Daryl's Drive - Pattern Testing

The latest release from ChrisW Designs is the Daryl's Drive - the new addition to the Easy Street line of patterns.  This one is still not as complicated as her other patterns, but it will take some focus at least the first time you make it!  The finished purse is good sized, and I really like how the top is closed!

With embroidery from Urban Threads!

The barrel shape of the purse gives it a LOT of room inside!

I've been slacking on my testing lately, and by 'slacking' I mean that I totally over-commited myself!  I'm hopeful that I'll have time to do some 'whatever I want' sewing in a few weeks, but I'm sure I'll find something else to fill my time instead...  Like making Christmas presents or taking last minute orders...

Hidden phone pocket on this side, large enough for more than just a phone!

Inside Zipper pocket

Inside slip pocket

For this purse, I cut into my brand new stack of Camelot's Alice in Wonderland prints.  They are a little more fancy than the usual 'kids' fabric, so I felt like I could use them for an adult purse!  That being said, they were lacking pizazz for an entire outside, so I had to add in some embroidery to spice it up!  I found the 'eat me' and 'drink me' at Urban Threads, and used the smallest size.  It turned out to be perfect sized!  I also lived on the edge this time and cut my fabric first before doing the embroidery.  I interfaced the fabric first and used a cut away stabilizer in the hoop behind it, so there was barely any puckering!

I also used the Edgwena connectors from Emmaline bags, which gives it an elegant look, but the other method (included in the pattern) with the rivets would have been just as cute!  I managed to strip a few of my connector screws, so the lesson learned here is that you DO need to punch holes for the connectors!  I used my crop-o-dile 1/8" hole punch, and it went through all the layers with no problems.

My vinyl was in short supply, so I couldn't do the method in the pattern for vinyl handles.  I modified it by cutting 2 of the handles out of vinyl, then 2 fabric and 2 interfacing the same length/width.  After I interfaced the fabric, I just followed the 'all vinyl' instructions.

This pictures makes it seem small, but it definitely is a larger handbag!

Bottom vinyl and feet help to protect the purse!

This was a fun and relatively quick sew, and I could see using a lot of my awesome character prints on more!