I make a lot of bags. I would love to use a lot of my different purses, but I confess I don't. So what about a purse organizer? I have seen some patterns/tutorials here and there that looked okay. Then I found The PortaPockets Purse Insert Pattern by Studio Kat Designs, and it looked like exactly what I was needing.
THE GOOD
This is an awesome purse organizer. I made the large insert because I have a lot of stuff! Plus, I usually carry bigger bags. It actually is more of a giant wallet. You have room for six credit cards, bill fold, zipper pouch for coins, two inside pockets, pen holders, and four outside pockets, plus a roomy interior on one side.
THE BAD
Not for the faint of heart or for a quick project. There are SOOOO many pieces she makes you cut out, and of course for some reason I cut about six of them wrong. Definitely, NUMBER your pieces if you are going to make this. I kept sewing wrong pieces together, and I almost pulled my hair out. Plus, the binding at the end involved a lot of hand sewing. It took me several hours over the course of a few days to make this little thing.
In the end, I am pleased with the result. Just be sure you really WANT to make this. :0)
Outside- Loving these polka dots.
Inside- Wallet side
Inside- Pen/Pocket Side
This is so cute! I might have to wait a little while before I tackle this pattern.
ReplyDeleteI wanted to thank you for the FQ you sent. I LOVE IT!!!!!! I am saving it for something special...not sure what yet, but can't wait! Thanks again.
Lydia
Thank you for the candid review. I want to make this for my purses but now I know to wait until I have the time since this is not a quick project.
ReplyDeleteI love your fabric choices--the photos are especially helpful because I will want something like it, but different. Many thanks for posting this!
ReplyDeleteThank you! I also saw it, and I thought I was a lot of trouble..... now I see your post, I will make it! I just need a pattern, measurements, I already have some material that will do.
ReplyDeletethank you so much!
This is great!! I'll give it a go and hopefully not give up!
ReplyDeleteOMG I love this and those colors you choose for yours I am making some to on my own like free handing some patterns and I am pulling my hair out too >>> So I am going to get her pattern I can see how beautifully it is
ReplyDeletethanks for the review! =) i love sewing but i'm a newbie, so maybe i'll tackle this project when i'm better suited
ReplyDeleteI wish I could sew to make one just like yours! It looks really pretty! :)
ReplyDeleteI've discovered that the best way to make some of these items (Like this purse insert) is to look at pictures and make your own look a like!! Not meaning to be unkind but a lot of written directions for patterns these days are enough to cause one to have nightmares. I started to order this pattern.....until I read the review. I don't see any reason to have so many little pieces. I am working on some cloth purses which will include their own simple inserts.
ReplyDeleteI made the organizer myself and it did take some time. I would suggest making her wallet that is free on her site. Takes a lot less time, but would help one understand how her patterns are written. When I made the wallet I top stitched instead of hand stitched the bias tape and just hand stitched the ends.
ReplyDeleteI, too, made this pattern. The first time I was excited because I wanted one so bad and I still use it all the time to this day (5 years), then I made the larger one. It is very time consuming, and all the pieces. But after I made 5 or 6 of them for other family/friends, it wasn't so bad. It does turn out so nicely in the end and it really does have all the pockets etc for a true quick-change from one purse to another. I use the smaller one, but my sister uses the larger one I made for her in all her purses and she just loves it. Yours pictured above is so pretty, love your fabrics!!
ReplyDeleteI also just made this pattern, only I made the newer pattern, the "Plus" one, three pieces that zip together. What an ordeal!! I made 3 file folders to hold all the pieces (one file for each size), the instructions are more than 10 pages (I put them into sheet protectors and made a little 3-ring binder situation with ribbons. And THAT was just the beginning. OMG. It's true, the end result is fantastic....my husband calls it a work of art, but you truly have to be READY for this experience. I was constantly telling myself "I can do this....I can do this". LOL My hands are killing me from fighting with my machine with all the layers on the final bias tape, which I definitely recommend making yourself to get the right measurement for the pattern. I used the machine for everything but the ends of the bias bindings, oh, and the spots that "stitching in the ditch" didn't catch. Will post on my Facebook soon, if anyone wants to see. Look me up: Teri Borchers. To sum it up, it took me about 4-5 days, many hours, and tons of pin piercings in my hands, but it was worth it. I would recommend this pattern ONLY to very experienced sewists (I graduated high school in 1970....just sayin.) Cheers!
ReplyDelete