While at Pacific Fabrics today I stumbled across this Paris-themed fabric. At $19 a yard, I didn’t want to get too much, so I settled on a 1/4 a yard just to make something small. I ended up combining two different free tutorials to make this cute wristlet purse:
This is the primary pattern I followed:
and I used the strap instructions and instructions to attach them from this Wristlet Tutorial
You can follow the instructions for the Triangular Bag, but I took some photos of the points where I struggled.
Step 1: cut fabrics (directions on the triangular bag tutorial)
Step 2: cut strap fabrics (found on the Wristlet Tutorial)
Step 3: cut 2 small bits of fabric 1 inch wide and about 2 inches long and sew them to each end of your zipper. Follow the directions on the Triangular Bag tutorial. Don’t cut 1 inch square pieces, make them 1 inch wide and 2 inches long! More is better – you can cut the excess later.
Step 4: attach 1 lining and 1 outer fabric to the zipper, the Triangular Bag tutorial has a photo of how to layer the fabrics and the zipper. The outer fabric should be facing DOWN, the lining fabric should be facing UP, so they are facing right sides together. The zipper should be sandwiched in between, with the zipper facing UP.
Step 5: attach the 2nd lining and the 2nd outer fabric to the zipper.
In this photo, I had sewn the zipper to the lining and outer fabric, and was working on attaching the 2nd piece of lining and outer fabrics. I struggled to figure out how to layer the fabrics. This photo shows how they should be layered.
Step 6: unzip the zipper so it’s open. DO THIS or you will have nothing to pull the whole bag through once you’re done!
Step 7: put the bag aside and make the strap. Follow the measurements and directions on the Wristlet Tutorial website. You can get away with using 18-20 inches long by 3.5 inches wide, whatever your preference. Just remember you will cut off 2-3 inches of the strap to use for the zipper pull handle.
Fold the fabric in half “hot dog style”, iron, and then fold each side toward the center and iron again, so you end up with this:
Iron again, and then stitch a line down each side. All this fabric folded over and over again makes it quite sturdy.
Step 8: arrange your bag so the inside fabrics are facing right sides together and the outside fabrics are facing right sides together. Pin them in place this way.
Step 9: attach the straps to the bag. Remember, there are two straps: one to help you grab something when you pull the zipper, and the other for dangling the purse by your wrist. You cut them from the same strap of fabric you just created.
You have already pinned together the right sides of the outer fabric. The straps go in between the right sides, with the scrappy ends facing out with the scrappy ends of the outer fabric:
This is peeking inside through the bottom of the bag pinned together, showing the straps.
Step 10: sew around the edges of the outer fabric, sealing in the straps in the process except the corners. (pictures on the Triangle Bag tutorial)
Step 11: pinch each corner of the outer fabric together and sew across (pictures on the Triangle Bag tutorial)
Step 12: repeat steps 10 & 11 for the lining fabric, except leave a 3 inch gap along the bottom, to pull the purse through when you’re done (pictures on the Triangle Bag tutorial)
Step 13: pull the bag through the hole in the lining,
Step 14: sew the hole in the lining closed.
Step 15: push and pull fabric to all the corners are poking out and not bunched up.
Step 16: admire your adorable bag!
