This purse stitches up quickly and easily. It is a great one to make for you this holiday season or for friends. If there are young girls you are gift giving for this season, these will be a huge hit. These purses are so easy to make, my eight-year-old daughter and her friends made some one day (with some adult supervision). If you do a lot of sewing and send your quilts out to be professional quilted - the "extra" you cut off after the quilt is finished is often wide enough to make these! You will find once you have made one - you will want to make more!!
Requirements
Fabric - 2 pieces 10 inches by 18 inches
Batting - 1 piece 10 inches by 18 inches
1 zipper - non-separating coil zipper 7 inches (18cm)
Drawstring cording or webbing
- ladies purse - 43 inches
- Child's purse - 36 inches
Getting Started
Layer fabric, batting and fabric. Free motion or machine quilt the fabric, attaching all three layers together. Cut completed quilted fabric to 7 inches by 15 ½ inches. Finish the outside edge of the fabric by using a zigzag or serger stitch around all edges.
· if you do not wish to quilt the fabric together for your purse, cut fabric and batting to 7 inches by 15 ½ inches in size. Layer fabric so there is fabric (right side out), batting, and fabric (right side out). Stitch all three layers together around outside edge using a serger stitch or zigzag.
Putting in the Zipper
Lay the zipper face down on one of the 7-inch ends of the fabric (the zipper might hang off a little at each end). Using a zipper foot on your machine, stitch zipper in place. Next line the zipper up with the remaining 7-inch end of the fabric. The zipper should once again be face down on the fabric. The fabric will have to be folded to do this, making a circle. Using the zipper foot, attach zipper to fabric at this edge.
· if you wish, you can now turn your fabric to the right side and top stitch on either side of the zipper.
Lay purse so the zipper now lays approximately 2 inches down from the top edge.
Adding the Strap
Taking the precut drawstring that you will be using for your purse strap, tie a knot on each end. With the purse laying right sides together, place the drawstring inside the purse with the knotted drawstring end coming out at the upper corner. Making sure all the remaining drawstring is out of the way, stitch down the open edge of the purse from the top to the bottom, catching the end of the drawstring in the process. Repeat the process with the remaining side, taking care to make sure all drawstring is well out of the way of stitching.
Finishing Up
Open zipper in purse and turn purse to right side 
