This one is bigger than the pattern calls for, and I really enjoyed playing with the details to make it just the purse for me. I knew I wanted patchwork on the flap, so I started by cutting strips of fabric.
After sewing them together, I cross cut them into strips, and then sewed them back together seminole style.
The piece I used for the purse flap was cut from the center as you can see above. It seemed a shame to waste the leftovers, so I sewed them together and made another patchwork piece for the back pocket.
The patchwork was going to be the only colorful part of the bag, but I didn't have enough of the dark blue batik to make the entire body of the purse, so I added the light blue fabric and a strip of pink piping to the bottom.
As Tim Gunn would say, I had to "Make it Work!"
When the bag is open, there is a pocket under the flap for my cell phone. I wanted to make the pocket out of the same fabric as the body of the bag, but again, I ran into the problem of not enough blue batik. I ended up deconstructing some of the leftover patchwork to get enough blue fabric for the pocket. I think you can see that it is made up of strips.
I put a buttonhole on the cell phone pocket for a bit of security. Inside the handbag, are two zippered pockets, a flap pocket, a pen slot and a little D-ring to hold a spare key.
For the handles, I found one more use for the last scraps of the seminole patchwork. I cut it into narrow strips and pieced the strips together.
I wanted the strap to be adjustable but I couldn't find the right hardware anywhere. I ended up sacrificing an old handbag and stealing the hardware from that to use for the new purse.
Creating a pocketbook with details "just for me" was a lot of fun, and I've been using it for a couple of months now. A great way to brighten up the gray winter.
Toby's version of "photobombing"
Here's a question for you. Do you call it a "purse", a "handbag" or a "pocketbook"? I used all three in this blog post. I grew up saying "pocketbook" (or "pockabook"), but now I say "purse". Is it a regional thing?
It is a gorgeous bag with nice details! I think it is a regional thing. I've never said "pocketbook" in my life, but I've heard it before. I've noticed another regional difference: what do you call the object in which you can carry water? A bucket or a pail? I'm a pail girl, ha ha.
ReplyDeleteHello Aunti Em, here in England we call your wallet a purse and a bag with a short handle is a handbag. if your bag has a shoulder strap, we would call a shoulder bag. Your tote bag is a shopping bag here.
ReplyDeleteI love it that your bag had lots of separate places to hold your essentials.
Love your pocketbook! I love all the little accessories you added inside. As you can see, I call it a pocketbook! It doesn't really matter. My mom always said it in Italian so they're all interchangeable terms to me!
ReplyDeleteI say purse but my grandmother and aunts said pocketbook. You make the cutest things! Love the diagonal patchwork.
ReplyDeleteI love the colours and the changes you made just for you are great - especially the extra key! I say purse, my mother, grandmother, etc said pocketbook. I don't know why they called it a pocket book. It won't fit in your pocket and it's not a book.... hmmmm. Might be a regional thing. I'm an Ottawa Valley girl who now lives in BC. There are so many people from other places that I've heard it called handbag by some.
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