| These two matching black-and-white handbags are quick and easy to make,
and their simple two-color layout gives them an elegant and professional
appearance. They make excellent gifts. We used the embroidery photo-stitch
design Cat
Eyes. |
|
| The finished size of the bags is about 9" wide x 10" high x 3 1/2"
deep. |
| For each bag you will need a 15" x 25" piece of white or black canvas,
a 15" x 25" piece of cotton fabric for the lining, a 15" x 24" piece
of Pellon Peltex or similar fusible interfacing, 1 1/2 yard of black or
white Quick Bias (fusible bias tape) 1/4" wide, and a pair of plastic handles
available from any craft store . |
| Take the piece of canvas for the top, fold it widthwise wrong side
to wrong side and lightly press to make a crease along the bottom edge.
Cut 2" x 2" squares out of the lower corners. |
|
| Make the embroidery of the Cat
Eyes design in the center of the front panel 3" from the upper edge.
Use any iron-on tear away stabilizer. |
| When the embroider is finished, tear away the excess stabilizer. Press
the working piece. |
| Spread the piece of Pellon Peltex one-side fusible interfacing on your
iron table, fusible side up. Using a pencil, draw a line dividing the interfacing
widthwise into two halves. |
| Place the embroidered piece over the interfacing face up. Align the
crease on the canvas with the pencil mark on the interfacing. Fuse the
canvas to the interfacing. |
| Cut the quick bias into four 6" long pieces. Cut the ends at 45 degrees
angles. Place the pieces around the embroidery, aligning the angles. Press
with a hot iron to fuse. |
|
| Cut another four pieces of bias tape 8 1/2" long. Attach them in the
same manner 1" from the first length of tape. |
| Top-stitch the bias to the bag along both edges. |
|
| Fold the upper edges of the canvas over the intefacing and press. |
| Fold the bag in half face to face, align the sides. Stitch the sides
together. The seam is about 1/2". |
| Now pinch the corners as shown in the diagram below. Pin. Stitch them
closed. The seam allowance should be 1/2". |
|
| Turn the bag right side out. |
| Take the piece of fabric for the lining, fold it widthwise face to
face and lightly press to make a crease along the bottom edge. Cut 2" x
2" squares out of the lower corners. |
| Stitch the sides together. Stitch the bottom corners as described and
shown for the bag's top. |
| Fold the upper edge of the lining 1/2" to the wrong side and press. |
Out of black cotton fabric, cut a strip 12" long and 2" wide. Fold
the strip in half lengthwise and press. Fold the raw edges to the creased
line and press again. Topstitch the 1/2" wide strip 3 times with a space
of about 1/8".
Cut the strip into 4 strips 3" long. Fold each small strip in half
and press. |
| Pin the four strips to the upper edge of the bag to make the loops
for the plastic handles. The distance at which you pin the loops depends
on the size of the handles. |
Insert the lining into the bag. Align and pin the edges of the bag
and the lining. Topstitch 1/8"-1/4" from the edge, sewing together the
bag, lining and loops.
Topstitch again 1/4" from the previous stitch. |
| Insert the handles into the loops. The handbag is ready! |
|
|
| We hope that you liked our idea and will come up with many of your
own. |
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