CABOCHON ROSE HANDBAG

‘Cabochon Rose Handbag’

This little evening handbag resembles a corsage and is carried on the wrist. It can be made up in colours and fabrications to compliment the lady’s dress.

Dimensions: approximately 6 ½” in diameter X 1½” deep  [16.5 cm X 4cm ]

Construction Method: Turned finish – this method may be recognized by noting the lack of machine-stitching that is visible at points of assembly on the exterior side of the bag. This is possible by placing the material, or parts, face to face, machining and turning right-side out. It is the most commonly used assembly process.

Material Used: 1oo% polyester dobby-weave satin, with contrast piping.

You will need:

• 1 closed zipper, 5 ½” [14 cm] long
• ½ yd. [0.5 m] of fashion fabric, 45” [115 cm] wide **
• ¼ yd. [0.25 m] of lining fabric, 45” [115 cm] wide
• ¼ yd. [0.25 m] of fusible interfacing, 45” [115 cm] wide
• ¼ yd. [0.25 m] of nylon netting, 18” [45 cm] wide
• 1 package of piping, ¼ ” [6 mm] wide
• ⅓ yd. [0.30 m] of belting, 1” [25 mm] wide
• coordinating thread
• kraft paper

Design Tip: Instead of contrasting piping, make up your own piping to match.

PATTERN

The size of your hand bag is based on the span of your hand. The opening should allow for your hand to enter and remove contents from the bag interior. A zipper length of 5” to 6″ (12.5 – 15 cm) is required.

Draw 2 circles onto kraft paper with a radius equal to half the zipper length plus 1” (25 mm).

To create depth to the bag silhouette, draw a narrow dart on one of the circles, from the center of the circle. Make the dart opening about 1 ½ inches [38 mm]. This is the bag front pattern.

On the second circle, reduce the diameter so that the circumference is equal to that of the first circle. Do this by drawing parallel to the inside of the circle ⅛” (3mm) for every ½ – inch of circumference reduction. (In this case, ¼ ” [6 mm] is used to reduce the diameter to 6″ [15 cm].)

Cut the circle in half. This is the bag back pattern. (To verify the size, the circumference of each circle should be equal.)

Next, draw an oblong for the strap handle. It is double the width of the belting and 2” [50 mm] longer in length. This is the bag strap pattern piece.

Add seam allowance to all pattern pieces.

CUTTING

Bag Front – cut 1X self; cut 1X fusible; cut 1X netting; cut 1X lining

Bag Back – cut 2X self; cut 2X fusible; cut 2X lining

Strap – cut 1X self; cut 1X belting

Petals – cut strips of bias cloth about 2 – 3” wide [50-75 mm]; use as many as needed to make flower.

** Cautionary Note: The fabric used to create the petals should be a thin and lightweight one, as the layers will thicken as you make up the flower. Your sewing machine’s presser foot must be able to sew through the thickness of the layers.

ASSEMBLY

a) Fabric Preparation:

Iron fusible interfacing onto wrong side of fabric on front and back pieces following manufacturer’s directions.

b) Bag Handle Preparation:

With FACE SIDES together, align and match long edges of the fabric strip and pin/baste together. Sew up seam and press open. Turn the “tube” right-side-out and press flat.

Place a length of belting between the layers of fabric through the tunnel. Top stitch close to the edges through all layers to create a relief effect. Set aside.

c) Cabuchon Rose Preparation:

For the handbag’s curved silhouette, cut a circle of netting the desired size (1), and sew dart to form a conical shape. Cover this with fashion fabric, made up in the same way (2). Cut bias strips of fabric, and fold these in half; link these as in a chain (3). Pin and sew these to the shape. Place another bias strip across these, allowing enough slack to give a natural shape, to represent a rose petal (4). Arrange more bias strips around the shape (5), alternating them to give the appearance of a rose (6). The last strips need to be cut wider to allow the piping to be placed along the circumference to neaten the edges of the bag (7). Trim any excess away around the circumference of the bag and keep layers along the piped edge thin and graded. Add piping to edge of circle.

Design Tip: Use a shade darker colour for fabric for the centre of rose.

d) Zipper Insertion:

Align and center zipper between the two half-circles. Pin/baste zipper to straight edge of each circle. Sew zipper in place using zipper foot attachment or back-stitch by hand. Press flat and topstitch.

e) Bag Assembly:

Fold the strap in half and baste the open ends to the back section above the zipper opening.

With FACE SIDES together, pin/baste the edges of the back section of the bag and its front section together along the piped trim.  The strap handle should be located at the top of the handbag, and be certain to open the zipper so that you’ll be able to turn the bag right-side-out. Stitch around the outer edge of the piping to shape the body of the bag, ensuring to catch the strap ends in the stitching.

Gently turn bag right-side-out.

f) Finishing:

With FACE SIDES together, pin/baste the back sections of the lining fabric and sew each end together, leaving the center of the seam open.

Layer the front and back of the lining with FACE SIDES together; align and match the circumferences and pin/baste together. Sew around the circular shape.

Drop lining into bag and slipstitch lining to back of the zipper tape to neaten interior of the handbag.