Sew Powerful Purses #90-91 (2025)

Several years ago I made about a dozen little appliqué houses that I was going to make into a wall quilt. I didn't quite finish all the houses, but I found them and decided to finish adding the embroidery on the ones that needed it and then instead of making the houses into a quilt, I started making them into purses to donate to Sew Powerful instead. I got all the flaps made and completed these 2 purses. I will be cutting out fabric to complete the rest of them soon.

I first stitched the house block onto a square set on point and then sewed batik scraps around it until I had the purse flap size I needed. I knew the houses would look better with scraps angled around it. I upcycled some black denim jeans for the purse bodies for these 2 purses. 

Little buttons are the doorknobs.

Front pockets from the jeans give an extra pocket in the front.

Instant pockets using the back pockets from the jeans.

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Sew Powerful Purses #87-89 (2025)

Here are 3 scrappy pieced purse flaps on these purses that I am donating to Sew Powerful. The one on the left started with a crazy pieced yellow, the middle with a star pieced block and the right one with a Debbie Mumm print. As soon as I use up a few scraps to make the flaps, I end up with even more scraps after cutting out the purse bodies. It is a never ending process. When the scraps start taking over, it's time to piece them together to create scrappy quilts to donate to use up the scraps faster, but then it starts all over again with scraps from cutting out purses, quilts or other bags.😜

3 scrappy purse flaps that are all different.

Back pockets on purses.

I love being able to use up scrap fabrics to create these purses to help teenage girls in Zambia to allow them to stay in school all year, so they do not miss any school while they are in their monthly periods. Making purses changes their lives for the better. Read about it here.

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Sew Powerful Purses #84-86 (2025)

Here are the last 3 purses of hand embroidered Herbs with crayon added. All of these have upcycled denim jean bodies. All flaps were sprayed with Scotch Guard. Donating these to Sew Powerful.

Back pockets.

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Sew Powerful Purses #81-83 (2025)

Another 3 embroidered herb flaps with crayon added. 2 with upcycled denim jean purse bodies. These will be donated to Sew Powerful.

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Sew Powerful Purses #78-80 (2025)

Years and years ago I started doing these (and 6 more) herb embroidery from an Aunt Martha iron on herb embroidery pattern. I thought I might make a quilt or several small quilts with them. I started a few and they sat for years. I found them later and colored parts with crayon and finished the embroidery on the ones that hadn't been stitched yet.  I thought these would look great for purse flaps for the Sew Powerful purses that I make to donate to girls in Zambia, so that's what they all are now. 

I sprayed them with Scotch Guard to help keep them cleaner. I hope it worked as the spray was more foamy than spray. I hadn't used it much before and it never really sprayed well, even shaking the can as directed.

I am glad I made these into purse flaps as they look pretty good and are going to a good cause too.

2 with upcycled denim jeans, including the front pockets from the jeans, which adds bonus pockets to the front.

The back denim jeans pockets too. I cut the back out with the pockets still attached. I used to remove the pockets and sew them back on so they would be straighter, since back jean pockets are at a slight angle when you wear them. It's easier to leave them attached.

I have 6 more made with different herbs that I will share soon too.

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Bee & Clover Panel with Pieced Border & Sunflowers

I am trying to use up some panels that I either bought or were donated awhile ago. This panel with bees and clover was a long narrow panel. I knew it needed side borders to make it wider, but making it too wide might look odd or take away from the panel? It's always a challenge to know what to do with panels. I wish they were more equal in width and length before adding borders. 

I first added the black inner border to define the panel. I knew I wanted to make a couple of appliqué sunflowers to add some interest and color and add some kind of border too. I came up with this border on the sides that looks a bit like zipper teeth 😄. I didn't have enough of the 3 border fabrics to make a top/bottom border, so decided to use the bee print on top/bottom. I am not wild about that, but maybe when someone quilts this, it will look better? I am donating this quilt top to Wrap the World with Quilts, so I am sure it will be used and I hope loved too. 🤗

This quilt top measures 34" wide x 59" high.

I used machine blanket stitch on the stem, leaves and petals and that stitch that looks like rickrack for stitching around the center of the sunflower.

Closeup of the bee & clover panel.

Pieced border.

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Sew Powerful Purses #76-77 for 2025

I made 2 purses to donate to Sew Powerful. The one on the left is the Intermediate purse body with the beginner flap that I scrappy pieced, while the one on the right is the Beginner purse body and beginner flap with a quilt block on the flap. I hadn't made the beginner purse body in a few years and wanted a true in life comparison side-by-side. What I found was the beginner purse body appears to be slightly taller than the intermediate purse. What's the difference between the purse styles? The Intermediate purse has a full gusset to create the depth of the purse, while the Beginner style has boxed corners to create the depth. The pieces are cut different measurements too. Unless I did something wrong, I don't really understand why the beginner purse is taller? The flap on the intermediate always seemed to be longer than the beginner flap too, and this could be the reason why. After sewing the beginner style again, I still much prefer the intermediate with the gusset. I find it easier for me to sew and those boxed corners are rather small (3/4" cut squares) and a bit more fiddly to do. Plus, when I sew the gusset, it is one continuous seam from the top side to the other top side, so I don't have to sew the sides and stop and sew the bottom and stop and sew the boxed corners and stop as I do with the beginner style. I like the one continuous seam on each side. But each to their own preference and sewing skills. I also find adding a pocket on the back (or even inside) is much easier with a gusset as I can just sew the pocket into the seams on the sides and bottom and not have to sew a pocket that I need to to turn and then topstitch in place, like on the beginner style.

Here they both are:

Intermediate purse on left and Beginner purse on right, both with Beginner style flaps.

I pieced webbing scraps together with ribbon covering the joins on both purses.

Added back pocket to the intermediate purse on left.

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