With that said I wanted to share a project I did recently. When I was at Walgreens a couple of days ago, a cashier remarked on how much she liked my purse. Well, the fun thing about this purse is I made it. It is made from a skirt and scarf I liked but couldn't fit into.I love up-cycled or refashioned clothes. Unfortunately I don't have construction pictures, just the end project. However I will try to explain what I did for your benefit. If you have any questions about making one yourself let me know!
Materials:
-A-line short skirt (though a longer skirt can work if you are willing to cut off part and hem it.
-lining material (I used an old scarf with a design I liked)
-long strip of fabric or as I used a belt for handle
-Needle and matching thread
-Plastic insert for bottom (i used some plastic from a reusable grocery bag. I am sure you can find something suitable at the craft store to help the bottom keep its shape. even cardboard would work)
Directions
Step 1: Prepare the skirt. Turn the skirt inside out. Use pins to pin the bottom, leaving about 2-3 inches on each end. (this extra allowance will allow you to fold the sides so you can give the bottom dimension). If you don't want the bottom to have this dimension don't leave the couple of inches, simply pin the bottom across.
Step 2: Sew across with a basic stitch, leaving the 2-3 inches on each end.
Step 3: (skip if want a flatter bag and also skip 4) Fold up the ends on either side so the bottom sits on a right angle. Pin and sew across. This sewing should form a T with the main stitching across the bottom. The bottom should look like this when finished:
Step 4: Cut a piece of that plastic to the width of the 2-3 inches you left on each end. The length of this piece should equal the length of the bottom of the skirt. I wanted it to stay put so I stitched it to the fabric with a heavy duty needle.
Step 5: Okay set this piece aside and move on to the lining fabric. I used a scarf so my upper edges would be finished. I cut the piece to the same size as the skirt both front and back. Next I stitched up the sides of the material. so it was the same shape and size as the outer fabric.
Step 6: Because I wanted to give the bottom of the lining the same dimension as the outer bag, I cut into the scarf on either side to the 2-3 inches allotment I used earlier. Now fold the corners as you did before and sew.
Step 7: Attach handle to the bag on inside on outer fabric. Make sure you sew across this band lots of times to strengthen the stitching to hold weight. If you are using a strip of fabric that doesn't have finished edges you can sew the edges as you want at this point to give it a more finished look. I used a belt from a sweater so it was already finished.
Step 8: Combine both the lining fabric and outer purse together. I had a finished top edge on both so I simply put the lining inside the bag with wrong sides together and right sides facing out. The strap should be sandwiched between the two layers. I stitched across the two, after I pinned them together, with a basic stitch.
Yay! The bag is done. The best part of this is it is reversible! So you have two purses in one.
If you are interested in doing something a little more fancy you can always add embellishments, pockets, or embroidered stitches. Have fun, be creative! Remember to not be afraid to experiment!
