Gathered CosmoCup

What you will need:

Fabrics: 1/2 yd one print for main exterior & inside pocket panel (Well call this FIRST PRINT) 1/2 yd coordinating print for exterior band, button, and inside purse lining (SECOND PRINT) 1/2 yd second coordinating print for purse handle, and button loop (THIRD PRINT) Other Supplies: 1 yd. firm iron on interfacing (I use Pelon 809 Decor Bond) One 1.5 button to cover (I use Dritz brand) Coordinating thread

Cutting the pieces:

From the FIRST PRINT: Cut (1) rectangle 10 wide x 13 long for back main exterior Cut (1) rectangle 10 wide x 18 long for front main exterior (gathered front) Lay the back main exterior fabric with the right side facing down on the cutting mat. Fold in half lengthwise with the wrong sides together, matching the raw edges. Measure half way up the width of the fabric on the raw edge and make a mark. Using your scissors cut a curved arc from the bottom of the folded edge towards the mark on the middle of the raw edge of the fabric. See photo:

You will now have a U shaped piece of fabric. This will be the back main exterior for your purse, we will use this shape as the pattern for the rest of the fabric cut outs. See

photo: Fold back main exterior in half again lengthwise and set aside. Lay the front main exterior fabric with the right side facing down on the cutting mat. Fold in half

lengthwise with the wrong sides together, matching the raw edges. Lay the back main exterior on top of the front main exterior matching the raw edges along the width (10 side). See photo:

Follow the curved line with your scissors, cutting off the corner edge on the front main exterior. You should now have to U Shaped pieces for the front and back main exterior pieces of fabric. Please see Photo:

Now, lets finish cutting out the pattern pieces from the rest of the fabric and interfacing :) From the FIRST PRINT: Cut (2) 7.5 wide x 13 long U Shape for inside pocket panel. Using the back main exterior as your pattern piece, fold down the top edge of the back main exterior pattern piece 2.5 along the top length. Lay on top of FIRST PRINT fabric and cut (2) for the inside pocket panel.

From the SECOND PRINT: Cut (1) rectangle 4 wide x 13 long for exterior band Cut (1) circle 3 in diameter to cover the button Cut (2) 10 wide x 13 long U Shape for inside purse lining As before, we will be using the back main exterior as your pattern piece. Lay on top of SECOND PRINT fabric and cut (2) for the inside purse lining.

From the THIRD PRINT: Cut (2) rectangles 31 long x 3.5 wide for the purse handle Cut (1) rectangle 12 long x 4 wide for the button loop

From the INTERFACING: We will be adding interfacing onto the inside purse lining, the purse handles, and one of the inside pocket panels. Using the pieces you have already cut from the fabric as pattern pieces for the interfacing: Cut (2) Inside Purse Linings Cut (2) Purse Handles Cut (1) Inside Pocket Panel

Once all is said and done, you should have this (minus 2 purse handles and 2 purse interfacing handles as shown in the picture - I accidentally cut 2 too many):

Now that the cutting is out of the way, things will go much faster. Cutting it all out seems to be the most time consuming part - and a bore. Sorry!!! Now the fun part begins :)

Applying the Interfacing:

We will be interfacing the: Inside Purse Linings Purse Handles And (1) Inside Pocket Panel Iron / Sew on the interfacing to the WRONG side of the fabric pieces listed above. If you are using the interfacing I used, the instructions are as follows: Place the shiny side of the interfacing against the wrong side of the fabric. Use a hot, dry iron, apply slight pressure with a gliding action directly on the interfacing to iron on. If you are using another kind of interfacing, follow the instructions given.

Lets Get Sewing:

Sewing the Purse Exterior: Take the exterior band piece and fold it in half lengthwise, right sides together and press. Sew together along the raw edge using a 1/2" seam allowance. See photo:

Turn exterior band right side out and press with seam in the middle on the back. Set aside. See photo:

Take the 10 x 18 front main exterior and fold in half top to bottom, crease, and unfold. Sew two lines of gathering stitches down the middle, 1 line on the crease, and the other line 1 above the middle crease. Pull the top threads to gather fabric until the length is 13" long. Spread gathered fabric evenly along purse, press the gathers in place. See Photo:

Take the exterior band and pin it in the middle of the front main exterior, with the seam on the exterior band towards the gathering stitches covering them. Pin in place and top stitch along each side of the band. See Photo:

Place the front main exterior and the back main exterior right sides together and pin along sides. Sew sides together only, leaving the top edge open. See photo:

Turn the exterior of the bag right side out, running your finger along the inside seam to push out an extra fabric. Press. Set Aside.

Sewing the Purse Interior: Lets start with making the inside pocket. Take the 2 inside pocket panels, place right sides together and pin along top edge. Sew top edge together only using a 1/2 seam allowance, leaving the sides open. See photo:

Turn the pocket panel right side out and press along the top edge. Top stitch along top edge of inside pocket panel. See photo:

Lay 1 inside purse lining down, right side up, and place the inside pocket on top. Match the side and bottom edges, pin in place, and sew around outside edge using a 1/4 seam allowance. (Do not sew along top of pocket edge, as this would close pocket up - simply sew the outside edges onto lining). Fold the inside purse lining with inside pocket in half lengthwise, creating a crease down the center of the pocket. Stitch up along the crease. This will create 2 sections to the inside pocket. (You can delete this step if you only wish to have one larger pocket). See photo for lining with 2 section pocket:

Place the two inside purse lining panels right sides together and pin along sides. Sew sides together only with a 1/2 seam allowance, leaving the top edge open.

Making the Button Loop: Fold the button loop fabric in half lengthwise creating a crease down the center. Open the fabric and place wrong side up. Fold the long raw edges in towards the center crease and press. See photo:

Fold the button loop in half lengthwise with the wrong sides (or raw edges) together and press. Top stitch down both sides. See photo:

Take the button loop and make an arc with it, standing it up on its side. See photo:

Now flip the top of the raw bottom edges outwards, laying them down side by side. See photo:

Overlap the bottom of the side edges by 1/8 and pin them together. Mark 2.75 up from the

bottom raw edges. Then stitch along overlapped pieces up to mark. See photo:

Take the top of the button loop and press down, forming a triangle. Stitch along bottom of triangle edge. See photo:

Center the raw edges of the button loop on the top raw edge of the Back main Exterior right sides together. (I like to make the button loop raw edges a little bit higher then the back of the

purses raw edge. Find it easier to work with later like this.) Pin and sew into place using a 1/ 4 seam allowance. *Be sure to only sew onto the back exterior purse panel, not the front! See photo:

Sewing the Exterior and the Lining together: With the exterior right side out, and the lining wrong side out, place the exterior inside the lining. See photo:

Match the side seams and pin the exterior and the lining together along the outside top raw edge, LEAVING A 4-5 OPENING ALONG THE BACK PURSE EDGE (where the button loop is). Sew along top edge, leaving the 4 - 5 opening, using a 1/2 seam allowance. See photo:

Turn the bag right side out through the 4 - 5 opening. Put your hand inside the opening and follow along the inside seam to open the bag entirely up. Push lining inside of purse and press the top edge, folding in the 4 - 5 opening raw edge and pin. Top stitch along entire purse top edge (this will also close the opening). See photo:

Sewing the Purse Handle: Fold the purse handle fabric in half lengthwise creating a crease down the center. Open the fabric and place wrong side up. Fold the long raw edges in towards the center crease and press. Repeat for other purse handle. See photo:

Take the two purse handles and put them wrong sides together, enclosing the raw edges. Pin together along both long edges (lengthwise) and edge stitch. See Photo:

Turn the short raw edge of the purse handle up 1. Attach to the side of the purse, lining up with the purse seam, with the raw edge facing the purse. Pin and sew along entire purse handle where it is attached to the purse, creating a box-like effect securing the handle to the purse and enclosing the raw edge. Repeat on other side of purse handle. See photo:

Cover the Button: Using your 3 diameter fabric circle that you had cut out from the SECOND fabric, follow the button manufacturers instructions to cover the button. Hand stitch the button to the gathered front exterior of the purse, measuring it approximately 1.5 from the top edge along the center of the purse. Cest fini :) - See photo: