Cross Body Purse for a Smart Phone with embroidery on the front panel

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Cross Body Smart Phone Purse with Embroidery

This tutorial shows how to make a cross body smart phone purse with embroidery. You can finish this easy weekend project in a few hours.

The steps cover basic sewing and simple embroidery. You will cut fabric, sew the pieces, and add the sun design with thread. The finished purse keeps your phone safe and close at hand.

We used 2 designs from the Sunray Panel Set.

The finished size of the purse is about 5"W x 7 1/2"H.

Small purse with long handle for a smart phone

You will need:

embroidery threads;
a piece of cotton canvas fabric for the outer bag;
a piece of cotton fabric for the lining;
light-weight cut-away stabilizer;
7-8 wood rings, 1" in diameter, for the handle.

You will also need:

quilter's ruler;
rotary cutter and/or scissors;
tailor's chalk pencil;
iron;
#14-16 universal needle and extra strong sewing thread;
a piece of Velcro tape or sew-on snap, 1/2" wide (optional).

Embroidery:

Prepare your threads and choose colors to your taste. Load any 2 designs from the Sunray Panel Set into your machine.
Stabilize a piece of fabric for the outer bag with light-weight cut-away stabilizer and hoop it tightly.
Embroider the designs one by one.

Trim the stitch-outs, leaving a 1 1/2" margin on the top and 1/2" margins on the sides and bottom. This should give you 2 panels measuring 5 3/4" wide and 8 1/2" high.

Cutting:

Out of the fabric for the outer bag, cut:

several strips measuring 1 1/2" wide and the length the fabric permits.

Out of the fabric for the lining, cut:

2 pieces measuring 5 3/4" x 8 1/2"

The Outer Bag and the Lining:

Note: Seam allowance is 1/4" unless otherwise noted. Press every seam immediately after sewing it.

Position the embroidered panels face to face and align all edges. Sew the bottom. Press the seam open.

The front and back panels stitched at the bottom.

The front and back panels stitched at the bottom, seam pressed open.

Fold the upper edges of both panels 1/2" back and press with steam.

The upper edges folded and pressed 1/2" back.

Unfold the upper edges. Fold the piece again with the face inside and align the sides. Sew the sides. Press the seams open.
Fold the upper edges back.

The sides of the pouch stitched together.

Repeat the same steps for the lining.

Turn the lining right side out and set it aside for now.

The Handle:

To make the handle, fold the 1 1/2" strips in half lengthwise. Press with steam.
Fold the long edges to the creased line. Press.

Topstitch along the long edges.

Cut the strips into six 11" pieces and two 5" pieces. Our handle is 52" long. If you need a shorter or longer handle, recalculate the length of the pieces.

Take one 11" strip and thread it through a wood ring. Fold the end over about 2" and topstitch the folded end to the strip.

Sew the first ring to the end of a strip.

Thread the free end of the strip through the second ring, fold it over about 2", and sew.

Sew the second ring to the end of the strip.

Continue adding strips and rings in the same way.

Thread the 5" strips through each of the end rings. Fold the strips so the short ends meet and sew them together.

Assembly:

Sew the ends of the handle strips to the side seams of the outer bag.

Sew the handle to the side seams of the purse.

With wrong sides together, insert the outer bag into the lining. Align the side seams.
Pin or baste the upper edge of the lining about 1/8" below the folded edge of the outer bag.