One-Hour Shoulder Bag with Iris Flowers

All photos and the complete instruction for creating this beatiful bag were kindly provided by Gabrielle Leko, thank you so much!

The bag has an absolutely unique, fresh style, and the instructions are great!

Here is a photo of ready bag, and the tutorial will follow.
















Supplies list:

- Heavy-weight fabric for bag body (here - the off-white drapery)
- Fabric for bag lining
- Iris Blossoms embroidery designs
- Polyester embroidery thread
- Embroidery backing
- Hot-fix crystals (optional)

Instruction:

1. This quick and easy bag is a great showcase for a combination of motifs from Iris Blossoms. You spend your time on the embroidery, not on a complicated purse to sew up. Purchase pattern from "Heart to Hand Patterns".

2. Fabric: 1 � yard each of 2 fabrics, one for outside of the bag and one for lining. If desired, heavyweight fusible interfacing may be used. (Hint: drapery fabric for the outside and/or inside gives the bag firmness to hold a nice shape.)

3. Cut 4 pieces according to pattern, 2 for outside and 2 for lining.



4. Embroider half of one on the outside pieces (see diagram below). Arrange motifs in a pleasing manner using either embroidery software or printed templates. This bag uses Small Iris (reversed) at the top, then Asymmetrical Corner and Half Oval Iris below, Iris (reversed) at right, and just the bloom from Iris Pano 2 to fill in an empty spot.





5. Follow the rest of the pattern. In other words, with right sides together, sew a lining piece to an outside piece. Do not sew the bottoms. Turn, press, and topstitch. Hint: Trim with a decorative machine stitch, to make a classy finished edge. Rick rack is another idea.



6. Fold the two pieces in half and place one inside the other, bottom raw edges together, overlapping each other with folded ends about 1�2 inches apart (see figure below).





7. Open up both folds from the back, making sure that the overlap is exactly the same as before, this time pinning at the X and XX. Sew both pieces together from the outside at the XX, following the previous topstitching. Hand sew at the X from the inside so as not to mar the embroidery. Fold the back exactly as the front, pin, and stitch; no need to hand sew the back.



Bonus: The folded areas of the bag make interior pockets when the stitching is left open in the middle for an amount the size of your hand (see photo with pink paper sticking out of the pocket).



8. Make sure the bag is turned inside out and sew the bottom closed. Make squared corners, if desired.

9. Sewing of bag is complete. Finish the top straps by tying, stitching together, or adding buttons or buckles. Tip: Decorate with hot fix crystals.