RAINBOW PURSE GIFT

April
showers
WHILE AWAY A DRIZZLY SPRING AFTERNOON
BY SEWING A SWEET UMBRELLA PURSE, FINISHED
WITH A SHOWER OF LAZY DAISY RAINDROPS
Designed by Magdalena Gabrielová

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RAINBOW PURSE
Page 26
Patterns at 100%

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GIFT RAINBOW PURSE

01 02 03

04 05 06

MATERIALS
Linen fabric: 15x60cm, natural
(outer)
Cotton fabric: 15x60cm, rainbow
stripe (lining), 8x12cm, black
Pearl cotton, size 5: 1 skein each of
black, blue, green, orange, purple,
red, yellow
Machine thread: 1 spool each of
beige, black
Medium-weight fusible interfacing,
15x60cm
Fusible fleece: 15x60cm
Bondaweb: 8x12cm
Sew in magnetic button: 1.4cm
diameter (or snap fastener)
Sewing machine with standard foot
Basic embroidery kit
STITCHES USED
Chain Stitch, Lazy Daisy Stitch, Machine
Zigzag Stitch, Machine Straight Stitch
Trace the template onto paper, then cut
01
it out, pin it to the fabric and cut around
it. For the body, cut out two outers, two
lining, two interfacing and two fleece pieces.
For the flap, cut out one outer, one lining,
one interfacing and one fleece piece. Iron
the interfacing to the WS of the outer pieces.
Iron the fusible fleece to the WS of the lining
pieces. Cut out the dart triangles.
Transfer the umbrella handle and
02
raindrops pattern onto one of the outer
body fabric pieces, using a heat erasable pen
and a light source.
Stitch the umbrella handle using Chain
03
Stitch in black. Work the raindrops using
Lazy Daisy Stitch, stitching the columns of
drops in pairs, in order from left to right –
red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and purple.
Next, cut out the umbrella shaped
04
template. Cut along the top of the
canopy – but, instead of cutting along the
‘scalloped’ portion of the canopy, cut a
straight line along the bottom edge (refer
to the step 4 image for guidance). Trace the
outline onto the paper side of the Bondaweb
using a pencil and cut out, slightly outside the
outline. Iron onto black fabric and cut out.
Iron the umbrella onto the linen flap piece,
positioning it centrally along one long edge.
Transfer the design onto the back of the
fabric, lining it up with the black fabric panel.
Using black, work a line of Machine Zigzag
Stitch along the top edge of the umbrella
canopy. Switch back to Machine Straight
Stitch to work the ‘rib’ lines. Do not stitch the
scalloped edge of the umbrella.
Pin the RS of the flap lining to the RS
05
of the flap exterior. Stitch around the
sides using beige thread, with an 8mm seam
allowance along the straight edges and
following the scalloped edge of the umbrella.
Clip the corners of the flap and the
06
indents of the scalloped curves. Make
small scissor nicks towards the stitching
on the inward curves of the umbrella. Turn
the flap RS out, poke out the points of the
scallops, then smooth them out and iron using
a pressing cloth. Oversew around the panel,
6mm from edge. Switch to black thread when
sewing over the umbrella.
Mark a point in the middle of the flap
07
approximately 2cm from the edge with
the umbrella. Using embroidery scissors,
make two incisions through the lining fabric
and fleece. Take one half of the magnetic
button and push the prongs through the

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07
10
NOTES
Find the template on p73.
Both pattern pieces include
seam allowances.
RS = right side(s).
WS = wrong side(s).
08
11
incisions. Place a metal washer over the
prongs inside the flap. Push them down and
firmly away from each other.
Sew the darts of all four parts of the
08
purse as follows: fold the V-shapes
together, RS facing. Stitch along the fold of
the dart using a 6mm seam allowance. Iron
the seam open.
Mark a line 9cm from the bottom edge
09
of the flap. Pin the RS of the flap onto the
centre top edge of the purse’s exterior back.
Stitch the raw edge of the exterior with the
marked line, using a 6mm seam allowance.
Then place the flap and the back lining RS
together and stitch through all three layers
using a 8mm seam allowance. Iron the seam
open. Match up the top edges of the stitched
front piece and the front lining, RS together.
Pin and stitch across using an 8mm seam
allowance. Iron the seam open.
Pin the back piece with flap RS together
10
with the front piece. Pin carefully all
around – the darts and the top edge of the
bag should lie on top of each other. Stitch the
purse all around, leaving a 9cm hole on the
bottom of the lining for turning. Stitch along
the edge of the purse exterior using a 6mm
seam allowance and along the edge of the
RAINBOW PURSE GIFT
09
12
purse lining using an 8mm seam allowance.
Trim the seam of the lining to 3mm and insert
the lining inside the exterior.
Now find the best place for the other half
11
of the magnetic button, near the top of
the umbrella handle. Cut a 3cm diameter piece
of fusible fleece and put it under the outer
fabric in the spot the snap will be and iron it
to secure. Now, add the magnetic button using
the same method you did in step 7.
Push the raw edges of the lining gap into
12
the hole and topstitch shut. Replace the
lining inside the exterior again and iron the
purse neatly using a pressing cloth.
MAGDALENA GABRIELOVÁ
Based in the Czech
Republic, Magdalena
Gabrielová designs and
sells felted jewellery,
accessories and witty sewn
products through her brand, Puntik. She
loves to design cheerful pieces that bring a
smile to people’s faces!
www.puntik.com
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