Wednesday, January 19, 2011

My New Bag & Wallet {patterns included!}

Patterns and tutorials are listed at the bottom of the post.
 
I have always been in denial as to how large of a bag/purse that I really need. I always go smaller and end up stuffing things in to make them fit...and then I can't find anything! Even after adjusting the pattern for my last purse to make it larger, I still had that issue. So I've come to terms with being a mother of 3, one still in diapers, and made myself a bag to fit. Smaller than my diaper bag, but large enough to fit everything and some extra space. Perfect.

 I purchase a yard of Amy Butler's morning glory fabric on etsy. A quick trivia fact...Amy Butler
lives in the next town over from me. Her studio is 15 minutes away from me, yet she remains closed to the public. Was it too much to hope for an Amy Butler fabric outlet to be connected to her studio for locals like myself? Maybe...until she comes around, I'll order online. 

I had a heck of a time finding a fabric to coordinate with this one at any shops in town. Then I decided to go through my closet. Sure enough...a pair of greenish/greyish/brownish (I have no idea what color it is) cords that I got at a thrift store for $3, matched PERFECTLY. And I never wore them anymore.

A polka dot print for the lining, and magnetic closures to secure it shut. I will never use any other fastener again. EVER. I had no idea how simple these were to add to a bag or wallet. And inexpensive.
 

After I finished my bag, I went on to working on a matching wallet.



A pocket for receipts...
 

 6 card slots, another pocket for bills, and...
 

a large zipper section for coins, etc.
 



**Update 11/17/2011**
The Wallet Tutorial that I used is no longer available online. :( I'm not sure why, I can't even find her blog anymore. But here is another one that I have made and the tutorial is fantastic.
Wallet Pattern
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51 comments :

  1. SO very cute! Thanks for sharing!!!

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  2. Sew very adorable! I love it! You did a great job!!!!
    carla louise
    www.ohsewaddicted.com

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  3. I Love it! I wish I was at the level where I could make this. Right now I am just learning but cannot wait until I can think like this for myself ;)

    Thanks for sharing. I am now your newest follower.

    You can visit me anytime at:

    http://longwaitforisabella.blogspot.com

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  4. Super super cute! I absolutely LOVE that fabric you used!

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  5. LOVE this! Great job on it! I'm too lazy to sit down and sew right now... so I will just love yours through pictures and think about sewing one myself.

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  6. Very nice work! I like that you "sacrificed" pants to get the look you wanted. Very thrifty!

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  7. I love the way you did the handles!!
    Wonderful!

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  8. You are such a wonderful seamstress Brandy. I always love the crafty stuff you do, sorry I don't always put comments. I love the fabric, love the purse and wallet and I've been meaning to tell you that all my neighbors love the sugar scrub. I'm getting requests for it. :) I'll forward them to you.

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  9. Wonderful! Thank you too for sharing! Visiting from Somewhat Simple. Come visit me sometime at SSB!

    http://superstinkyboys.blogspot.com

    xoxo
    Ginger

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  12. That bag is just perfect! Exactly the type I love, it looks gorgeous!

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  13. Love the bag and wallet! Maybe I'll get brave enough to try one of them soon :)
    Just found your blog on the weekend wrap-up.

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  14. Hi Brandy! Thanks so much for writing me to let me know you made a wallet from my tutorial, and that you found it easy to understand! I had gotten some comments from a few people telling me that the tutorial was hard to understand and they couldn't follow it :o( but I'm glad that you didn't find that to be so!

    Your bag turned out fabulous, as did your wallet! Way to go. I, too, love Amy Butler's fabrics and wish that she had an outlet for us Ohioan's, but guess I, like you, will just have to buy on-line!

    Keep up the great work, and please visit my blog anytime. I hope to do more tutorials this year for some of my bags and other accessories.

    XOXO,

    Cyndi

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  15. I love your bag so much!!! I am your new follower! Come join me at my blog! Brooke
    brookedouglass@yahoo.com
    Girl Boy Girl Inspired

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  16. Thank you for sharing! I will be adding this to my craft to-do list!

    xoxo
    Kelli @ loveoursimplelife.blogspot.com

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  17. thanks for sharing this cute bag tut!

    please come and share this to my linky party and come join my giveaway to anne franklin designs!

    http://tootsiewootsieboutique.blogspot.com/

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  18. I saw you on a link party and that is sooo cute! Love the design!

    -Angelica

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  19. Very cute... thanks for sharing!!! I've been wanting to try something like this for a LONG time!!!

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  20. That's great! If you have not been by yet, make sure you enter my linky contest! The best of January 2011 will be showered with prizes! I also have some great Valentines giveaways going on right now!

    http://www.thesaturdaymorningsblog.com/2011/01/strut-your-stuff-link-up-party.html

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  21. Those turned out great. I loove the fabric choices!

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  22. I think I just added "make purse for myself" to my to-do list for this year! That looks great!
    I think this is the third time in the last week or two that I've stumbled upon your blog by following links to projects that I think are great...I guess it's time I started following!

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  23. So pretty!! I've been thinking that I need to make a wallet to match my purse too. :)
    I'd love for you to link up to my new linky party, Tute {Yourself} Tuesday.
    LittleEme.blogspot.com

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  24. ok i want to make one! yours is so super cute! :) so was it hard to make? I'm not a seamstress but i like a good challenge what skill level would you say this was?

    TIA

    cutecardsbyjamie at yahoo dot com

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  25. This is so pretty! I love the fabrics and am super impressed with the recycling, too!

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  26. Oh god bless you! I have been looking and LOOKING for a bag like this for months and I think this is simple enough for me to make! Thanks so much for sharing. easypeasycraft.blogspot.com

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  27. I saw this last week and was going to feature it, but forgot about it. I'm glad I saw it again this week. I highlighted it tonightat somedaycrafts.blgospot.com! super cute! Grab my "featured" button.

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  28. That turned out really nice and I'm pretty sure it's on my to-do list for February! :) I'm a mother of 3 and one still in pull ups so I need that extra room for smugglings snacks and other things too. Thanks for sharing!

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  29. You did such a fantastic job! You're sewing looks so professional. And yes, I hate choosing between a huge diaper bag or a small purse. Thanks for linking up!

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  30. Wow these turned out wonderful! Thanks for sharing the links to your patterns too!

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  31. Oh my gosh...sew cute Brandy!! Maybe one of these days I can do something cute like that & I really need a new wallet!! Thanks for sharing :)

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  32. Great job! Love that Amy Butler fabric too :) Would love for you to come and visit me at Sew Chatty and link up to Made With Love Monday! http://sewchatty.blogspot.com

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  33. too cute!! i found the wallet tut, but was unable to find the purse tut. can you help??
    thanks, summer
    summerleighwilliams (at) yahoo (dot) com

    http://icouponjesussaves.blogspot.com

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  35. You don't have a problem with de-magnetizing the strips on credit cards with a magnet wallet closure? I've had that issue from a purse that I carried my wallet in!

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  36. Your fabric choices are wonderful. Great job on the purse and wallet. I have seen that purse before, I think I like it enough to make it:)

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  37. Your fabric choices are wonderful. Great job on the purse and wallet. I have seen that purse before, I think I like it enough to make it:)

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  38. So pretty! love the pattern of that fabric too.

    Thanks for linking up to Your Whims Wednesday, hope to see you again this week! :)

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  39. Went to go look for the wallet tutorial, and the blog it links to is a private blog? can u email me the post?? mrstiffanym@ Gmail dot com

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  40. The bag and the wallet, both are so pretty!!Love the fabric, pattern, everything!!Thanks for sharing the bag pattern!!

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  41. The wallet looks a lot like a pattern I designed several years ago, though of course I can't see the linked tutorial :) Mine might be helpful to your readers, though: http://crafts.sleepingbaby.net/wallet.html

    Love the bag -- very cute!

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  42. Google has (for now) a cached version of the pattern you used for the wallet: http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:I59WBUy4DkQJ:bluebirdswing.blogspot.com/2010/06/my-very-first-tutorial-lets-make-wallet.html+bluebirdswing+wallet+tutorial&cd=1&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us
    Thankfully not a copy :D and a very cute project.

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  43. Thanks Jan for posting that! I was disappointed when it was no longer available online espeically after sending so much traffic that direction! Hopefully ladies can still use this tutorial for a long time!

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  44. Thanks so much for sharing this. I have been wanting to make my own bag for some time now and wasn't sure where to start.

    Your new follower,
    April@myfriendscallmesuzy.com

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  45. I'm in love with this bag! I have actually already bought fabric to make myself what I like to call a "Momma's Bag"...purses just don't cut it and I don't want a diaper bag...my little man is 18 months so I just want a "Momma's Bag". Like I said I bought some fabric but haven't started b/c well...I've never made a purse before. I'm not so sure I can follow a pattern b/c I never have but I'm going to definitely use this bag as something to go by! Thanks...your new follower! GInspires!

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  46. I don't get it. Does this mean the wallet tutorial is no longer availabel? I would really like to make that wallet. Can you email the pattern to me or is there another place to find it?

    Debbie Fleenor
    irishscrapper43@yahoo.com

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  47. Looks great! I just found your blog and love the name. Have you tried the new extreme glue sticks, they work on fabric and just about everything, been rocking my world!

    happylizard.blogspot.com

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  48. Hello, I just love bags and this one is adorable. You did such a lovely job and this is now on my to-do list. Thanks!

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  49. Thanks for sharing just great tutorials!

    Really sad that the wallet one is no longer available, the new one is nice but I really wanted to have a go at one with a zip!! Might have to just go for it and try and mix the two together following your beautiful pictures!!

    x

    The Curious Deer @ thecuriousdeer.blogspot.co.uk

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