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Little Girl Pleated Purse…with button closure!
June 16, 2014 - By Crystal 88 Comments
First of all, the winner of the Home Depot $100 Gift Card was selected this morning. The winner’s name was announced on the Rafflecopter form. And second of all, I’m so happy to have Crystal here again today from Stitched By Crystal. I just KNOW you’re going to LOVE this sweet Little Girl Pleated Purse that she is sharing today. I mean come on, how can you not smile looking at her little girl carrying her own purse. The whole thing is so sweet (…and a great beginner project)!
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-Ashley
. . . . .
Hi, it’s Crystal from
Stitched by Crystal and I have something simple and fun to share for the little girls today.
Every little girl needs a purse to complete her outfit and carry her essentials.
And little girls carrying their purses are just the cutest!
This little purse is a quick easy sew that would make a great
project for a beginner seamstress, but it is fun for more advanced ones too.
The finished bag measures about 8 inches wide and 5 inches tall and has an 8 in drop on the handle. It is a good size for tiny ones like my *almost* two year old and would work great as a small purse for older girls too.
It is a perfect size for carrying all of her important things. My girl quickly loaded hers up with broken crayons, matchbox cars, and half eaten crackers for our trip to the park…you know, just the essentials!
Best of all, this project can be made with a fat quarter of fabric and you can finish it in under an hour!
Want to make a purse for a little girl in your life?
Great, let’s get started!
To make this purse, you will need:
- 1/4 yard (or fat quarter) of outer fabric (Any kind of fabric will work. I used quilting cotton. If you use a thicker home décor type fabric, you can skip the interfacing.)
- 1/2 yard of lightweight iron on interfacing. I used Pellon featherweight.
- 1/8 yard of lining fabric
- 1 1-inch button
- basic sewing supplies
**All seam allowances are ½ inch
Cut your fabric to the dimensions shown in the chart below.
Iron your interfacing to your 2 outer bag pieces and your 4 top band pieces.
Make the strap by folding your 4 inch by 20 inch piece in half the long way and pressing, unfold it and fold the raw edges into the middle crease. Refold the strap on the middle fold and top-stitch along both sides. Place your strap aside.
The button loop is sewn on the bias so it has a bit of stretch making it easier for little fingers to fasten it over the button. Make the button loop by folding the 4 inch x 4 inch square on the diagonal and lining up the corners.  Sew 3/8 inch from the fold. Trim the corners off close to the seam. Turn the button loop right side out. (An easy way to do this is to attach a safety pin to one of the points and feed it through the tube. Check out
Ashley’s tutorial here.)Â Press the loop and set it aside.
Curve the bottom two corners of all your bag pieces, the two outer and two lining pieces. Use a small bowl or cup to help you get and even curve.
Fold one of your bag pieces in half and trim the top at an angle, starting 1 inch down from the top on the side and going up to the very top at the fold. When you unfold the piece, it should angle up to form a point in the middle; this will help everything lay nice and flat when you sew your pleat. Repeat this step with the other outer bag piece and the two lining pieces.
Next we will make the pleat. Fold the outer bag piece in half again, this time make a small mark at the top of that bag 1 inch from the fold. Sew a few stitches right at the top of the bag, don’t sew beyond the ½ inch seam allowance. Unfold the bag and press your pleat flat with your fingers. Baste the pleat in place ¼ inch from the edge. Repeat this step to sew a pleat in your second outer bag piece.
Place the outer bag piece and one of the band pieces right sides together, lining up the raw edge of the bag top with the band. Pin in place then sew them together. Press the seam towards the band and top stitch along the bottom of the band. Repeat with your other outer bag piece.
Place the two outer pieces right sides together and pin around the edge, lining up the seams at the band.
Turn your bag right side out. Line the raw edge of your strap up with the raw edge of your bag, centering it over the side seam. Pin then baste the strap in place at both sides. Fold your button loop in half and pin it to the middle of one side of the bag, baste the loop in place. Set the outer purse aside while you sew the lining.
Gather the top of your lining so it is the same length as your band. (Need
help with gathering?) Pin then sew the band to the top of the lining. Press the seam towards the band and top-stitch. Repeat with the other lining piece.
Place the lining pieces right sides together and pin around the edge. Sew them together, leaving a 3 inch opening at the bottom.
With the lining inside out and the purse right side out, stuff your bag inside the lining.
Pin the top raw edges of the bag and lining, lining up the side seams. Sew all the way around the top of the purse.
Turn the purse right side out through the hole in the bottom of the lining. Fold the raw edge of the opening in and stitch the opening closed.
Tuck your lining inside your bag. Top stitch all the way around the top of the purse (about a 1/8 of an inch from the upper edge) and sew your button in place.
You have a finished purse!
Thanks for reading!
-Crystal
Check out Crystal’s blog here. Her darling shop here. And her Pinterest page here.  Check out these other cute bag tutorials that you can whip up in no time: