Easter Sunday, while showing off one of my owl purses to an Aunt, she asked if I had ever seen a placemat purse. I was aware of them and after reasearching a few designs, I decided to use the placemat that I had sitting in my stash and simply "get to it"!! This purse I've posted was done last night, it's #8 in the last 10 days! I knew that I wanted mine to be lined, have non-purchased handles (to keep expense down) and to be very simply made. This is what I came up with...and I am VERY HAPPY! I've been gearing up for a small spring show that's coming up in a few weeks...I'd like about 12 of these made for that show. You crafty ladies out there, will look at this and see just how simple it is to make! One placemat, one piece of stash coordinating fabric, cut just a little longer than the placemat and the handles, band and closure cut from a medium/heavy weight twill fabric. It goes together in a flash! The placemat cost me $1.50...the design is from Embroiderylibrary. Well...what do you think???

Lovely. Love the design

I think these will be a great success - good luck!

I love it.. :)

Very nice wouldn't mind one myself.*4u

I think it came out wonderful ... good luck at the craft show - can't see how you won't sell all of them! *4u

Very nicely done.

I love it!

Missed his in April , a great project. You do great work.

Looks absolutely fabulous

I love it and I have those designs :-)

Thank you for your instructions.

Its great, well done

The placemat purse is very smart indeed Kkcogle for very little cost, I like it.

That looks adorable *4U

Well, what I think is.... it's absolutely marvalous! very smart idea. I love it!.... I am getting things together for a sale in the fall (yes the fall as it's fast approaching us) and I will certinly give it some thought about doing some of these... I have seen them in the past but like yourself I have not got around to doing any of them... but I will give it a try thanks for sharing your wonderful project.... Enjoy your show!

very nice bag and very nice work thank you for sharing and your pasttern as well. :-)

Great job! Love your design. Flower 4 U

flower 4 u KK u did a beautiful job & I love toile embroidery

Thank you very much to be so kind to write the instructions down, I think a lot of placematbags will follow on this site. A bunch of flowers for you

Well done looks gr8 thanks for instructions *4u

This is absolutely brilliant! I d/loaded the instructions immediately and can't wait to try to emulate your resultant masterpiece...although it won't be as great as yours. Thank you so much for sharing.

Love it! You should do really well with these. I'm thinking 12 isn't enough! ;)

1 comment

by kkcogle 10 Apr 2008

I'm kinda thinking the same...maybe I'll have to do a few more, which wouldn't be too much of a problem because they are so much fun to make!

I think it is lovely! Well done! Thanks for sharing. A flower for it!

Very nice bag!!! Thanks for the instructions.

Okay...I hope you can understand these instructions!

MINI TUTORIAL FOR MY PLACEMAT PURSE

1. Embroider placemat. Any placemat that you can embroider on should work. I prefer one with a little bit of “body” to it.

2. Using placemat for pattern, cut your lining fabric. Cut this exactly the width of the placemat, but make it about 3 inches longer.

3. Right sides together, sew placemat side seams. If there is a finished hem, I like to sew the seam right at the edge of the hem, making the hem the width of your seam. Overall, I like to have a pretty wide side seam…maybe even up to 1 inch wide, as this give structure to your sides of the purse. Press side seams, and then pinch together the bottom to form a square edge. (I don’t know if I can describe this correctly…but you need to make like a triangle at the bottom of the seam and then sew straight across about 1 ½ inches from the point of that triangle. Cut across the straight sewing seam and when flipped right side out, it will form a box like square edge). Turn your placemat right sides out and press the seams again. You might want to zig zag the top of this side seam right along the top of the purse edge, just making it lay flatter for you.

4. With your lining fabric, sew EXACTLY like above, taking EXACLTY the same seam allowances and making the boxed corners. Without turning right side out, press the side seams. THEN…INSERT this down into the embroidered placemat, turning your extra over the front of the placemat edge. This will give you that little bit of lining that shows from the front/outside of the purse.

5. Straps. I cut a piece of twill fabric, 4 ½ inches wide and 34 inches long. On your ironing board, press about 1/3 of the width to the inside of the strap. Then press the remaining 2/3rds of the other edge toward the middle of the strap. THEN fold this in half…press good and topstitch both edges about ¼ inch from each side. Cut in half, making 2 17inch handles. Set aside.

6. Front band. Cut a strip of twill 2 ½ inches wide and a little more than twice the width of your bag. Press about ½ inch on both sides toward center of strip. Set aside. (Will look kinda like a wide piece of bias tape.)

7. Closure piece. Cut a strip of twill 9 inches long by about 2 inches wide. Press both edges toward center, meeting in the middle. Then double over and press flat. Top stitch about ¼ inch along open edge. Set aside.

8. To assemble: Making sure that your lining is somewhat even, and over the front of the purse about 1 or 1 ½ inches, pin on your handles to your lining…I put the raw edge of handles to the raw edge of lining, spacing even, both front and back. On the back, centered between the two back handles, fold the 9 inch closure in half, with raw edges meeting raw edge of your lining…and the loop end of the closure sticking up. Pin good. Now you should have your handles, and closure pinned to your purse, through both the lining and front of purse. Starting at one side, and about ½ inch or a little more down from the top of the purse (so some of your lining will show, take your band…and lay it across the purse…positioning it over the ends of the handles and closure end. These ends will be approximately in the middle of the band once it is sewn. I then topstitch this on…just eyeballing it so the band is even all the way around and an equal amount of the lining is showing near the top of the purse. Topstitch both the top and bottom of the band. When I get to the points where they join, I turn under about ¼ or ½ inch to make it look neat.

9. Closure finishing. About halfway down the closure, I sew straight across a couple times and then do a wide and close zig zag/applique stitch straight across. This divides the closure into two sections and makes it easier to button.

10. Sew on button!

4 comments

by iris2006 10 Apr 2008

Thank you very much for this job.

by lorettag28 12 Apr 2008

thank you!

by salsabil 01 Aug 2008

Thanks!

by sandralochran 05 Aug 2008

Thank you

Love it, how do I get the pattern? You did a wonderful job!! H.*.

Placemat purse looks great. Do you mind sharing your instructions for the project? Would like to make one or some. Thanks, Calo

I think it's great, wish I had all that sewing savvy to whip that up in one night - WOW. It really is great looking and lined, how nice. I think you will do great at the show - good luck and ***4u

I think it is gorgeous. Try your local Goodwill for placemats at 25 cents each.

Great looking. Perfect design for summer.

Great bag. I think I'll pinch the idea. Love the embroidery as well. Flower for you.

This designs goes perfect of the purse. Very nice job. I would also love to have a little more detailed instructions (if you would). Good luck with the spring show, I know these will be a hugh hit!! Sue *4U

Very nice bag. I like it. Maybe one day I will try, maybe. This one makes me wanna hit the beach. *4U

What a GREAT idea! I'd love to have instructions if you feel so inclined to write them for the 'sewing-challenged' individual as myself! :-) xoxo A+ on this one girlfriend! LOVE it!

looks great and you're ready to head to the beach :) well done, flowers for you

I think this is great and like gerry says, put in the swinsuit and go!!!!!!!!!!!!! *****

I love it. What a cute Idea!

I love it! Great summer purse!

I think it's great, let summer begin because it's also a design for a bag to put in the swimsuit.I like it!!!