Project by Linda Everhard from Akron, Ohio.
Linda is obsessed with fabric. At the age of 6, she taught herself how to sew and was making a full line of clothing for her Barbie dolls. Today she works in human resources and is raising eight children with her husband as a blended family...but her passion for fabric never faded. Every spare moment she can capture is spent sewing. One day she discovered a vast selection of vibrant, wispy bundles of yarn. She "painted" a design on one of her handbag creations and then sewed her newfound yarn to create a more colorful purse. These purses have become so popular around town, she's hoping her husband will soon say, "Honey, why don't you make your purses fulltime!"
Materials:
fabric
interfacing
purse pattern
metallic thread, invisible thread
cord elastic
3 to 4 types of yarn (at least one "fluffy")
button
temporary spray adhesive
double-sided iron-on adhesive
photo
printer fabric
Steps:
1. Make your own pattern according to the size you prefer your purse to be, or just use a simple small purse pattern you can buy at the store. Cut out the front and back pieces of the purse from the desired material/fabric using the purse pattern. Iron interfacing to the back side of each piece.
2. Scan image/photo into the computer. Print the photo out on printer fabric.
3. Iron a double-sided iron-on adhesive to the fabric picture. Peel off the adhesive back and iron the picture onto the front piece of the purse in the desired location.
4. Add two beads to the front of the picture to give a bit of dimension.
5. Spray temporary adhesive on the front piece of the purse. Take two or three different sizes and weights of yarn and set into place. You want the yarn fairly close, but you want some of the fabric to be showing through.
6. Start by going around the photo and then go diagonally for a little bit...then to up and down and then across until the entire purse (except the picture) is covered.
7. Take this piece to your sewing machine and sew the yarns down using metallic thread. Use a wide running stitch or zigzag it in place, or just randomly sew around the purse using a straight stitch.
8. Once the yarn is sewn in place, re-spray the purse with temporary adhesive spray. Lay the "fluffy" yarn/thread over the other yarns. Start by framing the picture several times. You want it pretty close together, but you still want some of the lower yarns to show through. Sew this layer down by hand using invisible thread.
9. Next use a piece of contrasting yarn to frame your picture. Sew it in place by hand using invisible thread.
10. For the strap: Using the same fabric as the purse front and back, cut a strip 2-1/2 inches wide and the desired length. Fold the strip in half lengthwise and iron down. Open it up and bring outer edges to the ironed crease and re-iron. Fold in half lengthwise again and iron one last time. Sew down each side by machine to finish.
11. Sew a piece of yarn down by machine onto the strap using either a straight stitch or a long fancy stitch. (If you are using a "fluffy" yarn, a zigzag stitch flattens the yarn too much.)
12. Sew front and back purse pieces right sides together. Baste strap to the purse at side seams, right sides together.
13. Sew a small loop of cord elastic to the center of the back piece of purse.
14. Don't forget the lining. If you are going to take the time to create your own purse, you want the lining to be just as colorful as the yarn you are using. Cut two pieces of fabric the same size as the purse front and back for lining.
15. Cut out a rectangle in a desired size you would like for a pocket (5" x 8" is a good size for a small pocket). Fold the rectangle in half and sew around edges, leaving an opening to turn. Turn and topstitch top to close opening.
16. Sew pocket onto back piece of purse lining. Sew front and back lining right sides together, leaving an opening in the bottom. Sew lining to purse right sides together. Turn, machine-sew lining opening, and top stitch around top of purse to finish.
17. Sew a small button to the top of the purse as a closure.
Website: www.leezdezignz.com
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