Instructions For My Purse

This post will memorialize the instructions for how I make my favorite purse.  

In the previous post there were two bags pictured.  The one on the right is the best size for everything I carry to work or shopping, including my eyeglass case, my cell phone, a wristlet for identification/debit card/money, my keys, inhaler, lipstick/Blistex and hand sanitizer.  

The bag on the left is deeper and narrower and it's a great tote bag but I don't like it to use as a purse, everything goes to the bottom and it's hard to reach small items.  The instructions to make my purse are here:

I used the tutorial here: http://www.psiquilt.com/2009/08/frie...-tutorial.html.  This is the basic instruction on how to make the bag.  

My modifications are made to the front and back, the bottom, the quilting (I add a back to the piece to be quilted to save my machine from the batting fuzz), the boxing of the corners and the size of the straps.    

Here are my modifications: The front and back are each 8 strips of fabric that are 2.5" wide x 8" long, sewn together.  Or you can use two pieces of fabric 8" x 16" for the front and back.  The bottom piece is 8" by 16".  I put this together following the instructions from the tutorial. In the alternative you can make the front, back and bottom on piece of fabric that is 24" by 16".

 

To box the bottom on this larger size I measure 2" from the tip of the corners.  Since the bag is bigger, I can make the bottom a little wider that the original instructions. 

I cut my straps 4" by the WOF, then I cut that piece in half to make each one approximately 4" x 21". 

When I quilt the sides and bottom, I put a piece of backing fabric on this piece. I don't like to quilt with just the batting on the machine. I don't like the fiber from the batting getting into my machine.  

I have another piece of floral fabric and the sea turtle fabric that I made a bag with already.  I should have all my bags done in the next couple of weeks.