Purses - TAKE 2

I had high hopes when I started the return of TM-Originals. I was definitely excited to get back into wearable design. The earrings I wear all the time, and the booties I can't wait to wear when the weather gets cooler. The purse...well...let's talk about that. The key to painting anything that you plan on selling is durability. I painted the purse and it looked really nice. However, the paint never cured. Meaning it's still to this day, tacky to the touch. I did some investigation and found that all types of leather are not created equal, and the type that I used does not take the special leather paint as well. It was a disaster *Insert sad face*. I still want to make purses though. So, here is round 2.

I happened to be in Hobby Lobby picking out fabric with a friend for her project when I saw some canvas that caught my eye. It was a nice white/off white color. Not leather, but I liked it and I wanted to be versatile so I picked it up. Canvas is an easily manipulated fabric so I knew I could paint on it. I used the canvas and another printed fabric I found that day.

 

I made a template using poster board so I could get the exact measurements when cutting everything.

I ironed all of the pieces to remove wrinkles, and sewed them together. Somewhere along the line I decided that I would sew this one from the inside and flip it inside out. It actually looked pretty cool with the pattern on the outside. So I may be doing some inside out purses at some point. For the fastener I used an invisible magnetic closure that I attached to the inside of the fabric in both places.

Now it was time to get creative and paint the outside. Unlike a piece of art canvas you can't just use regular Acrylic paint. It will dry really hard and stiff. You must use something formulated for fabric specifically. They do sell that type of paint, but I didn't feel like buying new paint. I ended up just using fabric medium. You mix part paint and part medium to create a new softer formula. 

I wanted to go for the same color scheme as the last purse. I know summer is winding down, but I'm still holding on. I free styled a design on the outside using pastel yellow, green, and blue.

 

 

One thing I did learn is that I cut the purse to be sewn together from the outside. When I changed my mind and did it from the inside it took away some of the space and made the inside structure a little smushed. Not a disaster, but definitely something good to know for next time. I'm going to use this as a tester and see how it holds up.

 

Now, when I was in Hobby Lobby that day I got inspired not by just the canvas but by much of their fabric selection. I was there to help a friend and ended up with more in the cart than she did. I knew then 1 purse just didn't seem like enough. SO....

Purse #2 - After the first debacle, I did a lot of test swatches to see which type of leather would hold the paint. It actually turns out that I got material made for water use, so it's not meant to absorb liquid but rather repel it. Go figure. One of the swatches that was a success ended up being something I already had in my fabric bin. I used a piece of black leather, and paired it with some leftover home décor fabric.

A couple of hours later I turned some fabric remnants into a new clutch. For the fastener I used a magnetic closure adhered to the outside. I also decided to try out fabric glue to close the flap piece instead of sewing. I know, I talked so badly about fabric glue in the last post, but I want to try out some different techniques. Also I have a whole bottle of the stuff and feel like I should use it.

 

I was really digging the black on black and the mix of materials.

For some extra pizazz I decided to add a little bit of color and texture. I cut out some extra pieces and painted them in different shades of blue, green, and gray.  

I cut the big pieces into smaller pieces, and used my E6000 glue to set them on to the back of the purse.

I didn't have any real plan, just did more of a free form placing. Once all of the piece were placed I had to go back with some more powerful glue and add it to the corners of the individual pieces to keep them secure. The ones right on the fold were itching to curl up everytime I tried to close it. The finished product....

Purse #3 - For the last purse I used one of the fabrics I purchased from Hobby Lobby. Honestly at first sight I was thinking pencil skirt. (I actually have extra fabric left over so this may easily still happen. Who am I kidding, it will happen. So stay tuned for that post.) For the inside of this one I decided to go with a bold red. Black or white would have been too obvious and boring. I also had several yards of it from some pillows that never happened.

 

I made another template. This one had the same dimensions as the last, but had a full rectangular flap.

I decided to do something a little different for the closure on this one. I added the snap to the back of the purse, and added a strap to the inside that wrapped around the back to close.

I thought the purse needed a little something extra. I found a decorative piece in my craft stash, painted it gold to match the polka dots, and added it to the front.

I also decided to add a chain. I am definitely loving a cross-body bag situation these days. I don't know how often I would use it on a clutch, but it will be a nice added touch to have the option. To make the chain opening, I cut a hole in the corner of the purse and added 2 grommets on either side.

 

Then I strung a large gold ring through the grommets and added a thick gold chain.

Once the chain was added I had a finished product

 

This is probably my favorite of the 3. I love the material, and I'm actually loving the chain option.

 

 Purse #4 - ? HA, I didn't go that far. I thought about it though. 3 seems like enough for now. Definitely enough for my "research" purposes. So what do you think of my week of purse making? Like I said these are all testers. The goal is to see how good they are and how well the different techniques hold up in real life. I have been carrying them lately so I'll give you an update in a later post. Hopefully I can come to a consensus soon. I want to try and have my first collection out by the holidays. My very own COLLECTION. I like that word. It sounds so legit and cool. Until then .....It's on to the next project.