Sew Your Own Every Day Style Handbag

• Fabric - 1/2 yard of 45" or 60" wide
• Lining - 1/2 yard of 45" or 60" wide
• 1 1/4 yards of piping
• Thread
• Bottom Pattern Piece PDF Format
• For the elastic topped purse - 20" of 1/2" elastic and 1 1/2" of 3/4" wide hook and loop tape
• Optional:Decorative drawstring -- 1 1/4 yard of decorative cording (approximately 1/2" diameter}
• Optional:
  • Interfacing - depends upon your fabric choice. Most fabric will require 2 layers of fusible craft weight interfacing.
  • Bottom: For extra stiffness in the bottom, use a stiff plastic cut 3/4" smaller than the bottom pattern piece. The purses shown here used shower wall liner. Plastic from a 3 ring binder is approximately the same thickness.
• Optional: Zipper for the lining pocket - a 5" light-weight zipper or a longer zipper that you can sew through can be trimmed to fit the pocket area after you have sewn it in place. How to Shorten a Zipper
• Piping or covered cording How to Cover Cording and Create Piping

Note: The drawstring version can be combined with the elastic version,to maintain a secure close and using the drawstring for decorative purposes.

Cutting Instructions:

Fabric

• Using the pattern piece for the purse bottom, cut one of the fabric on the fold as marked on the pattern piece.
• For the strap cut one strip of the fabric 30" by 4"
• For the sides of the purse - cut two pieces of the fabric 12" by 16"
• Optional cell phone pocket: cut one piece 7" by 13"

• Using the pattern piece for the purse bottom, cut one of the lining fabric on the fold as shown on the pattern piece.
• Cut two 7 1/2" by 16"
• Optional: Cut one 8" by 5 1/2" rectangle for the pocket.

• Cut one of the bottom pattern piece and one for each side. Note:If your fabric lacks body you may want to double the interfacing.