Friday, December 10, 2010

Reversible Rag Purse

This is my very first rag purse. I've made lots and lots of rag quilts (I worked for a lady in Indiana who sold them at flee markets and such), but never a rag purse.
This purse is actually reversible, if you're not feeling like a country girl today, you can reverse it for a "classier" look!
I used the star pattern on this purse, rather than the traditional "x".....stars are what I used to sew on the rag quilts and I like their look just a bit better.  They're not hard to catch onto --- it's a continuous sew --- once you do one or two it's pretty easy from there.
On the long panels I stitched simple wavy lines - not the most creative I guess, but it worked!
The back uses the same material only in a different order:
  • Brown with blue polka dots on the top
  • Two brown panels on the sides, the light blue in the middle
  • Blue with brown polka dots on the bottom

The sides and bottom are the same material as the straps - brown with blue stripes.
If you follow my blog for very long, you'll discover that I'm one of those people who doesn't like to follow anything (pattern, recipe, etc.) to a "T," but I like to change it and make it uniquely mine! I did that with this purse --- Originally I got the idea from purse patterns website (scroll down and click on # 131 - "Reversible Rag Bag Tote Pattern"), but as you can see I changed the dimensions and style quite a bit. 
This was a lot of fun to design and make, and yet very easy.  It went together in one evening, so there's still time for you seamstresses to whip some up for Christmas gifts!
BTW - the measurements on the finished bag are 11 inches wide x 9 inches tall.

Just had to post my great deal on material! I saw a local thrift store had a whole stack of material folded neatly in the back.  No prices, just a nicely folded stack.  Well after I made the above purse, and saw that the ragged effect would work (to a satisfactory degree) with material other than flannel (that's the only thing my employer made her rag quilts out of), I decided to go back and check the material stack out.
I got this whole stack of material for $5.18!!!! There are 13 different fabrics there -- most pieces were 29 cents - two were 99 cents and one was 40 cents and one was 19 cents!
One of the main reasons I went is I remembered some pink in the pile.  My daughter wants me to make her a rag diaper bag -- I'm thinking of making it for Christmas and putting some fun baby supplies inside for a gift. She likes to play with "life size" baby dolls, so we're always shopping thrift store clearance for clothes/shoes/sock/hats/headbands/tights for them to wear.  Thought to make her up a fun bag with some of those baby colors in the stack....that is if I can find time to sew without her present!

Also stopped by a local five and dime store and stocked up on thread @ 25 cents a piece.
This post is linked to Take a Look Tuesday

4 comments:

Christa said...

What a great thrift store haul!! And that thread in all those colors is fabulous, too!

I especially love the design of your purses. The rectangles combined with the squares make them so much more interesting than just squares. Thanks for a great idea!!

Pamela said...

I love the rag purse and the fact that it's reversable. I remember trying to sew during naps or daddy times. Have you ever made clothes for her dolls? I want to do some for Morgan for her birthday.

Esther Asbury said...

Not sure I have the patience for doll clothes! My daughter actually likes to play with "life-size" baby dolls, so we shop thrift stores for used real baby clothes to fit them.

kkwild said...

I am not very computer savy, but would like to find out about prices for your products. I am interested in getting my daughter one for Christmas. Can you guide me on doing this. You can contact me at kkwild2@yahoo.com.