Today I’m going to show you how to make these cute little Scottie purses. Perfect for using for change, a lipstick or two and even a phone purse. Use bright colors to make your purse easy to spot in the bottom of your bag and just for the fun of it. This tutorial includes a printable leather purse pattern so you can make this exact purse.
Leather Purse Pattern
Supplies
- Download the free pattern. Click here and a new window will open. Don’t forget to check the test square when you print.
- Medium-weight soft faux leather (vinyl) or leather. If you want to use real leather, look for shops with scraps and offcuts rather than buying large pieces. Faux leather (also called vinyl) is available at most fabric shops.
- Bows or ribbon for the collar.
- 7” (18cm) zipper. This can be plastic (easier for beginners) or metal.
Is your zipper too long? Don’t rush to the shops –
Sewing Leather
In order to prevent skipped stitches in leather, you will need :
- A Teflon Foot: If you don’t have one of these in your kit, a walking foot can also work. Personally, I love sewing with a Teflon foot as it doesn’t stick to difficult fabrics such as leotard Lycra and of course leathers. You can often get them cheaply on eBay or Amazon either alone or in kits.
- Leather Needles: These are a must to prevent skipped stitches. (Read my article: Types of Sewing Needles)
- Good quality thread: Cheap thread always breaks when I’m sewing leather. It doesn’t seem as bad when sewing regular fabrics but the increased tension of sewing leather means it is more prone to breaking and splitting. (Read my article: Types of thread)
Always do a test sew on a scrap before you start sewing your main purse. Just check the stitches are not skipping and look nice and even.
>>Learn more about sewing leather and which is the best leather sewing machine.
The Scottie Video
Sit back and relax! I’ve made a YouTube video of all the steps. Otherwise, the written instructions are below.
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Leather Purse Pattern Instructions
Step 1: Cut out your pieces.
Always draw around your templates on the back of the {faux} leather with a pen that won’t mark or smudge. I like using lead pencil on lighter colored leathers.
Black leather is the hardest to mark for obvious reasons. If you are using black then use a silver or gold metallic pen. Cut slightly inside the line so the pen is not left on the leather.
Because you are marking on the back of the leather, the Scottie will now be facing the other way. It felt more natural to my eye to have him facing the right.
Step 2: Sew the Scottie.
Using double sided tape or glue, position the Scottie where you would like him (or her) to be. Just don’t put him too close to the edges or he will be caught in a seam.
Stitch around it.
Add a bow or decoration. This was a purchased bow and I just used a zig-zag on a 5.0 width and 0 length. A few stitches back and forth and he was done.
If you are a beginner, don’t obsess about sewing around every little nook and point. You can just sew the basic outline like this. When turning a corner, have the needle down and then lift the foot and pivot.
Go slow and practice first if you need to.
The pink shows stitching for an intermediate sewer and the orange is for a beginner. Either way, if you use a matching thread, the Scottie will look great and be held down.
Stitching examples for beginners
Step 3: Sew the Zipper.
Use fabric double sided tape or glue to hold the zipper in place before you sew it. Put the tape or glue a little below the edge so you don’t have to sew on top and risk skipped stitches.
Start sewing and move the zipper out the way when necessary. This is why plastic zippers are easier for beginners. They normally have smaller heads which are easier to sew and avoid.
The metal zipper in my video was really thick with a large head. The results look great and showed up well on screen but it was definitely a lot harder to sew.
You may be able to use a zipper foot on some leathers but generally, they stick and cause the stitches to jump. Do a test first on a scrap and an old zipper.
Step 4: Sew the Seam.
Fold the purse in half with right sides together and stitch around the edge with a 1/4 inch (6mm) seam allowance.
Be really careful at the ends not to hit any metal. You might want to just use the handwheel at those points to go really slowly.
Backstitch the ends so they don’t come undone.
Step 5: Clip and Turn.
Clip around the curves and trim any bulky zipper ends.
Now for the exciting part – Turn and reveal your new purse. If you’ve got this far you should be proud of your work!
Add a wrist strap or a leather tassel and you’re done.
Decoration Ideas
I think next time I need to a cat project don’t you? If you’ve ended up at this tutorial I think you are probably a dog person and a sewer. What a good combination! Thanks for reading.
The Scottie is cute, even though i am a cat person! Thanks for the pattern.