Sew Powerful Purses #106-110 for 2026

5 more purses finished. Donating to Sew Powerful Purse Project. These were all made using denim jean scraps leftover from making upcycled denim jean purses. I placed a black tulle over the denim scraps and quilted it to hold it together and cut out the various purse pieces needed to make the purse. I added appliqué on the flaps and stitched with a blanket stitch around each appliqué piece. The second purse was stitched with decorative stitches without tulle on the flap, but all purse pieces do have the tulle overlay.

Decorative stitches and no tulle overlay on the flap.

This was a fabric postcard I made many years ago, so I decided to add it to this flap.

Hope is a die cut. 

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Sew Powerful Purses #226-229 (2024)

Two sets of twin purses. The first is a Siamese cat print flap with upcycled denim jeans body. I cut these out months ago to be made into these purses and recently finished them. Several months ago we we told that cats, bats, owls and hyenas are animals that have negative connotations with the people who live in the rural areas of Zambia. We are not to use those animals in our purses, however there are volunteers in Zambia who will sort through the purses and set aside any with those purses with those animals to make sure they are not sent to the rural schools, so while we shouldn't use those animals, the girls who don't live in rural areas are fine with them. I doubt anyone would make a purse with a hyena or even a bat (unless there are little bats on a Halloween fabric), but there have been lots of cats and owl purses made in the past and even recently I have seen those on the Facebook Group. I personally will no longer make any purses with those animals so as to not add a burden to the volunteers there. These were the last ones I had all cut to make into purses and the girls do need them, so these will be the last ones I do with cats. 

I used whatever cat fabric I had and then added strips of fabric to it in order to make it the size needed for cutting the flap.

Upcycled denim jeans for the purse bodies.

This was such a pretty fabric that I made the entire exterior using this fabric. I rarely do plain flaps like this, but if I have enough fabric for the flap I will cut a whole fabric flap. I usually cut the body pieces of a fabric and then use scraps for creating the flap, or just make an artsy flap and find a fabric that will work well for the body.

I used whatever fabrics that I had for the lining pieces.

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Sew Powerful Purse #218 (2024)

A denim purse made by upcycling jeans. I added an appliqué bird using batik fabrics and some hand embroidery stitches and machine stitches too.

Back pocket using strips of denim and decorative stitches.

Bird appliqué closeup.

Jean pocket on front provides an extra pocket.

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Sew Powerful Purse #217 (2024)

Upcycled denim jeans purse. Not only did I upcycle the denim jeans for the purse body, but I used raw edge denim jean scraps to create the flap, along with some decorative machine stitching. A few added buttons for embellishment too.

Donating to Sew Powerful Purse Project.

Raw edge patchy denim jeans scraps with lots of decorative machine stitching to create the purse flap.

Back pocket.

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Sew Powerful Purse #197 (2024)

I painted a different stencil on this flap for a Sew Powerful Purse Project purse. Part of her head ended up on the back side of the purse, so I need to bring the stencil down more when I stencil another one of these flaps but then her hand and dress will get cut off when lowering it down 😥.

I will need to lower the stencil down on the next one I do so that her head is not cut off!

Upcycled denim jeans purse body.

Here you can see the entire stencil when the purse is laid out like this. I appliquéd a flower onto the back pocket too. I do have some ideas for painting the white background for the next batches of stencils I create.

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Sew Powerful Purse #196 for 2024

Happy Scrappy Flappy purse for Sew Powerful Purse Project with upcycled denim jeans body.

Hexagon center with pieced strips all around it made Log Cabin style. It is an interesting look. The girls love purple and orange colors, so this one should be well received.

Upcycled more denim jeans for the body of the purse.

Another flower appliqué I did on the pocket, in orange and purple colors too.

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Sew Powerful Purse #173 (2024)

Another purse made from upcycling denim jeans. For this purse I used a back pocket on the front flap and added a flower appliqué. And the front jean pocket I put on the back of this purse. It's kind of a Picasso art purse, 😂!!

 

The pocket has a shabby chic look to it with the worn bits.

I added an appliqué that I fussy cut out from some fabric with large motifs that all looked like appliqué. (I used lots of the other motifs from this fabric print as appliqué on several more purses I have made, the larger motifs I used on flaps, so be looking for those to be posted as I finish them).😉

The back side has the front jeans pocket. 

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Sew Powerful Purses #168-169 (2024)

Two denim purses that I made using denim jeans with added appliqué. 

The purse on the left I added a flower applique with selvage center. The purse on the right was made with raw edge denim scraps that I zigzagged around the edges and then quilted it before adding the appliqué flower and hearts. Very Shabby Chic.

On the back I used a front pocket on one purse and a back pocket on the other purse, and of course another appliqué flower too. 

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Sew Powerful Purses #43-46 (2023) for Fundraiser 2023

I made 4 Sew Powerful Purses with Hot Air Balloons on the flaps in appliqué. I put them into a local gift shop to see if they will sell, since Balloon Fiesta will be here the first weekend in October and I hope they will sell. I put a little note in the front pocket explaining that if the purse sells, I will donate the money received to Sew Powerful during their Fundraiser and Sew-a-thon during the month of September. So far nothing is selling at that gift shop. It has been hot here though, so most people are probably not wanting to shop or stroll around Old Town.

If they don't sell, then I will donate them to one or up to four girls in Zambia, depending on how many do sell, or if any sell? Time will tell.

So here are the 4 purses I made~

The body of the purse is denim, upcycled from denim jeans.

I added a pocket inside this one. I usually don't add an inside pocket, but I had some extra fabric.

I also added a jean pocket on the back that I first did an appliqué heart on it. Only smaller women jean pockets will fit on the back of the purse.

Added crystal bling on all of the balloons too.

This one I made with a batik fabric body.

Back has a slip pocket added.

Another denim jean body and pocket with a purple appliqué heart on this one.

Denim jean body and this one I did a flower appliqué on the pocket.

Flap lining I had to piece scrappy as I didn't have enough of either fabric. Kind of like that scrappy lining flap.

Wish me luck in selling these purses so I can donate to the fundraiser. If you would like to donate any amount to Sew Powerful (in my name) during the fundraiser (through September 2023), let me know so I can send you the link and my number  to enter to donate, because there will be prizes for us fundraisers. Not that I need to win anything, but Aurifil thread is one of the prizes and I can always use thread, lol! Sewing machines are donated too from Bernina and Babylock (serger), but those go to the people who raise the most $$. Will find out at the end of September if I am lucky enough to win anything.

Happy purse sewing for me!

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