Fiona strikes again!

08:00

That darned Fiona, she's always sticking her nose in where a new pattern is and subjecting herself to the torture of hand sewing!

I had the very great pleasure of testing the Greenbacks Wallet from Sew Sweetness which comes with three options.

I used Cath Kidston Provence Rose in blue for the exterior, white binding and then a myriad of stash fabrics for the pockets/accordion and lining. The zipped pocket inside used to be a pink hankie. Thanks Ben!
I chose the third, the most advanced one because a) I thought many testers would have been scared off by the advanced level of this pattern and wanted Sara to get some detailed feedback (I was wrong, many gorgeous #3 wallets were created!), b) I'm a Brit, we use a lot of coins and I need a zipped pocket in my purses.

I thought the other two options were great though and I've got my sights set on the #1 option with card slots on the back and a zip pouch on the back.

I chose to leave the card slots on the left undivided so that I could have some note and receipt storage. I'm terrible for carting a ton of receipts around with me!
The pattern was easy to follow and although there were a few edits to be made (It was a test pattern, there's usually at least a few!), I was chuffed with how easy it was. I started to pat myself on the back and congratulate myself on how great I am at sewing.


Then I got to the binding and I had to sew it by hand and it was awful and I almost lost my fingerprint on my right third finger. Then it was done and like they say the pain of childbirth does, the memory of the hand stitching faded into a memory and I was just so pleased with how it looked. (The pain of hand stitching wasn't to do with the pattern, it is just because I'm USELESS at hand stitching and really need to work on it)

Great size for a clutch right?
If you'd like to make this purse yourself, you can buy a copy from here for a bargainous $8

It's massive as a purse, it's far more the size of an organiser clutch and will happily fit my phone, receipts and as much cash as I don't have!

See how large this is? It's almost as wide as my serger. There's not much I won't fit in here!

Do you like to take your whole bag with you when you go out or do you shove as much as you can into your purse/wallet and just take that? I currently have cards, receipts, cash, tissues and phone in my old purse and it's really not that large!!

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Hi, I'm Samantha, aka Mrs H. I write sewing patterns for bags and love seeing what you create with my designs!

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11 comments

  1. Emily10 May 2013 at 08:07

    This is really great! I love your version of it. I hate handsewing too - I avoid it at all costs. And as for whether or not I use a big bag or just a wallet? I use a big one... currently using the Pretty Pleats Tote. Who knows what's in there....

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  2. Cranberry Morning10 May 2013 at 12:57

    Such pretty fabric. The whole thing is beautiful! I'd probably find a way to sew the binding with a machine. Is it mandatory that it looks pretty when finished?? ;-) 'chuffed' = surprised? blown away? Not sure what that word means, but it looks and sounds like it should mean 'annoyed.' I think I'll invent a new American meaning for that word.

    Lovely work, Samantha. Losing your fingerprints might not be a bad thing, depending on how unruly you truly are.

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  3. Unknown10 May 2013 at 13:30

    Those are such cute fabrics! Oh how I miss the days of being able to just carry around a tiny wallet. I don't even remember carrying a purse until I had kids!

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  4. Robin10 May 2013 at 14:47

    That really looks like a great design. I may have to take the plunge on this one. Hmmm... I wonder if there is a way to avoid the handstitching? :P Your wallet turned out beautifully! Thanks so much for sharing your experiences making it. :)

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  5. Maria10 May 2013 at 15:41

    Love your purse. I wanted to do this version also but when I saw I had to do hand stitching I chose version two. LOLL

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  6. Sally10 May 2013 at 15:42

    Your wallet looks great! I especially love the fabric. I've been searching for fabric Similar to this ever since I saw the pouch you made for that swap. I need a new wallet too, but I'm just wondering if this might be larger than what I want to stuff in my purse? Sometimes I only carry a little pouch and sometimes I carry my whole big purse it just depends.

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  7. legato195810 May 2013 at 17:39

    Love your custom wallet! I am also lousy at handstitching! Glad you didn't lose your finger tip!!

    Cute fabrics!!

    Susie

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  8. Dee11 May 2013 at 04:49

    I must be the odd one out - I like doing hand stitching. Of course I like it in the most creative ways and not just boring or functional. Even so, I still stab myself all too frequently.
    The purse looks good but seems huge. Your version is very pretty. I wouldn't dare use light coloured fabrics 'cause I would have it all grubbed up in no time. How did you find the time whilst packing, renovating, moving to sew up this beauty?

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  9. MOMENTS Designs12 May 2013 at 01:54

    Great Job !!
    I'm especially impressed you sewed by Hand !!!
    Next thing I will be reading is that you did the binding on a quilt ! LOL

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  10. ChrisW Designs12 May 2013 at 04:56

    You've done a great job! I am not a fan of hand stitching either and like to avoid it where I can! LOL
    Christine
    ChrisW Designs

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  11. photosarah16 May 2013 at 03:13

    I don't like how long hand stitching takes, but I like how much easier it is use in tight or finicky areas. I actually have lost part of my fingerprint in the center of my pointer finger... I blame needles and pins and crochet hooks, etc.

    I've been looking for a good wallet pattern, but haven't been able to commit to one yet. I have fabric already and everything.

    Also, nice fabric for the outside there ;) I like the combo of fabrics you used on the inside too.

    ReplyDelete

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