April 2018 Stitching Feature

Good morning and welcome to this month's Stitching Focus! I'm Lizzie Jones, your Stitching Ambassador and I am so excited to be here sharing with you today! I wanted to create something for this month that you could give as a gift for the upcoming Mother's Day holiday. It's not only a handmade keepsake, but it's functional too! Let's take a closer look at this month's featured stitching die!

Gift giving can be so difficult, especially when the person you're trying to indulge has everything they need. So sometimes a gift card really is the best option, but how to make it feel more personal and significant? It's all in the packaging, friends. I decided to put the Coin Purse II die to use this month as not only part of the gift, but also the wrapping for a gift card. It's so handy and it looks so much nicer than a plain envelope, don't you agree?

Amy used Button Stacks die cuts to give her Coin Purse a bit of flowery flair. A petite butterfly cut using the Cover Plate: Bitty Butterflies die adds a sense of movement to her design.

Erin personalized her purse with mix and matched letters for a fun, quirky vibe. She used the Sew Stylish I and II Alphabets, the Cross Stitch Alphabet, the Small Stitched Alphabet, Coffee Cozy Details, and the Alpha-blocks die to add the unique typesetting to this purse. It has such a carefree style, don't you think?

I used the Sew Stylish Alphabet I and Sewing Staples: Floral Cluster Die Collection to add a dainty monogram to this mini purse for my niece. I even added a Saddle Stitch Ribbon strap to make it easy for her to toss her itty bitty bag over her shoulder as she heads out to a pre-school power lunch.

Erin used the Seasonal Stitching: Bow Die to make a big impact on her little purse. The bold Pure Poppy felt contrasts nicely against the Aqua Mist and Hibiscus Burst design. I love how the corner patches and the flap match! Such a sweet detail.

Ashley created a drawstring design using the slotted die included in the Coin Purse II collection. She used Heart-2-Heart #7 flowers and Cover Plate: Mighty Bloom leaves to dress up her pretty purse. The contrasting stitching along the top edge of the bag really brings the whole thing together!

Betsy turned the Coin Purse II die into a mini clutch by adding a bit of hardware and a strap. The Sewing Staples: Floral Cluster made the perfect embellishment for her bag. It's so chic!

The Coin Purse II die is one of those wonderful, basic dies that can fulfill several different needs with a little imagination. Today, it's doing double duty as a gift and the presentation for another present hiding inside.

I love that the coin purse dies are the perfect size to hold gift cards, cash, and the like. I even use one as my everyday wallet. But with a little extra effort, these purses can be transformed into something a bit more special and worthy of gifting.

I began this purse by die cutting all of the pieces. I used Aqua Mist for the body and pocket, Vintage Cream for the liner and one of the flowers, Simply Chartreuse for the leaves, Winter Wisteria for the large flower and corner patches, and Lavender Moon for the middle layering flower. I stitched the details onto the leaves and then stitched them to the body of the purse, leaving the ends of the leafy branches loose. As long as you secure your branches with stitching all the way up to the base of your leaves you shouldn't have any problem with them falling off or getting damaged easily.

I chose to use a magnetic clasp rather than the button loop closure that comes in the die collection. I also wanted to add a touch of unexpected detail to the inside of the purse, so I stitched the word "hello" into the liner using the Quick Stitch Sentiments Die Collection. That extra pop of purple inside is such a happy surprise!

The corner patch details are also a favorite of mine! I love that this option is included in the die set. I really think it adds so much! And I love that they tie in to the color of the large flower.

And, like I mentioned before, this purse is the ideal size for gift cards so tucking one inside before handing the purse to mom is a snap! Consider a favorite restaurant or spa and the promise for a ladies' day. Or maybe a gift card toward a beloved crafting company, you know, for example.

These gift card coin purses would also be perfect for birthdays, graduations, and even baby showers (a mini wallet for the new mom to pop into a diaper bag, holding the essentials)! I'm sure you have other occasions in mind. What are they? I hope you'll share your suggestions in the comments and if you make a purse make sure to tag us on social media so we can check out your project. Thank you so much for joining me today!

Supplies:

Hello Coin Purse