Before we left, we visited Berea, Kentucky on a Saturday just for fun. There are LOTS of craft people in Berea. We found a nice shop where purses were sold. I was in the market for a purse that would be the perfect travel purse. I found one that I felt would be perfect. Despite the price, Claude cheerfully purchased it for me.
We headed to Israel and I carried my newly acquired quilted purse. I came home a firm believer that I found the perfect purse for me. It was great for travel. There are enough pockets to keep things where you need them and still leave the inside center of the purse open.
I also found when I returned home that I could carry a small needlework project with me when I went to visit my mother at the nursing home. It turned out this was the perfect purse for me even when I wasn't traveling.
Eventually, the straps started to fray as cloth will with lots of use. I was crushed and not really excited about paying a big ticket price for another purse. Hmmmm...what could a crafty girl do? I knew what I was going to try to do.
I carefully took the purse apart and noted on paper exactly how all the pieces were put together. I saved the pieces to use as a pattern. Then I watched for a sale on quilted fabric. As soon as the sale hit I headed out in search of the perfect patterned quilted fabric for me. I found a really nice black and white fabric and bought 1 yard, a zipper and some bias fold tape. My total cost $5. Now home to try my hand at making a purse.
It turned out just fine. I was one happy camper. Then one day while walking through a fabric store my eye caught hold of a beautiful purple print quilted fabric. Now...I LOVE purple. I don't think everything should be purple but a purse in the right shade and pattern is a very doable thing. I purchased my yard of fabric and made purse number two.
When Katelyn lived with us this summer, she decided she would like to have a quilted purse also. I told her I already had a friend who asked me to make her one. This friend purchased her fabric a year ago and it was still in my basement waiting for me to have time to sew it. Andie and Katelyn had an outing one afternoon while I watched the Mini-Marx's. They were able to find the perfect quilted pattern fabric for Katelyn. They purchased the fabric, zipper and bias tape that matched. Needless to say, we didn't have time to get that done this summer either. I now had two more purses to make and my purple purse was starting to fray on the straps.
Last week, before our trip to Michigan, I made Katelyn's purse. Last night I finished my friend's purse. Below is a picture of my friend's purse on the left and my older purple one on the right.
My favorite detail about this purse is the sleeve in the bottom to keep the bottom in shape. Normally this sleeve would have a piece of cardboard in it. The clever lady I bought the first purse from used the plastic mesh that you make crafts out of instead of cardboard. That way, if something gets spilled in the purse, it doesn't ruin the base that keeps the bottom of the purse in shape.
In addition, her hubby, who was the one that sold me the first purse, knowing we were traveling to Israel, explained to me that you can put your cash inside the cloth sleeve with that plastic mesh. Then put your stuff on top. We did that and, even going through very intense security at the New York and Tel Aviv airports, no one checked that sleeve for money. It still remains one of my favorite features of this type of purse.
My mother teaching me to sew has been a huge blessing in my life. It sure has helped me to have my perfect purse for me since 2005.
You know, I've been looking for a purse that holds a lot and is cute, expecially since I've had kids. I think this might work perfectly. Do you think you could make a pattern next time you make one with instructions? I'm a very beginning sewer. Do you think I could make one?
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