It's a homemade Christmas!

It's time to start thinking about what I need to make for Christmas.  I know that most people would already have this well in hand, but not me.  I'm not one of those people. 

I have somehow managed to get the tree up, and decorated thanks in large part to a miracle known as "teenage daughters".  They volunteered and I jumped at the chance.  They did not, however, volunteer to purchase, pay for and wrap all the presents!  Maybe next year!! It's worth a try.  This summer the daughters and I made purses.  This was prompted by the oldest daughter's want of a messenger style purse which she found at some overpriced store in the mall for a whopping $50.00.  After I finished laughing, we headed to the fabric store and purchased the fabric for 3 purses for less then the one would have cost.  Here's a picture of the purse I made for myself.

I have gotten so many compliments on this bag.  I don't think I have ever in my life had a purse I owned be noticed.  Everyone thinks when I say I made it, that I did all the cute pink flower stitching details.  Nope.  The fabric came that way.  And as sheer silly luck has it, this purse perfectly matches my winter coat.  This was drawn to my attention just yesterday by one of my very fashion forward friends when we went to lunch.  Anyway, back to Christmas.

I decided that this would be the perfect Christmas gift for three teenage daughters, and if I really get on the ball, maybe a couple of their friends as well, who have commented about wanting a purse made for them.  The great thing about this purse is it can be made from basically whatever you want.  The basic purse pattern is a Kwik Sew pattern, # 3312.  If you have never used a kwik sew, they are great.  Especially for a beginner, or just a basic pattern.



 

Next, of course, you need the fabric.  Because each of the daughters is so different, I chose three totally different looks.  This one is for daughter #3.  She's the one on the Cows of Podunk page.  She's a tomboy, and what better for a tomboy than denim.  This completely adorable fabric was perfect.  It takes 1 yard of fabric for the outside and 1 yard for the lining.  Because this fabric is 60" wide, the 2 yards I purchased will make 3 outside purses with a solid demin lining, or whatever else I decide the lining will be. 

This is the part that I really dislike.  The cutting out the pattern part.  It takes so long (I'm a very impatient person) and I never have a good clean spot to lay it all out.  I cleaned off about half of the dining room table and went to town.  It really took me about 10 minutes to cut it out, that was 10 minutes I had to wait to start the part I like best, the sewing!

Oh, and the other part about a Kwik Sew that I love, this whole purse is made from only ONE pattern piece!  It took me almost exactly one hour of sewing (getting two cups of coffee, finding my cell phone and talking to the hubby were in there to) and then.......

I just need to add the little silver heart button that look almost exactly like here belt buckle, and it's done!  The perfect present for a teenage girl! 

Up next, my version of this purse frilly, dilly style....