My Little Project: The Black Quilted Purse Saga
Okay, so I got this idea stuck in my head a while back. I kept seeing these fancy black quilted purses everywhere, you know the type. And I thought, heck, how hard can it be? Famous last words, right? Decided I’d give it a shot myself, make my own. More satisfying, I figured.
First step, obviously, was getting the stuff together. I went down to the fabric store, spent maybe an hour just feeling different black fabrics. Wanted something that looked kinda classy but wasn’t gonna cost me an arm and a leg. Found some decent faux leather, felt alright. Then needed the batting for the puffiness, some lining fabric – went with a simple dark cotton – thread, and the trickiest part, the hardware. Finding a decent chain strap and a clasp that didn’t look cheap? That took some searching online, but eventually found some bits that looked okay.
Getting Down to Business
Alright, back home, spread everything out. Measured out the pieces for the main body, the flap, the sides. Used some chalk to mark the quilting lines on the faux leather. Figured a simple diamond pattern would be classic. Cutting the faux leather needed a sharp blade, my regular scissors weren’t quite cutting it, literally. Had to be real careful not to slip.
Next up, layering the fake leather, the batting, and a backing piece. Pinned it all together. Then came the sewing machine. Started sewing along those chalk lines. Let me tell you, keeping those lines straight and the ‘puffs’ even? Easier said than done. My first few rows looked a bit wonky. Had to unpick some stitches, which is always annoying, especially on faux leather ’cause it can leave marks. Grumbled a bit, took a break, had a cuppa, then went back to it. Focused real hard, went slow. It started looking more like quilting then.
- Cutting the main panels.
- Marking the diamond pattern.
- Layering fabric and batting.
- Sewing the quilted lines (the tricky part!).
- Unpicking mistakes (ugh).
- Finally getting the hang of it.
Once the main panels were quilted, I had to assemble the actual purse shape. Sewed the side pieces to the front and back. This part felt more straightforward, like building something. Then attached the flap. Made sure it lined up okay before stitching it down good and proper.
The Fiddly Bits and Finishing Up
Making the lining was next. Basically repeated the assembly steps with the cotton fabric, but slightly smaller. Slipped the lining inside the main purse body, tucked the raw edges in at the top, and carefully stitched the lining to the outer shell all around the opening and the flap. This took patience, wanted it neat.
Last steps were adding the hardware. Punched some little holes carefully where the strap loops needed to go, attached those metal bits. Screwed on the clasp mechanism, one part to the body, the other to the flap. Tested it a few times – click, clack. Seemed to work okay. Clipped on the chain strap.
And… that was it. Stood back and looked at it. My very own black quilted purse. Is it perfect? Heck no. If you look close, some stitches ain’t runway quality, and the quilting isn’t perfectly symmetrical. But you know what? I made it. Went from raw bits of fabric and metal to a thing you can actually use. Feels pretty good, actually. Way more satisfying than just buying one off the shelf. It’s got character, let’s say.
