Here's the third purse for the Camp Shaw fundraiser. As it turns out, this one was the greatest challenge, but challenging yourself is good for the mind and the creative spirit. As with the pink purse, this shirt was the perfect fit for this pattern--also from McCalls 5011. However, it's been a while since I sewed and I made a decision error with one of the materials on the list. It called for fusible interfacing (hair canvas). In my mind, hair canvas was a material I had used before for other purses--almost like a fine needlepoint canvas. However, when I was at the cutting counter, they didn't have that, so I bought a fusible interfacing that was fairly thick, about the thickness of felt but much stiffer. I should have realized it would be difficult to stitch through and that I should have trimmed it inside the seam allowances rather than having to trim it afterward just beyond the seamline. So this purse turned out fairly stiff--it can definitely stand on its own. I had the same challenge with this purse that I had with the back of the pink purse--the placement of the screen print meant some creative piecing, so this time I covered the seams with wide black rickrack.

But the greatest challenge was at the end. The way this purse goes together, the seam that remains unsewn for turning right-side out is the handle opening on both sides--that rounded triangular area. But then you have to hand-stitch along that opening, sewing the outer part (the t-shirt in this case) to the lining. That's really when I realized that the felt-like fusible stuff was a bad idea! I don't know how many times I stuck myself with pins and needles making those two pieces line up correctly. And stitching through that dense fabric was tough! But I persevered and finished the purses just in time to get ready for the fundraiser (and not a moment sooner!). They did turn out pretty cute, if I can say that about something I made without tooting my own horn.

Thanks, Deb, for the inspiration and the push I needed to get back to sewing and making things. It felt great!