Saturday, June 9, 2012

Purse -- Simplicity 2205

If you look closely on the right in the picture above, you will see a vertical metal bar.  That is a crutch belonging to my daughter, whose right leg is in a purple cast for a few weeks.  She broke her ankle at the end of May playing soccer.
That translates into boredom for her and also a problem of how to transport all her stuff around while on crutches.  So she decided to make a new purse.   We have been stocking up during the recent pattern sales at Joann's, and Simplicity 2205 was one of our finds.
She chose some fabric (quilting weight cotton, also from Joann's) and whipped up this cute purse -- the one with the adjustable strap in the bottom right of the pattern cover -- this week.  She had to sew it on my Singer 401 because it has a knee lever.  Her little Kenmore only has a foot pedal and that was not doable with the big cast.
The only change she made to the pattern was to extend the strap by ten inches because she wanted it long enough to go across her body.

The pattern was very clear except it doesn't tell you specifically what kind of interfacing to use.  She used Shape-Flex for the pockets and the lining, fusible fleece for the outside, and a fusible mid weight for the straps and flap.  If she makes this purse again, she will use a stiff interfacing for the flap to help keep its shape.  (BTW, Sara at Sewsweetness has a very helpful post here about bag interfacing.)

Here's a peek inside at her red polka dot lining:
The purse itself is a great size -- not too big, not too little.  We couldn't find any dimensions listed on the pattern, but it is roughly 12 inches wide and 2 1/2 inches deep at the bottom, and it is 11 inches tall.  There are two flat pockets inside.  The pleats add a nice detail, as does the band and flap at the top.  In fact, it would be really cute made up with a contrasting band, flap and straps.  The only extra hardware she needed was a magnetic clasp and a rectangular slider for the strap, which we also purchased at Joann's.
Simplicity 2205 also comes with a cute clutch pattern.  It just seems inconvenient to have to hold on to your purse with your hand all the time versus just slinging it over your shoulder, so I'm not sure if we'll ever make it.  However, I can see us making future versions of this pleated bag.  We really like how it looks and how it functions.

Thank goodness my daughter gets her cast off soon.  She's moved from wanting to sew something to wanting to build some furniture for her room :O

8 comments:

  1. What a cute purse! Nice work :) Sorry about your daughter's leg. How does she keep her cast looking so nice? My son broke his arm and his cast does not look as nice anymore.

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  2. That is a darling purse! It will be great for her to use while in the cast...but she certainly won't give it up after the cast is off. I love the patterns that she chose too. So cute!

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  3. Love all your beautiful bags! I wish I could get my sewing mojo back! It's been MIA for years.
    Hope your daughter's leg is good as new & I know you'll both be happy to,say goodbye to that cumbersome (but colorful ;) cast.
    Blessings,
    G

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  4. I love this purse! And what pretty fabrics! I especially love that pleat at the front - just gives the whole thing somehow a lovely finish. So sorry to hear about your daughter's ankle - hope she is back on her two pins again very soon. But if you have to have a cast, then a purple one with matching nail polish has to be the business! E x

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  5. Hi Angela, first I read your post on the hawks and enjoyed it so much, they are fascinating birds, though they have had a few uninvited meals at the farm, I do like the fact that they also like snakes. I just wish they would leave our chickens and guineas alone. lol.
    The purse your daughter made is so pretty, I love the red polka dot lining. I am sorry about her ankle, hope she is completely healed soon, and the purple toes are adorable a perfect match. ~smile~
    Enjoy your week.
    Hugs,
    Sue

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  6. Cute purse! And pretty purple toe polish to go with that cast!

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  7. I am making this purse for Christmas. How did you get the bottom corners squared? The directions for this part is confusing!

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    1. Katie, I'm sorry I didn't see your comment in time. I was without internet most of the holiday. Anyway, after you sew the sides together and the bottom together, you should be able to line up the side seam with the bottom seam enough to sew across and seal the corners like in drawing #6. It's hard to explain in words, but if I could just show it to you you would understand right away. I hope this helps, but if not, holler back at me.

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