gathered toddler purse

My girls love carring around purses. They stuff their purses until they are full! What's great about this gathered purse is that it's washable and a great toddler size. My girls are 2 and 4 and this fits them perfectly.

1. First I drew a rough design approximately 7.5 inches wide and 7 inches high on paper and used that as a template. I made the top narrower than the bottom and rounded the bottom. 
2. Iron some interfacing to your outside fabric then using your template, cut out two identical pieces for the outside of the purse.
3. Using the same template, cut out two pieces for the inside/lining of the purse.
4. On the top of the outside purse fabric, fold in some pleats and pin. Make sure that both sides come out to be the same width after you make the pleats. Sew the pleats in place.
5. Turn right sides together and sew around the outside of the purse, leaving the top where the pleats are located open.

6. Stuff the lining inside the purse, wrong sides together. A lot of tutorials I read make the outside and the lining the same size from the same template. I tend to make the lining a bit smaller. You can just sew a larger seam allowance to make it smaller. Once you stuff the lining inside, you'll see if it's too big.

7. To make the top sashing color (green), I cut a strip approximately 16" by 4-5" (depending on how thick you want the piece). If you don't have a piece 16" long, you can use two pieces and sew the ends together. I folded the fabric to find the middle and ironed. Then I folded and ironed the sides in about 1/4". Next, cut a peice of interfacing (doesn't have to be exact), and iron it on one side of the piece (see below).

8. Once the interfacing is on, fold it on your crease and measure it around the top of your purse. Measure how much you'll need, leaving a 1/2" seam allowance. Cut it and sew the raw sides together to make a loop.

9. Stuff the top of the purse inside the pocket of the sashing (green fabric) and pin in place. You are going to sew this to the purple fabric to hold it in place. All the raw edges should be tucked it and it should end up very neat.

10. The strap is made the same way as the green sashing. Or, you can sew around the ouside and turn it inside out. Iron and top stitch. The strap is about 14" long, or as long as you need it to be for your little one. Below, you can see I just stitched the strap right to each side of the purse, making a little box to ensure that the strap won't rip off.

11. For the flower, I use this tutorial from Ashley at Make It and Love It a lot. It's a staple in my house because it's raw, quick, and easy! I used the machine to stich the flower to the front of the purse, just a few tack stitches. You could also hand sew it.

12. Iron and enjoy you new creation. I know my girls love it!!