January 04, 2015

First Finish of 2015!

I actually started and finished a project all in one day! I've been needing to make myself a new purse, since the strap on my old one has kind of disintegrated after two years of use.
I couldn't find a pattern I wanted to make though, so I kept putting it off. Then my library brought in a book called Bags: The Modern Classics, by Sue Kim of I Think Sew. There are lots of beautiful bags in the book, but one little wristlet really caught my eye. Lately I've noticed that instead of putting my purse's strap over my shoulder, I've just been grabbing the top of the bag and carrying it that way, so a purse with no strap seemed like a good idea. Plus, this wristet has a short strap for putting around my wrist for those times when I need to use both hands for something.

Now that I'd finally picked a pattern, my next challenge was colour. I'm not one of those women who has a purse for every outfit. I use one purse for pretty much everything, though I have one fancy purse that I try to remember to use occasionally. So, whatever colours I chose would have to work with anything and everything. This is what I went with. There's nothing neutral about it, but I'm going to say it works with anything (even when it maybe doesn't)!
Making the bag went really well, except that I couldn't find anywhere in the book where it said what seam allowance to use. I picked the wrong one (of course) but caught it after only one seam so it wasn't too big a deal. Then, when I was almost finished, while clipping the seam allowance around a slight curve, I did this:
I cut right through the seam and made a hole in the outside of the bag! Brilliant, right? So, after sitting and staring at it for a few moments, and then asking for advice on Instagram, I decided to resew the seam, moving it in far enough to cover the hole. That made the side seam curvier than it was supposed to be, so I had to mirror it on the other side of the bag too. In the end, though, I'm quite pleased with the shape of the bag.
I used the pink fabric for the lining and I love the pop of colour when I open the bag. You can see the back of the bag in this picture too.
This is only the third zipper I've ever sewn, and I'm really happy with how it turned out. I can see improvement in how neat it looks compared to the others I've sewn.

I carried the bag to church this morning so it has already been put to use. My old wallet seems a little too bulky for it though, so I may have to make a new wallet sometime soon :)

Now I'm off the spend the afternoon packing up the Christmas decorations. School starts again tomorrow and we always try to get Christmas put away before we're back into the regular routine.

I hope you're having a great weekend!

11 comments:

  1. I tried to say...

    Lovely! Great finish!

    But my new google is acting weird. Sorry if I said it twice. :)

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  2. Lovely finish, Leanne! I only use one purse, too, but I was recently gifted a beautifully made clutch like this one that I hope to use on special occasions. Having that loop for your wrist looks like it is going to be super handy and easy to use.

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  3. Your purse looks lovely, the pink lining is a great touch.

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  4. I use one purse for every occasion or don't take one at all for special occasions. I love the pop of pink on the inside! The pleats add a nice touch on the bottom half.

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  5. What fun! Congrats on your first finish.

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  6. Fun purse Leanne! Well done

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  7. Such a pretty new purse, Leanne! Your solution to the problem.... A creative design element! Looks fantastic!

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  8. That is such a pretty little purse. You did a great job!

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  9. That is a pretty little purse. I think you should make a small wallet from leftovers of the same fabrics. This way the two will be coordinated.....but hurry, before you use up that gorgeous fabric on something else!

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  10. Yay! Nicely done! Glad you got to make something special for you! Thanks for linking up to TGIFF, Leanne!

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