Sew: Handmade Handbag

I sewed my Christmas gifts this year and it’s been so hard not to share with you all! I decided to make a handbag for my wonderful Mum in Law. I knew it had to have a zipper at the top (to stop her glasses falling out) and I wanted a strap that could be cross body or shoulder length and I knew that she loves yellow.

I made it from yellow and grey canvas that I ordered from fabric.com but it was hard to find the right length of metal zippers. I ended up finding them on eBay but had to wait for them to come from the UK & US. I already had some swivel clasps to attach the strap but they were too small and I didn’t have time to wait for them to ship from overseas (nothing big enough locally). In the end I cut up a strap that came with one of my handbags! I’d recently done a course on Craftsy (I love Craftsy courses, please go check it out. Not just sewing either) called Design Your Own Handbag with Brett Bara and I used the techniques from that to make this bag. The course really made it so much easier.

The front zipper was a nightmare! I made the window for it too small and had to scurry around through all my zippers for something that would fit. Luckily I had a zipper that was just too short but I made it work! I started with contrast stitching but even with a cheaty sewing machine foot to guide my top stitch it just looked shitty. I was stressing as Mummy Ask wielded the seam ripper. There is still tiny evidence of my booboo but I think it came out okay.

By the time I got to top stitching the strap I was on my last nerve!! I only fell off the edge once and I hope no one scrutinizes it too much! I definitely needed a champers at the end of the day….it may have been a little ambitious to finish in a day. And please know that Mr Ask’s skills with a camera kinda talk it up a bit.

People have asked where I got the custom printed twill tape (the Ask Sarah tag). I had it printed by Pink Sugar Design.

I’d love to know what you think. Would you sew your own bag? Would you like me to get some tutorials up? Do you have a sewing machine that you’re frightened of and want to get to know? Because if it’s yes to any of those, I’d love to help – just Ask Sarah! Let me know in comments or on Facebook xxx