Leather Love Coin Purse

  Since my last post, my camera broke to the point of uselessness.... I tried both of my zoom lenses, and no matter what I changed, every photo was ridiculously blurry. Then a few days ago, I decided I might as well see if my prime lens was the same way, since the chances of me getting a new camera right now are about zero, and the same for sending it off to be fixed. Guess what... it worked! And just in time to photograph my latest creation, this coin purse that I adore.

  I didn't adore it while making it though. The exterior is leather, which increases the thickness in the seams by quite a bit, and I (foolishly) added fusible fleece on the lining.

  After sewing the lining all together, but before sewing it to the outer, I decided I really didn't like the way the orange fabric I'd chosen looked with the leather, and went rummaging through my fabric collection to find a better one.

  I finally found an ill-fitting (ordered online and uncomfortably small) dress stashed away for refashioning purposes, and decided it would be perfect. So I sewed a second lining from the butterfly fabric of the dress, again using fusible fleece on it. I sewed the entire purse this time, turning and top-stitching, and was ready to glue it.... but there was a problem.

   No matter what I did, I just couldn't stuff the thick layer at the seam into the frame, even after trimming the seam allowances and hammering the seams. I even tried stretching the frame open a bit, but it just ruined it. That meant that it was time for a third lining, as well as a new frame.

  Luckily, the dress I'd chosen to sacrifice for fabric was ankle-length and there was plenty for a new interior. This time, since the fabric was on the delicate side and still needed some reinforcement, but with as little thickness as possible, I used a firm but thin interfacing. I would have used a medium interfacing, but I don't have any right now.

  This time, there were no problems. I hammered the seams, and they just barely slipped into a new (not ruined) frame, The gluing even went smoothly, which is more than I can say about most of the coin purses I've sewn. The only thing I'm still not quite pleased with is that the interfacing I used wrinkled a lot during the turning process, and it didn't iron out.

  Now you know why I didn't love sewing this one!

  I liked the exterior from the beginning though... the reverse applique turned out perfectly, and I love the way the dainty floral looks next to the leather.

  I added some buttons that I salvaged from some beyond-repair clothes about 16 years ago (if you are paying attention, yes, I had a button stash before I really learned how to sew), sewing them on and top-stitching around the heart with bright pink thread.

  When the outer layer is fabric, I prefer finished-edge reverse applique, but for the leather it would have been too bulky... besides which, leather edges don't fray.

  The pattern is my own (I'm updating that pattern soon. No more wonky pattern!) and the leather I bought almost three years ago with plans to make a wallet that didn't work out. The leather is interfaced with lightweight fusible interfacing. And yes, you CAN iron on leather. It might shrink with steam, but it's easy enough to just block-fuse and cut after.

  The heart was cut from the cutest faux-patchwork fabric Tia Eva gave me.... I was originally planning on cutting the heart from the junction between four pieces, but this rose block was too cute not to use.

  I don't have plans for this one yet... I'm considering re-opening my Etsy shop and trying to sell it, but I'm thinking I'll wait until I have a few more items I can sell.

  And now, I'm off to take care of my temperamental children. =)

Thanks for stopping by!