I have this crazy addiction of saving every scrap of fabric, skein of yarn, or piece of paper, because..well, I could probably make something cool out of it. Right? So when I found myself drooling in the Handmade Modern aisle at Target, I couldn’t resist buying a pack of their super mod felt. (If you haven’t been in this aisle, check it out!). I can’t remember how I initially used these felt pieces, but I did wind up saving a whole box of scraps that I couldn’t bare to throw away. So in a fit of creative craziness, I came up with an idea to make patchwork felt purses, using all the felt scraps.
This is probably one of the easiest projects for a beginner sewer because there are no rules. You can either hand sew the pieces together or use a sewing machine.
Materials
scraps of any felt
a 8”x”8 piece of cardboard (to use as a template)
sewing machine
pins
embroidery thread and needle for hand sewing
thick yarn (to make a handle)
pinking shears
Process:
Using the 8”x8” cardboard template, layout all the pieces of felt. You will want to overlap the pieces of felt to make room for seam allowance. Once you you have arranged all the pieces, pin them together, then sew. You can either use a sewing machine, or sew by hand. I chose to use a sewing machine to make the process a bit easier. Next, I used about a ¼” seam allowance, but you can play with this. If you don’t have a sewing machine, you can baste all the pieces together with thread or embroidery floss. Once you have pieced and sewed two pieces, trim the edges to fit into the 8”x8” template. Next use some colorful embroidery floss to hand sew the two pieces together. I used a simple running stitch along all three edges. Finally, take some thick braided yarn to create a handle for the purse and sew.
I love this project because it’s an easy way to reuse and recycle any cool scraps of felt or fabric. Moreover, this is the perfect craft for any beginner sewer who wants to get their hands wet without committing to a strict pattern. Some other ways to alter this idea could be to create a circle or triangle shaped purse, create a beaded handle, or make a large hobo bag. The possibilities are endless!
Have you ever created a patchwork purse? What are some cool ways you would alter this project? Let me know in the comments!