Sewing ideas

FASHION BELT WITH REMOVABLE PURSE

Rate this project

To vote, simply click on a star.

 

The project

5 ratings

The sewing instructions

2 ratings

Download

PATTERN Belt A3.pdf

 

BY CÉDRIC NEUSCHWANDER

 

Materials:

  • 50 cm of heavy, stiff fabric (such as heavy weight denim or cotton)
  • 20 cm printed cotton (medium weight)
  • 50 cm cotton or satin bias edging
  • Assorted thread, pencil, ruler, scissors and pins
  • Belt buckle (two parts)
  • 5 cm of velcro (1.5-2 cm wide)

Intructions:

Relevez le patron : 

  1. Make a same size copy of each pattern, making sure to include the guide marks.
    -Pattern A - used once with the heavy fabric. Because this will be used to make the belt, you need to take your waist measurement, then add an additional 20 cm.
    -Pattern B - used twice (once with the heavy fabric to make the purse, and once for the printed cotton to make the purse lining)
    -Pattern C - used twice (once for the heavy fabric to make the back of the purse, and once for the printed cotton to make the lining of the back of the purse)
    -Pattern D - used once with the heavy fabric (for the inside flap of the purse)
    -Pattern E - used once with the printed cotton (for the belt loop)
  2. Cut out the patterns in paper and pin them to the appropriate fabrics (since some patterns are used more than once, choose a robust, heavy grade of paper).
  3. Carefully cut out all pieces of fabric without allowing an extra margin for seams (all pieces are sewn together leaving a 1 cm margin, which has already been allowed for).

Make the belt :

  1. Take the strip of fabric cut using Pattern A, and placing the fabric right side down, make a 1 cm inwards fold along both long sides of the belt. Iron down well.
  2. Placing the fabric strip right side up, embroider using a decorative stitching to suit your taste (see photo for example).
  3. Fold your belt in half lengthways, then oversew along both long sides, 2 mm from the edge.
  4. Fix the buckle in place, attaching one part to each end of the belt according to the manufacturer's instructions.

  Make the removable purse :

 

 


  1. Embroider and/or decorate the part of the fabric that will serve as the top of the outside flap of your purse (Pattern B - heavy weight fabric) - see photo for example.
  2. Place the lining (Pattern B, printed cotton fabric) on top of the heavy weight fabric, wrong side against wrong side. Pin the two pieces together.
  3. Prepare the belt loop that will attach the purse to your belt (Pattern E).
  4. Sew a 1 cm hem on each of the short sides of the piece of fabric, then make a 1 cm fold inwards along both long sides, and iron down if needed. Position the belt loop on the outside of your purse (ie. on the heavy weight fabric, using the guide marks to help you), and sew down along the two long sides. Sewing down the belt loop also serves to hold the purse and its lining firmly together.
  5. Position and sew one piece of the velcro on the inside upper flap (Pattern D, heavy weight fabric), using the guide marks to help you.
  6. Still working with the inside upper flap (Pattern D) make a 1 cm hem on the long straight side, and iron down firmly. Position the inside upper flap (Pattern D) right side out against the cotton fabric (Pattern B), on what will become the top flap of the purse (the other side of which you have already embroidered). Sew down 2 mm from the edge to hold all layers together.
  7. Place the two pieces of Pattern C (the pouch of the purse), right sides together. Sew down along the straight side 1 cm from the edge, then fold the pieces back on one another so that both right sides are facing out. Oversew on the lining side (cotton fabric), 2 mm from the edge. Iron the layers down flat. If you like, you can also decorate the upper edge (straight side) of the pouch using an embroidery stitch (see photo for example).
  8. Position and sew the other piece of velcro on the heavy weight fabric side of the inside pouch (Pattern C) using the guide marks to position correctly. The velcro will also help hold the two layers of fabric together.
  9. Place the pouch (Pattern C, heavy weight fabric side up) on the purse (Pattern B, cotton fabric side up), and pin together. The pattern for the pouch is slightly larger than the pattern for the purse itself, to provide some interior volume. Take care to precisely align the curves, and pin them firmly together.
  10. Sew the pieces together, 2 mm from the edge.

Finishing touches and edging :

 

  1. Position the bias edging around the edges of the purse. To help you in your work, you can choose one of two approaches:
    -If you've chosen pre-folded bias binding: position the binding around the purse, sandwiching over the edges. Fix in place with a few pins, then sew down 2 mm from the edge.
    -If you've chosen a flat unfolded bias edging: position and pin the edging right around the outer edge of the purse, right
  2. sides together. Sew around the purse, 1 cm from the edge, and when you've finished, fold the edging over towards the back of the purse. Make a 2 mm inwards tuck, and fix in place using pins or basting the bias. Oversew the edging on the right side of the purse, following the existing seam.
    Iron your purse, then use the belt loop to thread it onto the belt.