Purse organizer and ornaments

I made my sister a tote bag as part of her birthday present and since the pattern had no pockets, I made this purse organizer/insert to go with it. The idea is that you could easily switch from one purse or bag to another by removing the insert. I found the tutorial at the Fredericton Quilters’ Guild site (UPDATE: The pattern seems to have disappeared) and found it fairly easy to make except for the binding around the edges. It was really tricky to sew the binding around the U-shaped sides, and I cut my binding too narrow and had to really work to get it on there. I also think the slots for the credit cards are far too shallow. I followed the directions exactly, but I had a lot of fabric left over after folding it as specified, so perhaps there was a typo in the directions. If I make this again (maybe for myself!) I will make the slots deeper. It’s a little hard to tell from the pictures, but there are outside pockets with elastic edges and a long zippered pouch that sort of acts like a divider in the interior. The pattern doesn’t call for it, but I added a few loops of elastic on the side to hold pens or lipstick. I also forgot to add the little loops of twill tape for pulling the organizer out of a purse, but I think she’ll be able to figure that out without them.

Also, here’s a glimpse of my entry for this week’s “A Gift a Week ‘Til Christmas” challenge at Works in Progress. As usual, I’m posting it on my “hidden” blog so the recipient won’t see. Leave me a comment or send me an e-mail if you don’t have the address.