Designs Plus Volume 18: Free Project
Chicago Carryall by Eileen Roche
Embroidery Products
• Amazing Designs Eileen Roche
» Fashion Embellishments II designs
» EREMB207 and EREMB209
• Contemporary Machine-Embroidered Accessories by Eileen Roche (Krause, Iola, WI, 2007)
» MEA19, MEA3 designs from the accompanying CD
• Embroidery editing software
• Magna-Hoop™
Materials
• ½ yd. beige canvas
• ½ yd. black faux leather
• 1/3 yd. lining fabric
• Magnetic clasp/snap
• Sulky® Soft 'n Sheer™ polymesh stabilizer
• Tear-away stabilizer
• Scraps of Sulky® Fuse 'n Stitch™
• Decorative purse handle
• Templates of MEA19, MEA3 and EREMB207 and EREMB209
• Target stickers
• Sulky 40 wt. rayon embroidery thread: Almost Black (1234) True Red (1039)
• Sulky® KK 2000™
• Fabric glue stick
Step 1. Cut the Fabrics
Cut two 14″ x 11 ½″ pieces of beige canvas. Cut one 4 ½″ x 30″ piece of black faux leather. Cut two 12 ½″ x 10 ½″ pieces and one 4 ½″ x 30″ strip of lining fabric.
Using a quilter's ruler, chalk three lines, 1 ½″ from the right, bottom and left sides of the front section as illustrated. Repeat for the back section.
Step 2. At the Computer
In embroidery editing software, open MEA3 design.
Remove colors three and four.
Select the remaining colors, copy and paste the design. Mirror the second design, vertically and move it towards the top of the hoop. Keep the two designs centered in the hoop but separated at least 2 ½″. Save the design as BeigeAnchor in the appropriate format.
Step 3. Stitch the Handle Anchors
Hoop tear-away stabilizer. Insert the metal frame of Magna-Hoop and place the faux black leather in the hoop. Position the large rectangular acrylic frame over the fabric and snap the magnets into the slots. Embroider the first color of BeigeAnchor in a contrasting thread.
Release the fabric from the hoop, refresh the stabilizer and repeat the process for a total of four handle anchors.
On the wrong side of the fabric, draw two lines connecting the designs as shown.
Trim the BeigeAnchor as one design, cutting close to the outline stitches and from one section to the other as shown. Repeat for all four handle anchors.
Lay the BeigeAnchors, wrong side up, in a box and spray them with temporary adhesive. To attach the BeigeAnchors to the purse handles, loop one of the BeigeAnchors over one of the rings.
Fold the BeigeAnchor, meeting all edges and finger press in place.
Repeat for the other ring and remaining handle.
Step 4. Embroider the Bag Front and Back
The corner design, MEA19, features a line of basting stitches that will help you position the corner designs perfectly square and reversed in mirror image. Place the MEA19 template on one piece of beige fabric, lining up the straight lines of the basting stitches with the chalked lines on the fabric.
Audition the EREMB207 and EREMB209 templates on the canvas. I found five flowers worked well. Once you're satisfied with the layout, slide a target sticker under each template aligning the crosshairs and remove the template.
Hoop polymesh stabilizer in a large hoop (if available). Insert the metal frame of Magna-Hoop. Place the beige fabric in the hoop, centering as many of the target stickers as possible. Embroider the flowers.
Corner Patches
Reposition the hoop (refreshing the stabilizer when necessary) to embroider one of the corner designs. Place the needle over the center of the target sticker. Use the trace feature to make sure the design is perfectly aligned with the chalked line. Stitch the first color, the appliqué placement guide. Place a piece of faux leather over the outline. Stitch the second color, the tackdown. Carefully remove the hoop from the machine and trim the excess appliqué fabric. Reattach the hoop to the machine and advance to the final color, the satin stitch outline. Repeat for the opposite corner.
Attach the Handle
Hoop tear-away stabilizer. Insert the metal frame of Magna-Hoop. Lay the bag front in the hoop. Place the Magna-Hoop large rectangular acrylic frame in the hoop.
Attach the hoop to the machine. Select the MEA3 design. Position the needle over one of the target stickers and remove the target sticker. Sew the first color, the placement guide.
Remove the acrylic frame and place the magnets directly on the faux leather in the exact position as they were before removing the frame. (Doing this eliminates the possibility of securing the Magna-Hoop frame within the purse handle - don't ask how I know this!)
Dab a glue stick on the interior of the outline. Take one of the handle anchors and press it onto the sticky surface aligning the edges of the anchor with the stitched outline. Handle the anchor carefully as you do not want to distort it.
Sew the second color, the tackdown. Complete the design omitting colors three and four. Repeat for the second handle anchor. Repeat all steps for the bag back.
Assemble
Pin the bag front to the gusset, right sides together, with ½″ seam allowance, easing the gusset around the corner curves. Sew the seam with the bag front up, facing you. Stitch with ½″ seam allowance, stitching right into the corner patches.
Lay the bag front, right side up, on a flat surface. Place a pin on the gusset opposite each corner. Pin the bag back to the gusset matching the corners to the pins, right sides together. Sew with ½″ seam allowance, bag back up.
Repeat for the lining, leaving an opening for turning. Sew the lining to the facing, right sides together.
Mark the position of the magnetic snap, 1 ½″ down from the center of the top of the facing. Fuse a scrap of Fuse 'n Stitch™ stabilizer to this area. Apply one half of the magnetic snap to each facing.
Turn the bag wrong side out. Turn the lining right side out. Insert the lining into the bag, matching the side seams. Pin the upper edge keeping the handles out of the way. Sew with ½″ seam allowance. Turn the bag right side out through the opening in the bottom of the lining.
Press the seam using a protective pressing sheet. Topstitch along the edge of the bag.
-----------------------------------------------------
Designs Plus Volume 18: Free Designs
Click to download
Click here to return to the Designs Plus Newsletter Index
| 
