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Category Archives: Handmade Purses

One More!

Oh, how I love these checkerboard tote bags! I made two as gifts (you can see them here) and kept one for myself. I just finished mine this morning and have to show it off!

It’s such a fun design, the way the squares make little patchwork frames for the appliqued circles. And it’s a great way to use up all those tiny scraps of fabric I’ve been hoarding. They remind me of the things I’ve made for people, so when I see this bag I think of the people. Don’t the little circles all look so happy together, like a group of friends?

I was hoping to use this as a carry on bag for our upcoming New York City vacation, but thanks to several thousand dollars worth of unplanned expenses (eeeeek!) our trip is very much in jeopardy. Sometimes everything just hits at once, doesn’t it? … At least I HOPE that was everything!

So maybe I’ll just enjoy my new bag around the house. I guess that works, too.

4 Comments

Posted by Sarah Cooper on May 12, 2011 in Handmade Purses, sewing

Gathered Wristlet

08 May

Anna at Noodle-head.com designs some SERIOUSLY cute purses! Can you tell I love her 241 Tote? I’ve made three of them! This wristlet was made from her Gathered Clutch tutorial, I just added a little wrist strap.

I love the little divider and pockets, and it’s a good, roomy size for a wristlet. This one was a gift for my Mother in law for Mother’s Day.

Did you happen to notice that one of the 241 Totes I made was from the same fabric? That was a gift for my sister in law, my Mother in law’s daughter. I hope knowing her new bag coordinates with her daughter’s will make it an even more special Mother’s Day gift.

Happy Mother’s Day, All!

2 Comments

Posted by Sarah Cooper on May 8, 2011 in Handmade Purses, sewing

Tags: Wristlet

Mom Knows Best

25 Apr

Mom has always warned me about the possible heartbreak involved in giving a homemade gift to someone who isn’t crafty. After you spend hours and hours making something special just for that person, there’s the risk they’ll smile and say, “That’s pretty,” and simply not understand. It’s not just the “thing” you gave them, you were thinking of your lucky recipient, planning something just for them and devoting a large chunk of precious time to their gift.

I never quite understood until I made this bag.

A person who doesn’t make things might look at it and say, “That’s pretty.” But a person who crafts or sews would look at it and, among other things, notice those 60 circles. They’d know that meant I traced 60 circles on the back of some HeatBond, roughly cut out those sixty circles, then cut out 60 pieces of fabric, ironed those 60 pieces of HeatBond to those 60 pieces of fabric, neatly cut out those 60 traced circles on the back, ironed 60 circles onto the patchwork bag and then appliqued around them. You got it, 60 times.

Not to mention the 70 squares.

So you see what I mean.

Thankfully, this purse is going to a lovely person with a high craftiness level.

She’ll completely understand.

If you want to make a checkerboard tote of your own, you’ll find the pattern in the Summer 2011 issue of Stitch magazine, designed by Ayumi Takahashi.

And: One for my Mom in pale linen and vintage sheets!

A phone pic of my own checkerboard tote bag in progress:

I love the little “windows” of fabric in the circles. (You can see the finished bag here.) I think I’d like to make an i-Spy baby quilt with this method. I’ll be sharing it with you if I do!

9 Comments

Posted by Sarah Cooper on April 25, 2011 in Handmade Purses, sewing

Tags: Applique, Patchwork, Purse, Tote

Works in Progress

21 Apr

I’m really bad about starting one project while right in the middle of another. There is an upside though: having a pile of partially completed projects means that I have several things that much closer to being done. Or at least that’s how I always choose to see it.

This tote bag design by Ayumi Takahashi can be found in the summer 2011 issue of Stitch magazine. She used brown and cream linens for the circles, and it was lovely, but the Anna Maria Horner voiles I’ve been saving seemed like such a good fit. As I was cutting out the voile circles last night I told my husband the fabrics were out of my league, just so amazing that if they were human, they wouldn’t be seen with me. They are seriously soft, light and totally saturated in color. I hope they’ll be kind to me as I try applique for the first time.

And here’s a phone pic of my other work in progress, a happy baby quilt for a friend who finds herself unexpectedly expecting.

Why yes, I do love squares.

So this is how I’ll be spending my weekend. What are you working on?

My New Favorite Purse Pattern

01 Apr

The 241 Tote by Noodlehead is so much fun to make! Her pattern comes in two different styles, one with outer side pockets and one with zippered pockets. (That’s why she named it 241, it’s like “two patterns for one price.”) I loved the look of the side pockets, but also wanted a zipper pocket to stash my keys and avoid digging for them at the bottom of my purse. I ended up using both patterns together (two in one!) and it turned out just fine. Those outer pockets let you use three different fabrics together, love it!

I liked the interior pocket so much that I’m using it as my blog header. I also increased the length of the strap so I can wear it as a cross body purse. That’s what’s so great about making your own purses, they fit exactly right and can have zippy key pockets anywhere you like!