.: How to Make - a Patchwork Coin or Card Purse

A pretty purse made entirely from materials in an 'Inspiration Pack' available from Lynwoodcrafts. The following materials from the pack will be required:

- interfacing
- fine sewing cotton
- contrasting tacking thread
- button
- lining fabric
- three printed fabrics
- main sewing thread
- two contrasting threads.

In addition you will need: scissors, pins, needle and card from which to make a pattern (for example - a cereal packet).

Using your recycled card mark out a rectangular template - 11 cm x 21 cm. Cut out this template and use it to mark two rectangles on the interfacing. If you wish to make the bookmark, you will need to take care to cut the interfacing as shown below:

Pin one piece of interfacing to the selected lining fabric. Cut out the fabric leaving about 1 cm all around as a seam allowance.

Fold the seam allowance over on both long sides and press in place:

Repeat for the short sides. Then fold each of the corners, as shown, and pin in place:

Tack using the contrasting sewing thread from the inspiration pack.

Cut strips of the selected printed fabrics. These should be 13 cm wide and may be as 'long' as you like. A pleasing patchwork will be created by varying these lengths. Order the strips as you like - remember that each will lose a minimum of about 1.5 cm from their length in seam allowances.

Pin the first strip onto the second piece of interfacing - the fabric should overhang the interfacing by a seam allowance of 1 cm on three on three sides. Take the next strip in your sequence and lay it on top of the first strip, right sides together, and match the 'top' edge as shown:

Using the fine sewing thread from the pack and back stitch or very small running stitches, stitch through the two printed fabrics and interfacing, as shown. Fold the second strip back over the interfacing, concealing the seam and press in place. Take the third strip in your sequence, repeating the process - this time stitching the third to the second strip through the interfacing. Fold back and press in place as below:

Continue in this way, adding further strips from your sequence, until the interfacing is entirely covered and there is an additional seam allowance of about 1 cm 'overhanging' the 'top edge'. Fold the seam allowances, treating the corners in the same way as for the lining and pin and tack as for the lining.

At this stage you may choose to embellish the completed patchwork strip with some simple embroidery, using the contrasting threads. I have added some cross stitches to the striped fabric as shown.

In order to turn the strip into a purse, fold up about 8 cm from one end to form the 'pocket' of the purse. The remainder will be folded down as the flap. Using one of the contrast threads, stitch a button onto the front of the purse, positioned to be below the folded flap.

Place the tacked lining panel behind the patch-worked panel, wrong sides together. Using the sewing cotton, with small stitches, over-sew the two panels together all the way round:

Remove the tacking stitches from both the lining and the outer panel. Re-fold the purse pocket and tack in place. Using the main sewing thread and blanket stitch, join one side of the purse. Continue up the side of the flap, along the front edge of the flap, down the other side and then stitch the remaining side seam. Neaten the top edge of the purse with blanket stitch in the same way.

Find the centre of the flap - I did this by gently folding it in half - taking care not to leave a permanent crease - mark the position with a pin.

The next step is to make the button loop. Leaving an 'end' of about 5 cm knot the end of a long length (about 1 m) of main sewing thead. Stitch through the flap at the edge and about 2 mm to one side of the centre pin. Holding the purse closed, take the thread around the button and back through the flap edge - about 2 mm to the other side. Then take the thread back around the button and take another stitch next to the first, then back around the button and another stitch by the second - this should result in three loops of thread around the button. Take care not to pull the loops tight. They should all be the same size and large enough to comfortably un-button the flap.

Take two small sticthes over the edge of the flap to lock the loops, then begin to work blanket stitch, or button-hole stitch if you prefer, over all three threads of the loop. Continue stitching, sliding the stitches close together, until the three thread loops are entirely covered. End by taking several small stitches and then hide the thread end by stitching between the layers of the flap, emerging on the inside and cut the thread off close to the fabric. Thread the needled with the tail left beyond the original knot and hide the end in the same way.