Green Mama: Sew Patchwork Purse

Directions

First you will need to decide if you want to have your exterior be a solid piece of fabric, or something patchwork as I’ve done here. If you decide to do patchwork, the following is dimensions and basic directions.

Patchwork Piece Assembly

1. Cut out 35 pieces of fabric approximately 2-5/8” square.

2. Lay out your pieces 5 squares across by 7 squares down.

3. Sew together your squares by rows.

4. Sew together your 7 rows to form your patchwork piece.

**Note** Pay attention to your pressing and make sure to press your seams in opposite directions between each row so you can better match up your seams when sewing your rows together. See example of how you will match your seams here.

Next you will want to lay your fabric or patchwork piece onto some batting and quilt it as desired. For this piece I just sewed along both sides of all the seams in both directions. Trim to 15”x10”. Now you’re ready to assemble.

Kindle Case Assembly

1. Cut out your lining piece 15”x10” and lay right sides together with your quilted exterior piece.

2. Print and cut out the flap template and lay at one end of your fabric, making sure bottom edge of curve comes to edge of fabric. Pin in place.

3. Trim around curved edge and remove template.

4. Pin around entire piece, leaving a gap in the pins where you will turn the piece right side out after sewing. Sew around entire piece, backstitching at either side of opening.

5. Clip your corners at a 45 degree angle and then clip away the sides a little, as shown. This will make for a little less bulky corner.

6. Clip your curved seam, notching little triangle out around it, as shown. This also makes for a less bulky seam.

7. Press back your seam allowance at the opening and turn right side out.

8. Press the piece, making sure to round out your curve and bring out your points on the corners.

9. Top stitch two parallel lines along the straight edge of your piece. Mine are approximately 1/8” and 1/4” from the edge.

10. With lining fabric facing up, fold up bottom straight edge 4-3/4” and pin in place on the sides.

11. Using the diagram above, beginning on the right side just above the straight edge, edge stitch a scant 1/8” around the parameter of your case, including the bottom. When you arrive at the right side of the straight edge, backstitch neatly a few times to make this extra secure. After arriving back at where you started, backstitch neatly a few times.

Here’s a view of what the bottom will look like when you stitch across it.

12. Grab a self-adhesive Velcro dot set and put into place. Now you can stop here or continue on for one more step to make it extra secure.

I noticed after I was done that the edges could still easily come up and let stray items fall inside and potentially scratch the screen, and since my mom would be storing this in her purse, I wanted to make sure it was extra secure. So I did one more step to help keep the flap down.

13. With flap closed, pin down sides to keep securely in place, and then stitch and backstitch a few times at each side, making sure not to stitch past the straight edge on the inside. Stitch just to the straight edge and then begin you backstitch.