Rickrack Mini Purse

Designer: Terry Atkinson

• 9x22" piece (fat eighth) solid teal (lining)
• 1/4 yard total assorted prints in teal, green, and yellow (bag)
• 18x22" piece (fat quarter) teal tone-on-tone (binding, strap)
• 1/4 yard fusible fleece (such as Pellon No. 987F)
• 7"-long piece jumbo rickrack: teal
• 9"-long or longer green zipper
• Water-soluble pen

Finished bag: 6x7"

Quantities are for 44/45"-wide, 100% cotton fabrics.

Measurements include 1/4" seam allowances. Sew with right sides together unless otherwise stated.

From solid teal, cut:

• 2--7x9" rectangles

From assorted teal, green, and yellow prints, cut:

• 14--1-1/2x6-1/2" strips

From teal tone-on-tone, cut:

• Enough 2-1/2"-wide bias strips to total 75" for binding and strap

From fusible fleece, cut:

• 2--6-3/4x8-3/4" rectangles

1. Following manufacturer's instructions, center and fuse a 6-3/4x8-3/4" fleece rectangle to wrong side of a solid teal 7x9" rectangle to make a bag lining unit. Repeat with remaining fleece rectangle and solid teal rectangle to make a second bag lining unit.

2. Referring to Diagram 1, center an assorted print 1-1/2x6-1/2" strip, right side up, along a short end of a bag lining unit on fleece side.

3. With right side down, place an assorted print 1-1/2x6-1/2" strip atop first strip; align edges. Sew together through all layers (Diagram 2). Finger-press top strip open.

4. Repeat Step 3 to sew eight assorted print strips total onto bag lining unit. Sew a scant 1/4" seam across top of last strip added to bag lining unit (Diagram 3). Trim bag lining unit to 6-1/2x8-1/2" including seam allowances to make bag back.

5. Referring to steps 2–4, add six assorted print 1-1/2x6-1/2" strips to remaining bag lining unit (Diagram 4). Sew a scant 1/4" seam across the top of last strip. Center and trim bag lining unit to 6-1/2" square including seam allowances to make bag front.

1. Referring to Diagram 5 and photo for placement, center and pin rickrack in place. With matching thread, topstitch along long edges to secure. Trim even with raw edges.

2. Place bag front, right side up, on work surface. Center and align green zipper facedown along top edge of bag front. Using a zipper foot and 1/4" seam allowance, sew zipper to bag front (Diagram 5).

3. Finger-press bag front away from zipper. The zipper tape and seam allowance should be pressed toward the bag front. Topstitch a scant 1/4" from fold (Diagram 6).

4. Repeat steps 2 and 3 to add bag back to remaining edge of zipper (Diagram 7).

5. Fold bag front and back with wrong sides together. Trim bag back lower edge to match bag front. Stitch 1/4" seam across top edge, enclosing raw edge of zipper at bag top, to make bag body (Diagram 8).

Click on "Download this Project" for the Half Circle Pattern and tips for making a template of the pattern.

1. Place bag body, front side up, on work surface. Position Half Circle template on bottom edge of bag body. Using a water-soluble marking pen, trace around template curve on bottom edge of bag body (Diagram 9).

2. Move zipper tab to center of bag body. Referring to Diagram 10, stitch a scant 1/4" seam along sides and marked curve on bottom of bag. Trim zipper and bag next to stitching lines.

3. Using diagonal seams, join teal tone-on-tone 2-1/2"-wide bias strips to make a 75"-long binding strip (Diagram 11). Press binding strip in half lengthwise with wrong side inside. Fold in half crosswise and mark center of strip with a pin.

4. Fold bag body in half lengthwise to find center of bag bottom; mark with pin. Match pin at center of binding strip with center of bag bottom. Sew binding to front of bag along side and bottom edges (Diagram 12). Fold binding to back of bag, press, and pin in place.

5. Starting at one end of binding strip and working toward bag, fold long binding strip edges into thirds with raw edges inside. Repeat with remaining binding strip.

6. Stitch along folded binding edges from one end of binding to the other, including around bag body, to make strap and finish bag edge.

7. Determine desired length of bag strap. Tie ends of strap in a bow and trim ends at an angle to complete bag.