UpCycled Sweatshirt Purse: Overview

One of my most popular patterns is this drawstring purse made from a sweatshirt. You can purchase this pattern in my Craftsy and Etsy stores.

I've written some tutorials to help you with this pattern. 

1. Cutting the logo.
2. Making the straps.
3. The Lining.

Upcycled Sweatshirt Purse - for sale

If you are in the market for an actual Upcycled Sweatshirt Purse, you are in luck. One of my customers is making them and selling them! YAY! 

Check it out in her ETSY Shop: Fox River Crafts! 

She makes custom purses, so you can send her your sweatshirt and she'll make it into a purse. AWESOME! 

Would you like to make your own? You can purchase the pattern from my Craftsy Pattern Shop and Etsy Shop!

The Upcycled Sweatshirt Purse Help: The Lining

We are done with the straps. For the final tutorial, we'll review a little technique that will help create the fabric that peaks out of the top of the bag. This is created by making the lining too long. Yeah, nothing too genius about that!

You'll do this by simply marking a pressing the fold before you assemble the lining. The iron creates a kind-of registration mark,

All I wrote in the pattern was to make the marks, but pressing the crease really helps when you turn the bag right side out and tuck in the lining. 

OK...that's it! Have fun! 

You can find the pattern in my CRAFTSY PATTERN SHOP!

The Upcycled Sweatshirt Help: Straps

Last time we cut out the logo. So, now on the to straps....

All done with the straps! On to the lining.

Upcycled Sweatshirt Purse Help: Cutting the Logo

I finally finished the pattern for this sweatshirt purse. As I was making my test bag, I kept hearing my friends' voices asking questions. OK, they weren't really there, but I thought about what they'd ask me if they made it with me in the room. So I created a few tutorials to help you!

First...cutting the sweatshirt:

So that's how you cut the logo out of your sweatshirt. 

Make sure you place the sweatshirt on the interfacing correctly. DON'T DO THIS! 
 
Turn the sweatshirt so the top edge runs parallel to the uncut edge of the interfacing. This will reduce stretching!



Once you fuse the interfacing to the back, you'll cut it down to the correct size. Tomorrow we'll review the straps!

Interested in making one? Purchase the pattern from my Craftsy Pattern Shop! It's only $3.50!

Say Yes to Michigan: Upcycled Sweatshirt Purse

I have been working on my pattern for the upcycled sweatshirt purse, so I made this one today. It's a sweatshirt that I've had for probably 15 years. I think a friend of mine gave it to me when I moved to Arkansas. 

I had to do a little handy-work with the straps so they wouldn't cover my beloved home state's name!

The pattern is turning out to be a little trickier than I expected. When I made this one, the sweatshirt had stretched (even with fusible interfacing) and I had to make the bottom bigger. It threw me off, so I cut the lining bottom the same size. When I sewed the lining together, I had to rip it out because (surprise) the bottom was too big...once I cut it down to the correct size, it fit perfectly. BUT...then I sewed the exterior to the lining and, duh!, the stretched exterior was bigger than the lining! I ripped out what I had sewn, did some measuring, and re-sewing! FINALLY! it fit.

Persistence was the word-of-the-day today! I'm getting the pattern finalized and will put it in my CRAFTSTY Pattern shop so you can make one for yourself!  It's here! Want to make one? It's in my Craftsy Pattern Shop!

Want some tutorials to help you make this purse? I've scheduled three to run from 2/19/2013 to 2/21/2013 - just click on the label "Sweatshirt Purse" to the right!

UpCycled Sweatshirt...Purse

Yesterday I wrote about a purse I saw on Pinterest - it was for sale on Amazon - and made from sweatshirt fabric. I was inspired to make my own using an old Penn State Alumni Sweatshirt.

It took some work to get the measurements where I wanted them to be, but here it is!

I made some changes based on the feedback about the original purse - mainly that it was a bit too thin.









The inside is really basic - just one pocket. The next one I make will have an exterior zippered pocket and a toggle for the drawstring. Yeah, not that efficient to tie, untie, tie, untie. There is a magnetic closure at the top.





For more information on this purse and some tutorials, please click on the "Sweatshirt Purse" in the label section to the right!  

Sweatshirt Purse

Several years ago I decided to take my beloved Creighton University sweatshirt and turn it into a back pack. And this is what I came up with. You can purchase this pattern from my Craftsy Pattern Store.

So the other day on Pinterest, I saw this bag (for sale on Amazon...cheap...under $20). I LOVE it. And what did I find last Friday while going through some old boxes? My Penn State Alumni sweatshirt! It's over 20 years old and white...a perfect summer bag to show that I'm Penn State Proud!

My project for this snowy Saturday is to make myself a bag like this. I've sketched out the dimensions and some added goodies. Looks fairly straightforward. Stay tuned!

Follow my journey creating the pattern and the purse - just click on the "Sweatshirt Purse" label to the right!