Purse Makeover

This is my old purse:

 This is my new purse:

The pattern is by Jen Giddens.  It is super easy (took about an hour to make) and you don't need any specialized sewing skills to make it.  However the pattern does not include any directions for cutting the purse handle (no measurements of any kind) so you do have to come up with that on your own.  I also am not super fond of her instruction style but overall it was worth the $9.00 I paid for the pattern and I plan to use it over again. 

 It makes a cute small under your arm purse that is perfect for holding all your (new and improved) essentials.

Mini Calander Makeover

After making a new checkbook cover (see next post) I decided I wanted to keep my purse makeover going and redo my little purse calender.  This is hardly even worth posting it is so simple but who says crafts can't be simple right?  So here it goes.

1. Start with a calender that has a plastic cover.  Take the calender out and lay it out open and flat on a piece of scrapbook paper.  Trace the calender and then cut the scrapbook paper to size.

 2.  Fold your scrapbook paper in half and make a center crease.  Now open it up and run a line of double sided tape all around the outer edge and a couple of pieces in the middle.  Place your calender on it and press to adhere.  Trim any edges if necessary.  You could add stickers or a name or any other embellishments to the front.  Anything that is super 3 dimensional I would add to the plastic cover because otherwise your calender won't fit back in.

 3.  To create a ribbon tie cut a piece of ribbon 22" long.  Fold it in half to find the center.  Place the center fold on the outside of the calender cover just where the inside pocket edge is.  Sew over it with your sewing machine (back and forth a couple of times).

 4.  Now replace your calender inside and tie the ribbon on the front.  DONE!!

Make your own checkbook cover

I was in need of an entire purse makeover.  This was step one on my list.

I got my inspiration from here via Skip To My Lou.  I used all of her measurements but added my own spin on her original creation.  Here is a tutorial for my version.

Materials:

2 pieces of outer fabric 7x8"

2 pieces of fusible interfacing 7x8"

2 pieces of 7x7" fabric for inner pockets

2 pieces of 7x3.5" interfacing

1 piece of ribbon 8" long

1 piece of small elastic 4"

1 button

Optional: if you want to add a second pocket to one side then you will need:

1 piece of 7x7" fabric (coordinating color)

1 piece of 7x3.5" interfacing

 1. Start by making your inside pockets.  Fold one piece of 7x7 fabric in half and press to make a center crease.  Open up with wrong side up.  Place interfacing on one half matching it up to the center crease. (I cut mine a bit small on accident so mine doesn't line up with the opposite edge like it should).  Press with an iron to adhere interfacing then fold the fabric in half sandwiching the interfacing in the middle (right side of fabric should be to the outside).  Top stitch along the top (folded) edge (1/8").  Repeat with the other pocket...

 and the third (optional) pocket if you are making one.

 2.  Next begin assembling.  Start by placing the optional pocket on one end of an outer piece (on the right side, fold to the top).

 3. Next place one of the two pockets directly over top of the optional pocket.

 4. This is when I placed my loop of elastic.  At first I just placed it there but I was afraid it might move when I went to sew it so I took the top pocket and the elastic to my sewing machine and did a quick basting stitch over the elastic to hold it in place. Then I replaced the pocket.

 5.  Now this is an optional step as well; I wanted to have one of those plastic dividers for my checkbook because I have duplicate checks.  I had one in my old wallet and since I was going to be using this for my checkbook now I cut out the plastic divider piece from my wallet.  I was thinking that you probably could use a piece of an overhead (one of those clear plastic sheets they use on projectors) as well.  If you decide to use one then place it on the pocket (lift up the elastic) and place the elastic piece on top.  I put my plastic divider about a 1/4 inch from the bottom.  Mine was a bit small because I cut it out of my old wallet.  If I was making one from scratch I would have it a bit bigger. (look close to see the plastic divider-it is hard to see because it is frosty)

 6.  Place the other pocket on the other end.

 7.  Place your piece of ribbon across the top pocket (in the middle).  Make sure you let the ends hang over the edge.  That way you will be sure to catch it when you are sewing.

 8. Now lay the other outer piece over the top.  Line up all your edges and pin.  Place a pin on each side of the ribbon and on the elastic to ensure they stay.  Also make sure your plastic divider stays in place as there is nothing to hold it (so check it before you sew).

 9.  Now sew.  I started with the bottom and sewed a 1/2" seam.  Repeat on the top only leave and opening for turning.  Sew the sides with a 1/4" seam.

 10.  Clip your corners and all the edges except the opening.

 11.  Turn right side out and press. (This picture is before I pressed it with my iron).

 12.  Last top stitch around the entire square (this will allow you to catch the bottom of the plastic divider and keep it from flopping open).  Add a button on the opposite side of the elastic on the outside.  I started by coming up through the fabric just under the edge of the button so that I wasn't sewing all the way through all of the layers.

 13.  Here is the finished product from the inside.

 Your check register goes in the top...

 with any extra, used pages tucked under the ribbon.

 Your checkbook slides into the first bottom pocket.

 The second pocket can be for receipts or money if you want.

 That's it.  Pretty simple and really cute

 Happy sewing!!

Super easy "Charlie bag"

This summer I am putting on a sewing/craft camp for girls here in my home. I did it last year and the girls seemed to have a great time so I thought I would try it again this year. This will likely be the last time I do it however because my wonderful town seems unwilling to support anything other than sporting events and it is a lot of work to put the whole thing together for only 4 girls. But I digress. The camp is for girls ages 10 and up and is 3 days a week for 2 hours a day and only last 2 weeks. The cost is $35.00 and all the girls have to bring is a sewing machine and a pair of scissors. I provide the rest.

Anyway, so I have these 4 girls signed up and I have been looking for some fun/easy sewing projects that we can do. The idea is to be able to complete 1 project a day. This year I am doing 3 sewing projects and 2 scrapbooking projects. In my search online I found this great free pattern. The pattern is for a single sided, really quick grocery bag. I thought it was really cute and decided I would use it as our first project. I developed this tutorial to make the bag lined (and reversible).

To get the pattern you need to go here. You can print this out right on your printer and then assemble it. It was really easy and took I think 8 pieces of paper or something. Click on the button that says "print at home" to print it. You will have to register to print it but this website looks like it has tons of cool ideas so it is worth the minute it takes to do it. It doesn't cost anything to register.

For this lined bag you will need 3/4 of a yard of two different fabrics.

Unfold your piece of material and refold it bring the edges to the middle crease and then fold it again in half on the middle crease. This gives you a narrow piece of fabric, 4 layers thick, the perfect size for cutting out the pattern once but getting 2 pieces. I also folded in 1 inch on the bottom of my pattern because it seemed a bit too big for what I wanted to do. You will need to cut 2 pieces on the fold of each fabric so you will end up with 4 (2 outside and 2 lining). Sorry I forgot to take a picture of my fabric folding. Hope that makes some sense.

Now working with each piece of fabric separately put the the handle pieces right sides together and sew a 5/8" seam backstitching start and stop. Trim seam to a 1/4". Press with an iron. Repeat this with the other 3 pieces.

Now place matching fabrics right sides together and pin the 3 straight edges. Sew a 5/8" seam on each edge but leave an opening on the bottom of the pieces you want to use as the lining. The opening should be about as big as your hand. Make sure you backstitch at each side of the opening. Trim your seams to a 1/4".

Now turn the pieces that you will have as the outside of the bag right sides out and place it inside the lining. This will make it so that you have printed sides together. Match up your seams and pin around the large inside circle. Sew around the pinned edge with a 5/8' seam backstitching start and stop. Trim seam to a 1/4".

Now turn the bag right side out by pulling the inner piece through the opening. The piece you are pulling out will become the outside of the bag. Before tucking in the inside, fold under both sides of the opening and sew closed with a 1/8" seam. Now tuck the bag lining down inside the outer bag making sure to poke the corners together. Press the top edge with an iron so that it is nice and flat. Topstitch around this edge at 1/8".

Lastly, and this is probably the hardest part, tuck under 5/8" on the remaining openings and pin together. I found it was easier to do this by hand than using the iron because you are working on a curve. Now topstitch the pinned openings using an 1/8" seam and backstitching.

And that is it. Tada, a finished bag. If you wanted something stiffer you could apply interfacing to one of the layers. You could also alter the size of the pattern to make a smaller version. I will have to post pictures of the ones the girls make. I bought bright colored polka dot material for them to choose from. They are going to look so cute.

New paper bag ideas

Today is Thursday which is my craft day (I allow myself to just do as many creative things as I can get done on this day) so I thought I would create a few more paper bag purse ideas. I got a lot of comments about them being good for Easter baskets so I came up with a few Easter themed bags. Two of them were printed out on the computer using DJ Inkers clip art. The one with the Easter eggs I made out of fun foam. The lillies one is made using a Martha Stewart pattern I got from her magazine years ago. I wanted to include the issue month and year but I didn't keep a record of it when I tore that idea out of the magazine. You can probably do a search for it on her website if you are interested. There are tons of possibilities with these bags. I also tried making one a bit sturdier by putting in a piece of cardstock on the bottom of the bag as well as on the sides. It really helped to hold it's shape. The sky's the limit with these. Enjoy!!

A Few More Purse Ideas

Here are just a couple more purse cards that I made. I am thinking that with a new month starting I will also have to change focus now. Small fry's B-day is coming up in April and Easter too so I will work on Easter and Birthday stuff during March, but if I find another cute purse thing of course I will add it. For these cards I made up patterns myself. The first card that looks like a purse I saw in Paper Crafts Magazine but of course there was not a pattern for it so I created my own. For the second card I used fun foam (a new favorite) to make the purse and did some hand stitching to embelish it. Just a couple of cute ideas to enjoy.