Sew Powerful Purses #386-391 (for 2025)

I got these 6 purses made during the Sew-a-thon in September. I wanted to use up the beach vacation-like fabric for the purse bodies of 5 of these purses and include some of the scraps in the flap as well. It might be fun for the girls to receive purses like this since they live in Zambia, which is land locked and have not been to the sea or on a beach or seen sailboats, etc. in person.

I also had some flower appliqués I had cut out from a tie dye tank top to use as well.

The sailboats were fun to add to 2 flaps. While you cannot see it very well, those large white buttons on each flap have an anchor design on them.

Another Starbucks apron was upcycled for this purse.

An instant pocket from the apron pocket.

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Sew Powerful Purses #10-12 (2025)

Using up a couple of miscellaneous quilt blocks, plus a painted fabric with an appliqué.

I found the quilt block on the left and on the right and made them into purse flaps. The star on the right I had to add some strips to make it the flap size needed. The center flap is another painted texture background with a Hawaiian butterfly flower appliqué in the corner using an upcycled rainbow knit tank top.

Center is an upcycled denim jeans purse body.

Back of purses.

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Sew Powerful Purses #342-346 (2024)

5 more purses using a variety of flap techniques: scrappy piecing, quilt blocks, appliqué, painted background and stenciled flaps. Donated to Sew Powerful.

Purse flaps all different.

A variety of fabrics used for each purse.

Pockets on the backs.

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Sew Powerful Purse #219 (2024)

Using up some pieced stuff I made a long time ago and found recently to make a flap for purse. Here is one I came across and now it is a purse to donate to a sweet girl in Zambia.

Donating to Sew Powerful Purse Project.

Added back pocket.

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I am a Bronze Level Prize Sponsor for the 2024 Sew Powerful Sew-a-thon

Hello everyone, I wanted to let you know that I am one of the sponsors this year for the Sew Powerful Sew-a-thon. As a Bronze level sponsor, the total value of the prize equals $100, but I could divide it into more than one prize and I decided to create 2 prizes (each prize is valued at $50). I created 10 purse flaps for the the Sew Powerful purses and 2 winners will win 5 flaps each.

I used different techniques in creating the purse flaps too. For each prize I made a flap out of selvages, batik pieced flap, a painted flap, a pieced flap with an appliqué butterfly on it, and a raw edge scrappy quilted flap. So, do you want to see the flaps I made for the prizes? Of course you do! Check them out below:

If you would like to join in on the Sew-a-thon & Fundraiser for 2024, you can pre-enroll now and get some fun extras. Check it out here!

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Genevieve Bag in Batik Fabrics

Genevieve is back now with updated sewing methods and FREE video tutorials too! I tested the updated version of Genevieve recently for Christine of ChrisW Designs and so glad that I did! I missed testing Genevieve the first time around when Christine first designed this bag (must have been busy with something else), so this time Christine added her magic to update Genevieve.

For one week you can grab the pdf pattern on sale for 20% off (no code needed)! 

You can choose the plain flap or the piped flap. While I chose to make the "plain" flap, my Genevieve is anything but plain, lol! She is a cross body bag with a gusset, an adjustable strap, phone pocket, front pocket, inside zipper pocket, inside slip pockets and pen pocket. I got creative with the flap and made it by piecing scraps of batik fabrics, then quilting it and adding buttons, a handmade label and some crystal embellishments too. Isn't she pretty?

I decided to go even scrappier by making the front and back of the bag out of 2 different batik prints and colors. The front pocket is another color and batik print. The gusset another batik print and the strap is a combination of the fabric used for the front, back and gusset sewn together to create the strap. I did use all one green print for the lining though.

You can make Genevieve with a plain flap (like this one and yes I know the way I made this flap is not really plain), or the other flap choice is adding piping to the flap and other areas of the bag.  

I had such fun creating this one-of-a-kind Genevieve. So here is my version of Genevieve:

Isn't she gorgeous? I just love batik fabrics!

I added lots of bling to the flap. Besides quilting the flap in a variegated thread,

 I added a Handmade Label, round buttons, a butterfly button, and crystals.

This is the back side of the bag and I used this pretty batik for the back.

The side of the bag showing the gusset batik print. I topstitched around the gusset, which isn't called for in the pattern, but I think it not only looks nicer, but adds some strength to the gusset too.

This is the bottom of the bag and it is quilted on the bottom of the gusset.

Lift the flap and you see the front slip pocket in a hot pink batik. You can see the flap stays closed with the magnetic snap.

Peeking inside the front slip pocket is a slip phone pocket too. My pen is holding this pocket open so I can take a photo of it.

Here you can see the phone pocket inside the front slip pocket too. I added some rivets on the upper corners of the phone pocket.

The lining is a green batik fabric that has 2 large slip pockets divided in the center with a pen pocket. I also added some rivets in the corners of the pen pocket.

On the opposite side of the lining from the slip pocket is a large zipper pocket.

Another closer look at the flap.

Back of the bag with the flap pulled straight up.

Genevieve measures 14" wide x 11" high x 3" deep. She is a large girl, but not too large. She is great for when you need to carry more than just a few items. She would be great to take on vacation when you need more space to put things.

Pdf is on sale at 20% off this week only, with free video tutorials too. Watch the video and grab the pattern on sale. Or grab the pattern now and then watch the video. It's so easy to sew along with Christine and it's like she is your sewing buddy as you make this bag.

Happy bag sewing! 

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Sew Powerful Purse #15 (for 2023)

Another Happy Scrappy Flappy that I made to donate to Sew Powerful. The body of the purse is an African print fabric that was donated to me by a woman who purchased it in Texas (she lives in Texas). So that fabric came from Africa, travelled to Texas, then travelled to New Mexico and will be travelling to Georgia, along with 14 other purses I made to attend the Atlanta Quilt Show in March at the Sew Powerful Booth there. Then it will travel to Renton, WA before boarding a ship to come full circle and will eventually find a home back in Zambia, Africa where one girl will receive this purse. If only that fabric could talk! I was sent a lot of this fabric, so you will be seeing other purses that I will use it in eventually too.

Scrappy Flappy is always Happy!!!

This is the back side with a slip pocket and it's the African print fabric.

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Sew Powerful Purse #14 (for 2023)

Here is another Happy Scrappy Flappy I made to donate to Sew Powerful. I sewed the buttons on making flowers as I stitched them with embroidery floss. 

I added a slip pocket to the back.

Buttons sewn on with embroidery floss and made into flowers.

More flowers made sewing buttons on.

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Sew Powerful Purse #13 (for 2023)

Peace baby! Flower Power & Love! I made this a Hippie Dippy Flappy, lol! Channeling my inner Hippie I guess. Made by upcycling some denim jeans and adding the appliqué motifs to the flap. And the back side has another fun surprise too!

Peace & Love Hippie Style Flap. Isn't it Far Out?

And what goes with the front appliqué? A Kombi VW Hippie Van of course! I appliquéd the van onto a denim and made it into a slip pocket for the back of the purse. Pretty Groovy looking.

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