String Me Along Bag

OK, so I had this pile of strips cut off the twelve fat quarters from the Full Bloom collection that I just made a spring quilt from a few days ago. They were calling to me... insisting they would make me a lovely spring purse. Soooooo... I sewed them together, ironed some fusible fleece on the back and straightened the piece up. The strips were not all the same width, which I liked!!

I had a cool pair of plastic handles in my purse drawer to add to the project! I cut the piece down to the size I wanted the purse to be, a closure flap, handle strips and an inside pocket. I found some floral fabric in my stash for the lining.




I simply laid the cut pieces on top of the lining fabric and cut out around them. Who needs to measure and create a pattern piece, right?

I sewed the side seams and boxed the corners. I added a pocket on one side of the lining and then I sewed up the lining side seams remembering to leave open a few inches in the middle of one of the sides to use later to turn the purse right side out through!

I made the little strips I needed to attach the handles and the
top closure flap, including the buttonhole in the flap. I measured
and pinned them in place and sewed them on with a 3/8" seam allowance.

I put the right sides together and pinned the lining

to the purse outside around the top. I sewed them

together using a 1/2" seam allowance.

I turned the purse right sides out through the
opening in the lining side seam then sewed it shut.






Then all that was left to do was to topstitch around the top seam and add the button. By this time, Yogi was sound asleep in his bed on my sewing table... totally ignoring the whole process!




And so, this little scrap purse is all done!! Now I am really ready for spring, don't you think?



I just love getting a freebie from scraps, don't you? Aren't these fabrics just luscious?