Tutorial: Sha Sha Ribbon Dream Purse

The tutorial is nearly the same as the fabric Sha Sha Dream Bag I posted here:
http://www.craftster.org/forum/index.php?topic=54769.0

Sha Sha Ribbon Dream Purse

While pattern dimensions where changed to enlarge final purse size, this project was inspired by the Holly Golightly Dream Bag project in Retro Revamp by Jennifer Knapp. Mad props, Jennifer.

SUPPLY LIST:
2 spools each of 5 colors of 3/8" ribbon. (mine: trip to Joann's. Offray Ribbon sold by the spool x 18 feet each, $1.99: lavender, moss green, burnt orange; burgundy; dusty blue)
1 1/2 yd. 1 " ribbon for long handle
One fat quarter for Lining
1/2 yd Medium weight iron on interfacing (buy it off the bolt for cheap)
Pattern
large piece of cardboard to create weave on, double sided tape

OPTIONAL:
Item for closure – hook & eye; button & loop (I used a glass lampwork bead I made); snaps; etc
Light cardboard
4 brass office brads, or eyelets, etc

OPEN A BEER AND GET STARTED:

Here is are the pattern dimentions:

Put 5 spools of ribbon on the handle of a wooden spoon and cut 19" lengths of ribbon

GET WEAVIN'!

On your cardboard, place a strip of double sided tape 20" across the top. Place second strips down each side to hold horizontal ribbon in place.
KEY SUGGESTION: If there is a shiny side/outside of the ribbon, create this weave facedown. So that when it's ready, you can iron on the interfacing on the WRONG side without having to take it off the cardboard!
Line ribbon verticaly up across the top, about 19" across.
Line them up very closely, but not overlapping at all.

Start weaving under-over-under-over, carefully pushing your ribbons up and tight againt it's neighbor. You will have to do a lot of adjusting all through this weave...so don't be too anal right off the bat.

Unfold your iron on interfacing and hack out a rectangle the size of your pattern. Following the instructions of the manufacturer, iron-on apply interfacing to the WRONG SIDE (lacking manufacturers instructions: place shiny side of interfacing face down on wrong side of fabric; beginning in the middle, iron outwards holding iron in place for 10 seconds side to side. Ironing more does not make it stick better.). TRY TO AVOID IRONING OVER the TAPE UNDER THE RIBBON. This "Outside" is now strong and you can carefully peeeeeeeeeel it from the cardboard tape.

Unfold your Fat Quarter and iron it out. The rest of the instructions will refer to the “Outside” and “Lining” fabric in this way.
- If you have good scissors, you can save a bunch of time by sandwiching your Lining onto the interfacing-applied Outside fabric, iron them nice and flat together, and then pin on the pattern & cut it out. This is only if you have good scissors! Otherwise, the cuts come out all jagged and crap – it makes you suicidal. Ok, it would make me suicidal. If you have shat scissors, then cut the Outside and Lining separately from the same pattern
- Fold and pin right side flappies together.
- Ok, take the Outside fabric and fold it together (right sides facing), longer straight edges lined up (the purse mouth). Pin the flappy edges together, and sew as shown. Again, seam allowance is built in at ¼ inch.
- Using a squooshing motion (and sound effect), smash newly sewn edges flat against the bottom opening. This will be referred to as the purse ass end. Pin. Repeat on other side. Sew a straight line, again allowing ¼ inch. Remove pins.
- Repeat the 3 steps above on the Lining piece of fabric – also sewing right sides together. You may wish to make the seam allowance just a touch wider, making the lining just snuggly smaller than the Outside bag. Just increase your seam line by 1 or 2 16ths of an inch. (so – that’s 3/8ths, right?).
- Turn Outside fabric outside in (or the right way). Poke out the corners sharply and check out your handy work. It’s gonna be cute, huh?? Leave the lining fabric wrong side out.
- CARDBOARD SUPPORTED BOTTOM. I’d prefer a sugar daddy supported bottom so I could be crafting all the time, but we all have to make due with what we’re given. Either tape together the light cardboard pieces that came packaged with your Fat Quarters, or locate a light weight cardboard that will support the dimensions of about of 4 ½ x 8 inches. I’d recommend sealing the entire cardboard in a wrap of packing or duct tape for waterproof-ness. I have been pack ratting away these lightweight cardboard backings that come with packs of fingerprint cards at work – they fit perfectly! I knew I was packing them away for a good use!
- Poke holes in each bottom corner (not too close to the edge) through the fabric and cardboard and insert brass office brads (or use a nifty eyelet setter or other wildly imaginative idea you may have). Bend back the tines of the brad. [mental note: Don’t show co-workers purse bottom, for fear they may recognize office brads.
- Test sizing by shoving Lining (still wrong side out) into your purse carcass. Poke your fingers into the corners and see if it feels like a good fit. You can correct a Lining-too-big problem by yanking it back out and sewing a tiny bit more on each ass end. Remember that you want your lining inside the bag to be shorter at the mouth by a little bit, so eyeball how much you should fold over for the next step:
- Fold over about a ½ inch of the top of the Lining piece and pin down, iron. Fold in about ¼ inch (or more, depending on your opinion) from the Outside fabric to match – pin the Lining around inside the mouth.
- Me hard at work. I craft so much, my husband is nearly a widower!
- Decide what you want for handles. You can buy those plastic pre-made handles at Michaels & Joann’s – which are pretty cool too. I used 1 inch ribbin. Pin it in between the lining and outside.
- My machine has this end piece that is removable so I can sew tight, round things. Take that end thingy off now. Also, if possible, slide your machine so that it hangs over the end of the table. This will make turning your cardboard supported bag easier
- With an exposed stitch, sew once all the around the mouth of the bag, capturing the Outside, Lining and handles all at once…and VOILA!!! You have a Sha Sha Dream Bag!
- Here was my closure: a lampwork glass bead I made and a piece of the 3/8" ribbon.
AND YOU ARE DONE!!!

So, tell me what you think, and please post pictures of your finished bags!

buglake
birgitta
san diego