How to Make Mini Skirt Purses Part 2

Let’s Finish!

15. Begin the French Hem on the skirt – With the skirt right side out, pin the hem of the skirt together with the edges even. Next, sew the hem closed with a zigzag stitch. Trim the excess.

*Why a French Hem? This method provides a stronger, stabler, and more secure base for the purse.

16. Continue on the French Hem – Turn your skirt inside out, push the sewn hem out, and iron the bottom of the purse.

17. Finish the French Hem – Straight stitch across the hem, encasing the excess fabric from the zigzag stitching inside the hem. Turn your purse right side out and admire your handiwork.

18. Putting Your Purse Together – Insert the lining into the skirt and adjust the folded over top of the lining until it is even with or slightly below the top of the purse. Pin the lining to the skirt.

19. Attach the Lining – Sew the lining to the purse using a straight stitch. Be careful around the button(s). I sewed all the way around, then did a separate stitching section carefully above the buttons.

20. Making a Strap – When thinking about what type of strap I wanted to make, I decided I wanted something different from the usual straight strap. I decided to make a braided strap for each purse. It was simple. Here’s a close-up picture of the finished product.

Here are some tips on how to make a braided strap:

– Cut out a piece of material somewhat longer than the length you want and about 6 inches wide.
– Without cutting all the way to the end, cut it into 3 strips, about 2 inches wide each. Leaving one end of the three strips attached helps keep things in line while you braid the strap.

– Secure the attached end of the strips to something.

– Loosely braid the strips and secure the end with a pin.
– Sew the ends of the braid to the sides of your purse. Due to the nature of the strap ends, I chose to use zigzag stitching layered back a forth a few times to secure the strap.