Panic and a purse, unrelated but so me

Memorial Day weekend is when???

Wait...who snuck the holiday weekend in at the end of this week?

I can't keep blaming 20 minutes of sedation for dental work last week for this week's confusion, can I?

I don't truly feel panic, but I do feel a nagging bit of guilt with so much to do while I sit here blogging. The husband cat is away and this mouse is playing.  At least for the next hour. 

So what did I do this past weekend when I should have been doing other stuff? I made a purse. My sweet daughter-in-law may have a shoe obsession, but mine is purses. Making them. I go for stretches where it is under control but sometimes the urge is overwhelming. Bam! That urge hit again.

This is the pattern I used, Simplicity 2676

If I had googled this pattern before cutting the fabric, I would have made a few changes before I began. There is nothing wrong with the design as it stands, but I made a few changes along the way and will make more the next time I sew this.

This pattern is for a purse with removable covers, "cover" being their term. You make a finished purse with buttons and the cover has elastic loops for attachment.

This purse is roughly 12" wide, 4" deep and 7" tall. My personal preference is a little less wide, so next time I will make it 9" wide. Here is my purse and cover. I could have taken the photos elsewhere without a cluttered background, but that wouldn't have happened soon...you know how that goes, even without a holiday weekend looming.

I used a magnetic closure on the purse tab rather than the hook and loop tape called for in the directions. I made a purse years ago with Velcro and besides clothing catching on it (miserable for knits!), the tape became ineffective, probably from so much thread and lint trapped within. The buttons were old ones that I had on hand, from a long discarded sweater.

The pattern called for a row of pockets on both sides of the lining. The pockets had the same polyester padding in them that the purse has and I thought this was unnecessary bulk. The divisions in the pockets, creating four pockets from one long one on each side, were to be done by stitching on the outside of the purse, through purse fabric, padding and lining. There is a better chance of keeping this all straight when sewing pieces flat, but after the purse is assembled, the chance for wonkiness (a highly technical term for seams going awry) is greatly increased.

I made one pocked, self lined without padding or interfacing. I carry a wallet, my keys and a zippered pouch that holds tissues, comb, pen, mints, etc. The only other loose item in my purse is my phone so one pocket for that is enough for me. The directions for the pockets with padding going all around the purse reminded me of a craft tote.

I should have reinforced the upper sides of the pocket simply by back-stitching instead of sewing box-shaped areas. The pocket is roomy enough for my phone but almost too snug getting in and out. Oops.

Here is the purse with the cover in place.

The next time I make the purse itself, I will use a zipper closure, probably a recessed zipper like the one shown in this tutorial by April Baylor. 

What will I do differently on the next cover I make? Instead of lining the cover with the same fabric, I will use two different fabrics, making it reversible. I may skip the scallops (the original pattern also offers a peak and valley cut) and try a straight edge with ribbon loops instead of elastic. Looking at my tab top curtains, a straight edge cover with tabs that have buttonholes might be a cute idea too.

Maybe that will happen when I should be prepping for July 4th or Labor Day. Hey...a red, white and blue cover would be great for the 4th, right? Bring your own hot dogs and drinks. I've got sewing to do!