I Made a Purse!

I recently was offered the opportunity to try a purse handle from JUL Designs.  They have a lot of interesting hardware – their gorgeous photos almost make me want to try knitting again.

I chose a Budapest Leather Bag Handle in black to try out.    I’ve never used such a fancy handle to make a purse.  I actually have never made a real purse, either.  The super fancy handle was a little intimidating.

Deciding on a purse shape took a long time.  Mostly because I kept looking on Pinterest, which is always a time suck for me.  I looked at hobo style bags at first, but this handle required a more formal bag, in my opinion.  I finally found the Vera Slouch Bag* on Etsy.  Simple, clean lines, and only one strap.

My original plan was to make something using my batik stash, but it just wasn’t speaking to me.  Then my mother found an awful leather coat for me at Goodwill.  (She purchased it with the intention of recycling it – she never thought I would wear it.)  I was thrilled – a black leather base to go along with the black leather strap was perfect!  Then it was just more dithering over my fabric choices.

I think last weeks’ pouch episode was just a warm-up for purse making.

I fell in love with this fabric by Blithe Fabrics years ago.  It is a linen blend,  and has a rougher texture than cotton.  The print is called Eternal Nature*.  As soon as it caught my eye, I realized it was perfect for my new purse.  I pulled a coordinate, Birdsong in Moon*, for the lining.  Now I was off to the races.

This project was started Sunday night, after a quilt guild meeting, and finished up on Monday morning.

I read through the pattern before starting, crossing out sections dealing with strap construction.  I found the pattern to be very well written and easy to follow. Everything I needed was in my stash, with the exception of a magnetic snap closure.  I had to run out to Michael’s to grab one, but I had a coupon!

Leather Tip:

Stitching through the leather was a bit tricky.  Luckily, this wasn’t my first time.  I had to use my Wonder Clips on the leather, rather than pins.  In case you don’t know this, pin holes don’t go away on leather.  Also, they are hard to push through.  When it came time to do the top stitching, I put a piece of paper underneath the leather, to keep it sliding across the bed of my sewing machine.

Attaching the strap was a challenge, as I have never worked with hardware like this.  I was able to figure it out rather easily.  I wish I had some kind of tool to punch holes in fabric, but instead I stitched a round hole and trimmed carefully inside of it to get the studs from the strap through.

The strap is very cool.  It has large silver hoops with filigree shapes, and the leather is nice and sturdy.  I’m sure it will last much longer than the bag!  I had a tough time getting a good photo of the strap.

So, here it is, my Vera Slouch Bag, made with a Jul Designs handle, Blithe Fabrics, and recycled leather.  Isn’t it fantastic?

I almost forgot – there is a zipper pocket inside!  Plus another slip pocket inside, and two pockets on the outside front.

Budapest Handle generously provided by JUL Designs.  Pictured here in a 26″ length in black.  Go to JulDesigns.com for more information.  Use coupon code “VERVE” for 10% off.

Have you tried making a purse?  I was amazed at how quickly this came together for me.  I really like how it turned out, too.

Thank you to StitchCraft Marketing for making this collaboration opportunity possible.