Cute Li'l Purse Tutorial and a Li'l Giveaway

First decide what size you would like your purse to be and make a circle that size. I’ve chosen to make a fairly small one and have picked an 8” diameter circle to use as a template. You can use a dinner plate (I can’t because mine are square, so I used a circular plastic lid).

Draw around your circle on a piece of paper.

Now, draw a line across the circle about ¼ to 1/3 of the way down from the top. The farther down you go, the wider the opening of your purse will be.

Along the bottom of the circle, you will draw two evenly-spaced triangles. These are darts to give your purse shape. Mine are about an inch long.

Okay – cut out your pattern. (Don’t use your good scissors!) It should look something like this:

Cut: 2 of outer fabric, 2 of lining fabric, and 2 of batting.

Place batting on outer fabric pieces, lining up darts. With right sides together and using a scant seam allowance, sew the darts. Sew the darts, right sides together on the lining pieces, too.

Now, pin lining pieces to outside pieces along top edge, right sides together, and sew using a ¼” seam allowance. Flip the lining over and press.

Pin the two pieces lining sides together and matching up darts, and baste around the curved edge with a ¼” seam allowance.

It’s now time to decide what colour you would like the binding and strap to be… I chose black and cut a 2 ½” strip (x width of fabric), which I folded in half and pressed, just like a quilt binding. My fabric is a bit stretchy; you may wish to use strips cut on the bias and pieced together.

Find the centre of the binding strip. Pin to the centre of the bottom edge of the purse but only pin the bottom layer of the folded binding then continue pinning around the bottom edge.

Sew just around the curved edge, stopping at the upper edges. Turn binding to the other side, tucking the raw edges in, and pin around the curved edge again.

Check to make sure you like the length of your strap. If you want it shorter, trim it a bit, remembering that once it is sewn, it will be about an inch shorter than it is now. If you want it longer, you might add another 2 ½ strip of fabric to one of the ends. When you are satisfied with the length, sew the two ends together. I like to use an angled seam so there isn’t a bulky bit, but a straight seam will do just fine.

Continue pinning the strap, bringing the raw edges into the centre crease and folding in half. You can press if you like (I didn't, but it does make the job easier).

Sew all the way around, keeping close to the edge.

And you’re done.

Unless you want to add some embellishment…which, of course, I do.

This purse is perfect for a little girl… and I’m giving it away! If you want to be in the very random drawing for this cute li’l purse, just leave me a comment below. Tell me what’s on your to-do or want-to-do list for the summer. To gain an extra entry, mention this giveaway on your blog and link back to me. To gain a third entry, follow my blog and leave me another comment telling me you're a follower.

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I’ll announce the winner on June 30, which is my last day of work before summer vacation – so, a celebration of sorts!

☺