Monogram Zipped Purse

A few weeks ago I went to a Hen Party/Bridal Shower/Bachelorette Party (pick whichever term you are comfortable with) for a very lovely friend. The theme for the party was White & Gold, and when I say theme, I mean the ENTIRE party (including all food and drinks) was part of this theme. Eating gold coloured chicken was definitely an experience!

As part of the party, we each had to bring the Bride-to-Be a jewellery gift. While I was thinking about how to wrap it, I was browsing in Pete's Emporium and found an amazing Metallic Bronze coloured vinyl. I have been making A LOT of purses and zipped pouches lately, so I thought I could make a cute purse to put the necklace in. The "wrong" side of the vinyl was super soft and almost furry, so perfect to protect jewellery or other precious treasures. 

When it comes to sewing lately, I am definitely make it up as you go type of person....I read a couple of blog tutorials about making zipped purses but to be honest I find it much easier to visualise something in my head and work it out once I actually start. The biggest challenge I thought would actually be sewing through the layers of vinyl. While it was pretty thin, I do have some concerns about the capability of my retro machine! 

Once I had made the pouch, I wanted to decorate it in some way, and thinking about the Gold & White theme, I decided to sew on some gold sequins. I practised writing out the letter "L" (my friends initial) a few times on a scrap piece and even did a proper mock up sewing on the sequins. I'm glad I did this because it meant I didn't ruin the finished purse with a letter that was too small, and I could see that it would actually look amazing once done! I wrote the L with a sharpie onto the front of the purse and then used it as my pattern to sew the sequins. A smarter person may have done this before sewing the purse together, but I only had this brainwave at the end! 

The end result was so beautiful I instantly wanted to make another! Luckily it was my sister-in-law's birthday, so I sewed one up for her too! It always amazes me how much I love to make things to give away! Anything I make for myself usually ends up half finished or takes me three times as long! Anyone else find that too?

I forgot to take many photos of the finished purse! I really just finished it in the nick of time to be given as my gift. I also only took one or two photos of the second purse! 

I'm so happy how these turned out! 

These are a few of the other things I have been sewing lately:

I must admit I have been neglecting my poor blog a little bit of late. I'm really busy at the moment with work and other commitments so have barely any time to sit down at the computer! I still manage to post a bit on Instagram, so if you'd like to keep up with what I'm doing, you can find me here, @itsmariemade