Kitty Bag

A few weeks ago, I attended a “purse party.” It was a design-your-own purse event, in the vein of those scrapbook or kitchen parties. There were many sizes, styles, fabrics, and trims one could mix and match to create a unique purse or tote. The company is run by a local mom who sews all of the handbags herself. They were beautifully made, and well-worth the money she was charging (they really were reasonable prices).

But me, being the person I am, looked at the samples and could only think, “Hmmm… I think I could make that…” And so came to be the Kitty Bag.


I have had this wonderful kitty fabric in my stash for 4 or 5 years—I bought a half-yard of it at the Houston International Quilt Festival. I wish I knew who made it or even where I bought it. But when I became inspired to make this bag, I knew the kitties would be perfect.

The basic shape of the bag, and the outer look of it (with the two fabrics and the ribbon covering the seam) were inspired by the designs I saw at the party. But, the button closure, the straps, and construction techniques used were all me.

This is actually my second attempt. The first one didn’t go so well—I used crinoline as a foundation, and it was way too stiff and crinkled horribly. And I had ribbon issues. This time around, I used canvas as a foundation and I am very happy with the result—the bag stands up nicely, but isn’t too stiff. And the ribbon worked out much better this time.


The lining is not nearly as clean and pretty as in the purses I saw at the party, but I think it will work well enough.

Yay for a new summer satchel!