Purse Completed

Well here it is at last - my In the Bag swap purse finished and in the mail! I finally had to shut down the computer for a few days to get enough stitching time to finish but I feel so much better now this and several other projects have been caught up.

The purse was made from a pattern in one of the Australian stitching magazines I have had for a few years. For anyone not familiar with the In the Bag challenge - the group exists for one swap yearly in which the participants each put together a package of fabrics and embellishments. They are swapped out and the challenge is to make something (this year, a purse or bag specifically) and return it to the original owner along with any leftovers.

It is always difficult for me to work with someone else's choices and this year was no exception! Therein lies the challenge. The ric rac was especially hard but finally found its place. Using the baggie contents, I made a crazy quilted panel for the front of the bag. I dithered quite awhile about the balance of the bag but finally decided on using some pink ultrasuede I had in the stash. The lining is a nylon/polyester blend but has the appearance of an embellished dupioni, or close enough.

In the end I am pleased with the results and happy to finally have it on its way.