Week 7 already!
Needed to clean out the purse.
I think I may have spring cleaning fever.
(I'll have to take something for that!)
Decided it was time to replace my coin purse with a new one. Here are the results.
Some things:Scraps of pretty fabric (I used some thrift store finds)
A kiss close purse finding.
(Also from an old thrift store find, but they are available new if you look hard)
(A zipper will work as a closure too)
Matching thread
Paper for a pattern
Pencil or marker
Scissors
Elastic thread,
(for gathering quickly, you load it on the bobbin on your sewing machine by hand)
Pins
Hand sewing needle
The top of the bag will be one and a half times the width of the purse clasp
(or zipper if you prefer)
Make the purse as long as you'd like and add an inch to compensate for seams. The Bottom of the purse should be about the same width as the purse closure with an inch for seam allowance.
I made my pattern on a folded sheet of paper and drew half of it out. Place the folded side in the center and when you unfold it after cutting you will have a whole pattern that is pretty symmetrical.
You will need two pieces cut for the outside of the purse and two for the inside. Make sure you pick a nice part of the fabric if you have a large pattern match. Also make sure the pattern is the right way up, top of the pattern at the top of the purse pattern. The long edge is the top.
Once the pieces are cut out, put the purse outside pieces and lining pieces right sides together and sew around all the short edges using a quarter inch seam allowance.
Trim off the corners so they are easier to turn.
Flatten the seams together on the corners so they look like this and then sew across the flattened bit about one inch from the corner.
Do the same for the other side and the purse outside piece. It will look like this now.
Trim off the little corner pieces leaving the new seam.
This is what we have now, two pieces ready to put together.
Flip the lining piece so it is right side out and slip it into the purse outside piece. The two pieces should line up right sides together.
Pin the seams together and put a few pins along the edge to hold things while you sew.
Load the bobbin with elastic thread and sew a seam one quarter inch from the edge, starting and stopping the seam one inch from each side seam. Don't forget to reinforce the stitches by sewing over the start and ending of the seam a few times.
Flip the whole thing right side out through one of the openings by the side seams.
Looks like this now, kinda silly huh?
Push the lining into the purse outside so the seam between the two becomes the purse top.
Pin along the purse top to hold the seam at the edge.
Sew again using the elastic bobbin thread, one quarter inch from the edge. Sew all the way around reinforcing the thread ends by sewing over them a few times. I leave the pins in while I sew, most people don't. Once and a while I'll hit a pin with the needle and break it but it doesn't happen very often.
Do the same thing two more times using the previous stitching line as a guide. Sew one quarter inch from the previous stitching both times. This will gather the piece so it will fit into the purse clasp opening.
Hand stitch the purse clasp to the top of the purse opening. My clasp has sewing holes to attach the fabric but some are glued on. We have a finished edge so the glue on method will work well too. Start in the middle front and make sure it's even all the way around. (If you want to use a zipper instead go ahead and add it now.)
It's looking pretty good already. We could call it done now but I think it needs a bit of embellishing, don't you?
There all done now.
I added some little blue faceted plastic beads around the edge of the clasp on both sides.
Now I just have to find some change to fill it up.
My thing a week will have to wait till Tuesday. Weird week full of random craziness has delayed the crafting, but I have managed to find time to redo the nailz. I used turquoise and baby blue sparkles right in the clear acrylic powder. They are blue and sparklie right through. If I get tired of it I can always polish them over. To be honest the pink was weirding me out a little bit.
This weeks thing a week project is still coming, a bit late.... but I'll get there. We had people get ill, family visits (quite enjoyed all of them) snow storms and a MINOR car accident. Everything is calming back down. I give you PINK NAILS!!!! I don't own pink polish, pink isn't my thing. I borrowed this colour from my daughter. Cheered me up.
I think they're kind of eastery.
Week 7 already!
Some things:
The top of the bag will be one and a half times the width of the purse clasp
You will need two pieces cut for the outside of the purse and two for the inside. Make sure you pick a nice part of the fabric if you have a large pattern match. Also make sure the pattern is the right way up, top of the pattern at the top of the purse pattern. The long edge is the top.
Once the pieces are cut out, put the purse outside pieces and lining pieces right sides together and sew around all the short edges using a quarter inch seam allowance.
Trim off the corners so they are easier to turn.
Flatten the seams together on the corners so they look like this and then sew across the flattened bit about one inch from the corner.
Do the same for the other side and the purse outside piece. It will look like this now.
Trim off the little corner pieces leaving the new seam.
This is what we have now, two pieces ready to put together.
Flip the lining piece so it is right side out and slip it into the purse outside piece. The two pieces should line up right sides together.
Pin the seams together and put a few pins along the edge to hold things while you sew.
Load the bobbin with elastic thread and sew a seam one quarter inch from the edge, starting and stopping the seam one inch from each side seam. Don't forget to reinforce the stitches by sewing over the start and ending of the seam a few times.
Flip the whole thing right side out through one of the openings by the side seams.
Looks like this now, kinda silly huh?
Push the lining into the purse outside so the seam between the two becomes the purse top.
Pin along the purse top to hold the seam at the edge.
Sew again using the elastic bobbin thread, one quarter inch from the edge. Sew all the way around reinforcing the thread ends by sewing over them a few times. I leave the pins in while I sew, most people don't. Once and a while I'll hit a pin with the needle and break it but it doesn't happen very often.
Do the same thing two more times using the previous stitching line as a guide. Sew one quarter inch from the previous stitching both times. This will gather the piece so it will fit into the purse clasp opening.
Hand stitch the purse clasp to the top of the purse opening. My clasp has sewing holes to attach the fabric but some are glued on. We have a finished edge so the glue on method will work well too. Start in the middle front and make sure it's even all the way around. (If you want to use a zipper instead go ahead and add it now.)
It's looking pretty good already. We could call it done now but I think it needs a bit of embellishing, don't you?
I wanted to make a Valentines Day craft. Here's what I came up with.
Some Things:
If you are using a mold powder it with cornstarch and shake out the excess.
Push some conditioned clay into the corn starched mold. Flatten the back with your fingers.
Smack the back of the mold to release the formed disk.
If you don't have a mold, you can shape the clay into discs on your work surface. Smooth out any finger prints by rubbing gently.
I made several shapes and sizes.
Push a flattened oval of white or transparent clay onto the baked background disc. Push two eye sockets into it beveling the edges a bit.
An upside down heart shape makes a great nasal cavity.
I made the skull a bit more detailed by pushing in the hollows in the temples and playing with it a bit until I liked it.
Mix the diluent with your white coloured clay until it gets pretty mushy. We need it soft for the next step so it will stick to the base and we can easily push it around with the end of a rounded tool to form petals.
Put a tiny ball of softened clay (about one quarter the size of a pea) onto the side of the base. Flatten one side and fan it out to create a petal.
Create a second petal overlapping the first.
Keep making petals like this overlapping as you go. Each layer will be a smaller ball flattened and fanned out.
The last ball will be poked in the middle and flattened slightly on one side.
I glued some trim around the edge using hot glue and reinforcing the bond with super glue. Hot glue is an immediate bond, super glue is forever.
I also glued some beads and rhinestones around the edge to make it glitzier, but feathers, lace and metal jewlery bits will also do. Use what you have if you can. I glued it to a hair clip and will wear this one in my hair, but a pin or buckle would be fun too.
I decided to make a few, here is one that is just a rose with leaves. The sky is the limit, if you can sculpt it, it'll work as a cameo.
Should look something like this when you are done. Knot it off well when your done.
Pin the ears where you like them. Experiment a bit. Placement of the ears can change your mitt's expression. Ears far back will look angry or afraid. Close up to the eyes will look silly. Play with the placement until it's just right.
Sew on the ears. whip stitch from the body fabric just behind the ear, up through the back layer of ear fabric. Continue across the back of the ear.
Flip the ear over and do the same thing on the front layer of ear fabric. Catching the fabric on the body then up through the front ear fabric. Continue across until you have it securely on.
Now the fun starts. Grab your button stash or some googlie eyes or pompoms, what ever you want to make a face with. Have fun with it.
Sew a nose on with doubled up thread. Try to just sew it on the top layer of fabric.
Do the same for the eyes. I like to make them crooked. It makes the mittens look confused.
Rawr!!!!