!...) of this tutorial by lovely Lisa of U-handblog! I have a serious crush on her and all her creations! The tutorial was very useful and I just adapted it to the shape and size I thought looked better for my frame. The only problem was that I didn't realize I had to buy specifically a NON-sewing frame! The tutorial is for gluing the purse into the purse frame! Because I'm such a newbie and, ok I admit, also because I'm rubbish at following any type of instructions/suggestions/rules/u-name-it, I end up making this type of mistakes!! The purse frames I bought are to be sewn to the material!! Hence the little holes on them, see? I tried to use my fantastic and very expensive glue on them (oh Yah, I had bought the glue and all!) and guess what happened? Glue squirting trough the little holes! Fun!! But fear not, my friends! I couldn't find any tute on sew-on purse-frames so I just improvised and this was the result. I must say I quite like the way you can see and match the colour of the stitches with your fabric! It was tricky alright, trying to sew and keep the frame in place (you can't pin it in place!). Also pierced my poor finger badly! (thimbles just too big for my fingers, had to sellotape the thimble on!Ha!) But all worth it and after making - and learning the hard way! - with the 1st one, I was flying! So, I have put together a few useful tips for making this type of purse. Between mine "what-not-to-do's" and Lisa's "what-to-do-if-you-smart" you'll make yourself the perfect, easiest purse ever! Ha! Good luck!!
I used Lisa's tips to work out the pattern for my frame. Its important to get the points A and B right! Then I used the pattern to cut 2x exterior fabric, 2x lining, 2x iron-on interfacing and 2x fleece.
Iron the interfacing on to the wrong side of the exterior fabric.
Right sides touching, sew from A to B around the bottom of the purse.
Set aside.
Make a sandwich with the lining pieces - right sides touching - and the 2 fleece pieces on the outside.
Sew it from A to B but! this time leave a gap on the bottom! (my gap was 4 fingers wide)
Turn the exterior purse Right side out. Pop it inside the lining. (fleece side out)
Push one inside the other for a perfect fit. Make sure the edges match perfectly all around! Sew all around the top (if you can). I left the corners A and B to hand sew, because it looked better. (and because I coulnd't make it any other way!)
Push the exterior lining trough the gap of the lining. It's the birth of a gorgeous purse!! Congratulations!
At this point you'll think "oh no!! I did it all wrong!" Don't worry! It will work out! I haven't figure out quite yet how all this "the reverse of the wrong side inside the inside-out pushing trough the inside out of the reverse" works, but it does!! Hurray for Lisa Lam!!
(ps: don't worry if it's all wrinkles! It should iron out easily)
And after sewing the frames on, this is how my purses look like :) I love them!!
Hope you like them too and feel some purse-love inspiring you!
Lots of Love, Cata****
