Reversible Embroidered Purse

Light and lively by day, striking by night! Stitch a reversible purse that's got twice the style and personality.

Use your favorite fabrics and embroidery designs to create a reversible purse with two separate looks -- casual for the daytime and classy for the evening. This nifty purse also includes a button closure to keep your belongings safe and secure.

Read below for these unique and free project instructions!

Supplies & Materials:

Supplies Needed:

1/2 yard fabric (we used linen - for "daytime" side)
1/2 yard fabric (we used suede cloth - for "evening" side)
Medium-weight cutaway stabilizer
Temporary spray adhesive
Air-erase pen (or other marking tool)
Two - 8 inch by 12 inch pieces of light-weight fusible interfacing
3 inch diameter and 4 1/2 inch diameter objects for tracing (we used a ribbon spool and a roll of masking tape)
Large piece of paper or tag board for pattern piece (ours is 24 inches wide by 36 inches high)
5 1/2 inch length of decorative cord and a peg shaped button (for closure)

The designs used in this tutorial include:

Lotus Blossom and Dragonfly Echo (Medium)

Avant Garden Flower 3 (Small)

Avant Garden Flower 12 (Small)

Avant Garden Flower 13 (Small)

These designs are also available in the following design packs:

A Bursting with Blooms Design Pack - Large, Medium, Small

A Avant Garden Design Pack - Large, Small

Finished Size:

11 inches wide by 24 inches high

Gather Materials:

To begin, we will prepare the pattern piece. Start by drawing a 12 inch wide by 9 inch high rectangle on the bottom portion of a large piece of tag board or paper - this will be the body of the purse.

Starting at each top corner, measure and mark in one inch. Measure and mark in another 2 1/2 inches starting at the marks you just made.

Hand holding wooden ruler measuring the width of a rectangular outline drawn on white paper or fabric. White background, no other objects.

At each of the four marks across the top of the rectangle shape, draw a 16 inch vertical line. At the top of the vertical lines, draw lines to connect the ends creating two, 2 1/2 inch wide columns - these will be the straps.

Outline of a rectangular bag with two long straps drawn in black ink or pencil on white paper, placed on a wooden surface.

Round off the bottoms of the columns where they meet the rectangle by tracing a 3 inch diameter object (we are using a ribbon spool).

Hand sketching a purse pattern on white paper with a pencil. A spool of off-white Coats & Clark thread is placed nearby on the left.

Round off the bottom corners of the rectangle, by tracing a 4 1/2 inch diameter object (we are using a roll of masking tape).

A hand holding a pencil is drawing a rectangle on white paper with a roll of brown tape placed inside the outlined shape on a dark wooden surface.

Cut out the shape - be sure to cut along the rounded corners you just traced.

White paper pattern for a purse with two long handles, laid flat on a dark wood surface, and an orange-handled scissors resting on it.

Now we will prepare the fabric for the front piece of the "daytime" side of the bag. Lay the pattern piece on the fabric (we're using linen), pin in place, and trace the shape using an air-erase pen (or other marking tool).

White paper pattern pinned to beige fabric on dark brown wooden surface, with drawn curved lines and a hand holding a purple pen on the right.

Remove the pattern piece and create paper templates of the designs by printing them at full size using embroidery software. If you don't have embroidery software, you can cut a piece of paper the shape and dimensions of the design to help with placement and centering. If you'd like a recommendation for an embroidery program that can make templates, consider Embird from www.Embird.com.

Arrange the templates within the body portion of the fabric how you'd like them. We arranged the designs with about 1/2 inch of space between the outer edges of the designs and the outer edges of the shape. Poke a hole in the center of the templates and mark the fabric. Also, mark the horizontal and vertical axis points.

Hand with marker drawing a purse outline on beige fabric with three small paper embroidery pattern templates pinned inside the outline.

Remove the templates and draw lines to connect the axis points.

Hand drawing lines and markings on white fabric with a purple pen, using a wooden ruler for straight lines; workspace has a flat surface.

Start Embroidering:

Spray a piece of medium-weight cutaway stabilizer with adhesive and smooth the fabric on top. Hoop the fabric and stabilizer together by aligning the marks on the hoop with the lines on the fabric. Attach the hoop to the machine and load the first design. Move the hoop so that the needle is directly over the center point on the fabric. Embroider the design. When the design has finished, re-hoop the fabric for the second design. The first design might be hooped over - this is OK - the design will not be damaged.

Repeat the hooping and embroidering process for each design.

Close-up of light fabric with a square embroidery hoop outlining a grid of purple guidelines drawn on the fabric, ready for stitching.

When all the designs have finished, trim away the excess stabilizer on the back of the embroidery.

Orange-handled scissors cutting white fabric with colorful embroidered floral designs in orange, blue, and pink on a beige fabric background.

Now, to prepare the back fabric, lay the embroidered fabric piece on top of the fabric, pin in place, and cut around the shape.

White fabric cut in the shape of a purse with embroidered blue, orange, and pink flowers, pinned in place on a brown table with orange scissors and folded fabric.

Remove the pins and separate the fabric pieces. Now we will add the interfacing to the front and back fabric pieces. Pin the light-weight fusible interfacing onto the backside of the front and back fabric pieces, fusible side down, at the bottom "body" portion. Trim the interfacing around the outer edges of the shape leaving about 1/2 inch of the fabric extending out past the interfacing. Iron the interfacing in place by following the manufacturer's instructions.

White fabric pinned with colorful sewing pins, partially cut with metal scissors on dark wood surface. Blue and pink embroidery patterns visible through fabric.

Align the front and back pieces together with right sides facing, and pin in place.

White fabric cut and pinned in a purse shape on a wooden surface, with pastel-colored embroidery patches visible on the lower part. A hand is holding part of the fabric.

Sew a 1/2 inch seam along the side and bottom edges of the "body" portion and also along the top edges of the straps - leave the top edges of the body portion and the side edges of the straps open.

Close-up of a sewing machine stitching a curved edge on off-white fabric, with a green-headed pin holding the fabric layers together.

To prepare the "evening" side of the bag, follow the exact same instructions that you did for the "daytime" portion. Including the last step, sewing the seams along the sides of the body portion and at the top edges of the straps.

Two black fabric purse pieces with long handles lie flat on a wood surface. One piece has a pink lotus flower and white swirling vine embroidery in the bottom corner.

Insert the "evening" side of the bag inside the "daytime" side with the right sides facing. Align the raw edges and seams together and pin in place.

Hand holds fabric pieces pinned together with visible embroidery of animals on white fabric and black fabric lining underneath on a wooden surface.

To create the button loop for the closure, cut a 5 1/2 inch length of decorative cord. Then, bring the ends together to form a loop and insert the loop in between the layers of fabric on the top edge of the body portion on one side - leave at least 1/4 inch of the raw ends extending out past the edges of the fabric. Pin in place and sew a 1/2 inch seam along the entire inner edges of the straps and the top edges of the body portion that are between the straps - leave the outer top edges of the body portion open.

Close-up of a hand pulling back white fabric to reveal a black fabric pouch inside, with loose threads and pins visible on a wooden surface.

Turn the purse right side out and press the seams with an iron. Turn the fabric of the openings (along the outer edges of the straps and the outer edges of the top of the body portion) in 1/2 inch and press. Pin in place and top stitch a 1/8 inch seam along the entire outer and inner edges of the straps and the top of the body portion.

Hand holding white fabric strip pinned with yellow-headed sewing pins over black fabric on a wooden surface. A piece of gray thread lies nearby.

Sew a peg shaped button on the opposite side of the top edge of the purse directly across from the button loop. And your purse is complete!

Hand holding a needle sewing black fabric with beige lining and brown button on a wooden surface, showing loop closure on the fabric edge.

Get Inspired:

Your trendy, reversible purse is a perfect addition to any outfit or special occasion.

Light beige fabric purse with black-trimmed strap, featuring three embroidered flowers in red, blue, and pink on front, displayed on white background.