Handmade Embroidered Purses: Using Free Machine Embroidery

There is nothing quite like owning a stylish, unique handmade purse that you have created yourself. Jenny Rolfe, author of Handmade Embroidered Bags, has used quilting and free machine embroidery techniques to create a stunning collection of purses for all occasions.

About the Author :
Jenny Rolfe is a textile artist with a background in quilting. Feeling restricted by traditional quilting, she took a course in design and discovered a whole new world of colour and form. She began to make her own fabric using dyeing, painting, printing, stamping, sponging, stencilling and free machine embroidery techniques, and moved on from quilts to wall hangings. Later she combined her passion for textiles with her lifelong love of bags. Jenny has won many prizes and her work has been widely exhibited in the UK and USA. She teaches classes for quilting groups and Embroiderers' Guild groups and has had many articles published in patchwork and quilting magazines.

Review :
Merseyside Embroiderers Guild: This inspiring book is packed with beautiful samples and ideas for embroidered purses. Jenny Rolfe demonstrates the use of machine embroidery and quilting in creating surfaces with great textural appeal. She discusses equipment, materials and design before launching into how to get started with the techniques of free machining. This is very clearly explained with sections on creating fabrics and embellishments. The construction of the actual purses is shown with good photographs and lots of information on the techniques involved. This book is full of ideas which could be used as starting points for further development and the purses shown are fun and attractive. Myshelf.com: Equipped with only a swing needle sewing machine, some threads and scraps of fabric you too can make a whole selection of wardrobe-extending purses. It's a lot of fun, and easier than you think - Taking inspiration from the world around you and freeing up your inner child enough to experiment are essentials for this way of working. As long as you have a sewing machine with a swing needle and capable of either dropping or covering the feed dogs you can do this - perhaps it is a pity that a state-of-the-art machine with a formidable array of add-on feet is shown though! If designing for yourself is too daunting then this is not the book for you, but if you are the type who keeps books of scribbled ideas and scrapbooks full of inspiring pictures then you will have a ball. Learn how to do freestyle machine embroidery, and off you go to make bags made of strips of fabric, ribbons sewn together, decorated with buttons, fusible fibers, pleats or fancy stitches. The book does capture the essence of this way of working and comes up with some lovely purses that are great fun to make. You will need to be able to do things like putting in zips and making up the bags so maybe this is not for the novice stitcher, but not a lot of needlework know-how is required. Aimed at quite a range of abilities, this is a fun book that got me wanting to create. Fabrications: Jenny has once again excelled herself and produced a brilliant book full of wonderful purses that you will just love to have amongst your own bag collection, or that would make beautifuo hand made gifts for some special friends. All the techniques are explained in full, showing you how to make bags with a real personal touch. The instructions are clear and accompanied by step-by-step photographs, leaving you with every confidence that you too can make all of the projects and more. If you've enjoyed this project from the book then you are going to love seeing the rest! Sewing World: This super book provides a great introduction to quilting and free machine embroidery techniques while making some lovely purses in the process. Six basic designs are included for dainty evening bags that are large enough to carry a few essentials whilst displaying some creative needlework. Variations throughout provide further inspiration for decorative stitching and embellishment. This is a great 'learning' book as each design incorporates a number of techniques including stippling, couching, beading and applique. There are exercises on free machine stitching to help the reader practise their skills and a very useful section on making original fabrics using simple techniques such as weaving and bondable fibres. Close up photographs and clear instructions make this an easy guide to use and it is good starting point for those who would like to develop their sewing skills into more creative areas. Quilting Arts: This book has success written all over it - success for you! If you have ever thought about making a purse, Jenny has taken the guesswork out of it. She has provided lists of materials and embellishments; ideas for making your own fabrics; beautiful, bright photographs; clear, easy-to-follow instructions; and so much more. Simple shapes become great purses using quilting and free-motion embroidery. With all of her inspiring ideas, designs, and know-how, you can't miss. Workshop On The Web: This is a fun book and everything is explained so well that it would be very good for someone just starting out. Basic materials are covered, together with a page or two on design - not enough to be scary. It then progresses through basic techniques to the making of a fabric by bonding, using Angelina or ribbons and piecing. Nothing new but colourful and well explained. Cute little embellishments are considered before the book moves into clear step-by-step instructions for individual purses and bags. Guild of Silk Painters: As the title suggests, this book is intended for embroiderers. However, there are designs for making six purses, which could easily be made using silk fabric and silk ribbons. The book is beautifully illustrated with lots of photos and step by step instructions for making the purses. All the materials needed for each purse are listed and the instructions are easy to follow. There are also plenty of ideas for embellishing your fabrics, should you need any ideas. If you want to make something out of silk, other than scarves, this should give you some good ideas. Vera Dreyfuss West Country Embroiderers: This book is a companion to "Handmade Embroidered Bags" published in 2005, since reprinted. They are both "must have" books with beautiful photographs and full of original and exciting ideas for decoration and embellishments. The requirements lists and instructions for stitching and construction are clearly set out and very helpful for the less experienced machine embroiderer. So get sorting through those stashes of materials and make that purse for your favourite granddaughter - with an extra one for yourself! Renie Marsh, Penzance Bead Society of Great Britain: Following on from her previous book Handmade Embroidered Bags, this book by Jenny Rolfe further develops the theme using free machine embroidery for decorating handmade purses. Although not strictly a beading book, there are plenty of opportunities to use beads for embellishment to add your own personal touch. The first few introductory pages show the beautifully colourful variety of purses that can be made using the techniques described in this book. After sections describing the materials and equipment used, there is a short chapter on developing your own designs. Then follow several pages showing ways of making your own uniquely patterned fabrics using free machine embroidery, applique with silks and ribbons and adding embellishments such as buttons, beads and decorative yarns. The remainder of the book details six projects to make six different styles of purses. The instructions are given in photographic and written form with a comprehensive list of requirements at the beginning of each project, and the photos clearly illustrate each stage of the process. I realised while reading this book that I tend to rely a lot on diagrams to follow a process and there are very few diagrams given here. It is therefore important to read the instructions carefully and measure the pattern pieces accurately to make sure your purse has a professional looking finish. What I liked very much was that at the end of each project there are photographs of alternative versions of the purse, giving the reader more ideas to try. Using Jenny Rolfe's instructions and ideas will give the reader the means to make some beautifuly and original purses for holding small treasures, which would make wonderful gifts for special people. Sue Castle