Patchwork Purse.... WIP

I started this purse back in the fall.  Where did time go?  I started a lot of things since fall but after Bucko died I kinda did too and I just haven't been able to complete anything.  On the plus side, I have a lot of things started! 

This purse has been haunting me almost daily since September when I started it.  I started it to be a diversion away from losing my boy but it became more than I could do so it got put aside like so many other projects.  To have it finally finished is a relief.  I can move on to other things now and not have this purse calling my name at every turn...

 It all started when a friend launched her new business making hand crafted purseware.  You can see LabenaBags website here: LabenaBags.com...   http://www.labeanabags.com/

I decided I would make a patchwork purse with my Labenabag purseware and I documented the steps in case anyone would like to try it...

Patchwork purse WIP

That is not a spool of thread in the photo.  That is wire with which I will make a viking knit purse strap.  Well, OK...not that particular wire but I put the silver color there for effect.  I will use a 24 gauge artistic silver wire for the strap.  The fabric I will sew the patchwork pieces to is Ultrasuede.  I have a blue square and a gray square so I guess that's what I will use!  I didn't just cut the pieces of material.  I had cut them a couple of winters ago thinking I would make a quilt.  I already have a quilt.  A purse sounds so much more fun!

 

First I put the ultrasuede squares together the long way, and sewed the bottom.  Double stitched of course.  After any sewing the seams need to be pressed open flat.
 

 

The Ultra suede squares are 9 X 11 1/2, so next I cut the now joined pieces into 4-3 inch strips that are 18 inches long. There is a half inch off in the calculations of the strips but they are very close to 3 inches each.

 

Then to join the squares.  It sure helps if all of your squares are uniform but mine weren't!  This made for a little bit of frustration but I got over it and found squares that were more uniform and they are gernerally about 4 inches by 3 inches.  5 of them placed the long way were long enough to do the job.
 

 

My first plan was to have 3 strips of patchwork and although this fabric is thick drapery or upholstry fabric I decided I wanted my bag have the strong ultrasuede on the outside walls, so I had to go with 2 strips of patchwork, and 3 strips of ultrasuede.

This is where I am at now before anythng is put together.  There should be enough material to have nice gathers at the purse yoke.     I am also going to go back and double stitch all the square seams and just double stitch everything because the last thing I want is to ever see this fall apart.  It can get a hole from wear but those seams better not think of coming apart!
 

 

OK, so that was where I ended in September....fast forward to today.  

I decided that there needed to be 3 rows of patchwork instead of 3 rows of ultrasuede so I made another row and sewed them all together.

The bag now has the strips sewn and the side seams sewn...

 Blue side

 

Gray side 

 

Next trim the top...

Next came the lining.  Thankfully I just happened to have the perfect fabric for the job on hand. 

None of this is done with a pattern so I just cut the lining material the same size as the swatch of patchwork, and sew the two end sides.  I also antiqued the purse yolks by using black shoe polish and a soft cloth

 

 

To add the lining to the bag I just inserted it the way it shows in the photo above, so that the smooth seams will be inside the bag...

 

With the lining inside the purse, now it is time to attach the purse to the pursewear.  This is where the extra pieces of ultrasuede came in handy! 

 

Instead of worrying how to conceal the stitching of the lining and bag, the ultrasuede application did double duty and the pursewear and covering of stutiches happened in three easy steps!  

Three steps for each side...

I measured the length of the slots in the pursewear and cut my ultrasuede to that length.

Then I pinned the purse to the ultrasuede.  Since the purse width is greater, this is where gathers come in.

 

I sewed that seam, flipped the ultrasuede over and voila, nice gathers!  I did the same thing ont he gray side.

Next it was just a matter of threading the ultrasuede through the pursewear, laying it over the inside seams and sew a top stitch across the front of each side of the bag.  VOILA!  Inside seams are covered and the pursewear and purse are now one!  That is the beauty of Ultrasuede.  It dosen't ravel.  It's edge stays perfect!

 

 

Next I added the 36"  Viking Knitted chain I made which is 34 inches long by the timeit goes through the pursewear.  Perfect shoulder strap length!

The end caps on the Viking Knit strap are from Heather Ferman Flamework Beads   http://www.heatherferman.com/

 

The finished purse!

 

Other side

 

The total height of the bag from top to bottom in the center is 10".  At the bottom of the bag, the widest point, it is 10" wide.

I hope you enjoyed my WIP!