Making of a purse

Step 1, make a flat panel in the width and length you want. (mine are made on a small gauge rake - 3/8 inch spacing - using 36 pegs; the end result was 9 inches wide and 26 inches long for this one) Add 1 purl row at the beginning and the end to prevent curling. I crocheted a row on the tweed purse so it would lay better by having the "wrong side" facing me and crocheting a single crochet row. Don't worry about the sides curling a little because you will whip stitch the sides together.



Step 2, Using 2 pegs and wrapping like a figure 8 (back and forth around the pegs), make an I-Cord the length that you would like for a strap but allow for the strap to be stitched into the sides of the purse. How to measure: fold up the purse like you are folding up a piece of paper to fit into an envelope, take the I-cord and put at the bottom of one side of the purse, around your shoulder and down to the other side of the bottom of the purse. Make sure its the length you want before you take it off the loom. You can make 3 I-cords and braid them together for a different look (see my tweed purse for an example). The picture below was done with 2 VERY long I-cords and a square knot macrame but I don't know if I would ever do that again lol.


Step 3, fold up the purse as explained in step 2 and see picture below (measure to make sure the folding is even and pin the top sides)



Step 4, place one end of the strap into the bottom of the purse and pin the sides together. Begin whip stitching (how to whip stitch: http://www.knittingfairy.com/techniques3.htm ) from the bottom of the side of the purse and go up to the top, weave in ends.



Step 5, repeat Step 4 on the other side of the purse.

Step 6, whip stitch the straps to the side of the purse over where you whip stitched the sides

Step 7, Add button or however you want to close the "flap". I just did a simple crochet chain attached to the flap for my loop to go around the button.