Daisy Purse

Daisy Purse
April 21 2013
   This purse was an experiment on using Timtex. It is a thicker, heavier interfacing, a form of stabilizer. I read some reviews, and people didn't like it. I found someone who suggested cutting it short, and adhering it with fusible interfacing, to the main fabric purse pieces. I figured i would use some pieces of Flannel i had from making pajama bottoms. And use Batting in place of the timtex. It is about 13.5" by 11". On the other one, i would trim the Timtex a bit more in from the edges, and corners.

Front pattern pieces, with batting fused with fusible interfacing

The corners are cut out, so when you sew the sides and bottom, you flatten the sides and sew a flat bottom. 

The inner pockets are sewn to the lining.

Inner pockets are sewn to the lining.

I had a hard time deciding on the strap. 

Did i want a double strap or a single?

I went with a double. I cut them 36" by 1.5". I pressed the edges in about half an inch, and in the center, then folded them all up. They turned out about a half inch wide, i then top stitched them.

Straps all pressed, fold in the edges, then into the center, so it is about half an inch wide.

I had the sides and bottom all sewn, when i decided, I WAS going to quilt all around the Daisy's. So i had to rip it all back out, with JACK! *

I pressed little pieces of interfacing to the top middle of the lining, to add stability to the sew on magnet snaps.

And pressed under the top edges, so later i could top stitch around the edges.

at top are the lining pieces, at bottom are the outer pieces. :)

Sewed the side edges and bottoms together.

Lining and outer pieces all sewn together.

Squish the bottom corners flat

flatten out the bottom corners

 sew the corners so your bottom is flat and wide.

sew the bottom corners

 Check out the magnet snaps, and quilted outer pieces. I didn't do all the flowers, just the yellow and orange ones.

I am all excited, it is turning out so well.

Sewing the top edges around, and catching in the bottom ends of the straps.

If i had done a single strap it would have gone on the sides, where the side seam is. 

This would have made it a bit hard to sew them on.

Watch out for the pins.

WHAT do ya think?

SO CUTE!!

Someone we see all the time in joanns, said, She loved it, and it was ME!!

* Jack the ripper.
Ignore the dates, when i take out the sd card, it sometimes resets to the beginning date. This was an April 2013 project. 

  Next the Timtex version. I have created a paper pattern, but the leftover fabric pieces are not big enough. I will have to piece the bottom. Which is one thing i didn't like of those purchased patterns. :(

love diane

BackPack Purses

Started on Jan 20, 2013. today is April 20
Back Pack Purses

My first Back Pack purse i followed a pattern. I like buying them when joanns has a .99 cent sale on them. But they were a bit too technical, and too many pieces. This one is a bit shorter and wider. I forgot to cut the main section as one, therefore had 2 more pieces to quilt. But as one large piece I had a problem with trying to figure how to handle the large outer pocket. I managed that with sewing it up the side.
Okay, i have 4 main sections. I did a free hand quilting stitching around all the butterflies. i used some flannel as backing, i had leftover from some PJ's i had made, and cotton batting.
I also sewed a handle/strap.

I stitched around all the butterflies, which pulls in on all sides. So it is now a bit smaller in size.

I trimmed the sides to neaten it up and cut it down in size a little.

You can't really see all the stitching.

There are 4 main pieces. Front, Back, and the front and back pocket pieces.

You have to do the inside pockets BEFORE you put the sides together.
OR you catch the outer pockets in the stitching.
But you can see the pockets were sewn in.
I made them large enough to put the cell in, and keys.
You sew the sides up, catching the outer pockets in the stitching.
The bottom seam is sewn up too. Sewing the seams was a bit difficult, it was pretty thick and heavy with all the layers, and batting.

I made 10 buttonholes evenly spaced around the purse, one inch wide, so i could easily pull on the strap, to loosen and tighten as needed.

I started the strap in the center and weaved it in and out then down to the bottom corners. When you sew the corners closed, you catch the strap ends in.
You can see how the bottom corners are stitched closed here.

I turned under the top edges and top stitched it. When i did the buttonholes, i left enough room for the top edge to be turned under.

WA LA

The first one i did is a bit bigger. 12 X 16.5. I did the main piece as one, 24 x 16.5.
I also added a top band on the outer pocket.
You need to cut out the bottom corner, do a square cut, or rather take a square out of the corners. When you stitch it closed, you flatten it, and tuck the strap in. I double stitched, so I would catch it good. ( But don't do it so good you can't undo it later. I had to take mine apart when the strap shredded and needed replaced)
Sorry you can't really see the corner, but cutting the corner out, this flattens it and makes the bottom flat and wide.

When you flatten the corners to sew the bottom, you need to catch the straps for the backpack in the corners.

When you sew it you have to be careful you don't break a needle, all the layers are very thick.

Finished project.

love diane