Appleton Dance

A friend's daughter made a cute purse for her several years ago and I tried to duplicate it. The pattern is fairly simple, just make the bag and lining for the bottom and a loop of fabric and a lining for the top with holes cut out and bound; then slip the top loop with the handholds between the bag and the lining and topstitch the two pieces together. I used fabrics from Moda's "Fresh Squeezed" collection designed by Sandy Gervais. I bound the handholds with self bias binding and I bound the seam between the top and the bottom with orange grosgrain ribbon with a loop for keys. I plan to make another one and document the process sometime this summer or fall. Front Back

On the way home from seeing Teddy Tahu Rhodes as Mozart's count at Cinty Opera , we stopped at Jungle Jim's where I saw a cute purse made out of silk and satin crazy quilting with a lovely fringe of looped ribbons set inside the bottom seam. I thought I'd like to give it a try but -- as seen in the photo above -- it didn't turn out as well as I'd hoped. Materials: I made two 10 x 12-inch pieces of random patchwork triangle squares from four-inch charm squares. I used of Moda 's "Fresh Squeezed" cotton print fabric designed by Sandy Gervais . (Round the bottom corners of the fabric,  and cut both pieces into identical bag shapes that you desire.) Cut two pieces of matching or contrasting lining fabric the same size and shape as the patchwork pieces. For the ribbon trim, purchase a box of four to six yard-long, mixed-color, fabric ribbon to match or contrast with your fabric. I bought mine in the scrapbooking section of a craft store, Hobby Lobby, t...