Even since we got the Inazuma Antique Gold handles in the store I have been wanting to make a coin purse. There there was just one (big) problem... the instructions were in Japanese! Usually I pride myself in being able to figure things out from pictures but no matter how hard I tried I couldn’t make heads or tails of the simple pattern included with the handles. Luckily for me the very talented Mari was willing to help me out. She and her mom translated the pattern and answered my clueless questions.
Once I knew what the pattern was saying the construction of the purse was fun and easy. I can’t think of a better quick gift than this fully lined, darling little pouch. I have a feeling I will be making many more! -Molly
The Materials
- One Inazuma Antique Gold Purse Frame #772 (This includes a paper pattern and the paper string you will need.)
- 1/4 yard of lining fabric. I used Shot Cotton in Lemon
- 1/4 yard of exterior fabric. I used Jen’s Garden in Black (it’s actually more of a dark blue) but it might be a little easier to use a lighter weight fabric.
- One heavy paper bag
- Craft Glue
- A Hera Marker
- A thin knitting needle or awl
- A pair of pliers
These materials will make one 3.5″ X 3.5″ purse. You will have a lot of fabric left over. You could probably six or seven purses out of two quarter yards of fabric.
Cutting
Above is a picture of the pattern. The littlest piece will be cut out of paper, the piece below that from the lining fabric, and the piece to the right out of the outer fabric. The long dashes represent the fold.
Cut out the pattern pieces.
Cut a rectangle out of the heavy paper bag and fold it in half.
Place the smallest pattern piece on the paper, with it’s right hand dashed side lined up with the fold of the paper and trace it. Repeat this once and cut out both pieces.
Iron the lining fabric and fold it in half once.
Pin the lining pattern piece on the fold and cut it out. Repeat this once so you have two lining pieces. As you can see in the picture above I wrote “lining” on the pattern piece so I wouldn’t get confused.
Iron and fold the outer fabric and cut two of the outer pattern pieces as you did for the lining pieces.
You should have; 2 paper pieces, 2 lining pieces, and 2 outer fabric pieces.
Gluing and Sewing
Glue a paper piece onto one of the lining pieces along the top only. (My lining fabric doesn’t have a wrong side but if your using a print make sure you glue the paper to the wrong side of your lining piece.) Make sure the middle folds and the tops match up well together. Repeat this with the remaining paper and lining piece.
After the glue has dried (it will only take a few minutes) pin both pieces of the lining together, wrong sides out, along the bottom. Using a 1/4″ seam sew this bottom seam. Repeat this for the outer fabric pieces.
Slide the lining inside the outer pieces, wrong sides together.
You will notice that the outer section is larger than the lining. In order to get the outer piece to fit around the lining the outer piece must be pleated.
Line pin together the sides seams of both layers so the notches match up perfectly.
Next, line up the notch you cut from the outer piece to the edge of the paper in the lining and pin it there.
Do that to all four notches and then pin the outside down as neatly as possible to the lining, making a pleat in in the middle of each side. Sew the lining and outer pieces together all the way around along this top seam with a scant 1/8″ seam allowance.
Attaching the Handle
Open up the Inazuma Handle and put glue inside the grooves. Spread the glue around with your Hera Marker so that it’s evenly distributed. This is a fairly messy process but the glue cleans up easily and peels right off of the Hera Marker once it’s dry.
Now stuff the bag inside the handles using a “poker” (a knitting needle or awl). This it the trickiest part of the whole operation, so be patient. Make sure the pleat is centered on the outside of bag.
Add more glue to the inside rim of the handle and stuff the paper string inside the handle groove using your poker.
Go all the way around the rim in this way. When you get to the end snip your paper string and stuff the end in.
Now, using a pair of pliers, pinch the rim of the handle tightly all the way around to keep the paper string and fabric in. Don’t put the pliers directly on the metal handle, use a piece of scrap cloth in-between as shown above.
Once you’ve crimped it shut you’re all done! Next time I think I would use a thinner outer fabric since it was pretty hard to stuff everything into the handle. But over all I’m really happy with my little purse!
credits to: purlsoho.com
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