If You Like, Make It!

While I do not think of myself as crafy, I tend to be crafty--- I can sew a little, do some scrap booking, and make sugar scrubs... and when I saw this $2000 purse, I knew I could make something similar. Now, I did not use the silk taffeta, just cotton, but I did create the same look. It was not too difficult- here are my steps (If I get adventurous, I will do one of those ehow videos...)
1. Cut fabric with pinking shears- I cut mine 1/2 yard by 2 inches wide- I will cut them a little thinner next time- probably 1/2 yard by 1 1/2 inches. Cut both sides with pinking shears to keep your fabric loss to a minimum.
2. Run a long gathering stitch along one long side. Pull to a tight gather and knot both sides.
3. Twist the fabric into a rose beginning with the middle and going out. Hand sew the first few rolls at the bottom of the rosette. Allow the thread to hang loose from the bottom and keep twisting. When you have twisted all of it, hand sew a few times on the bottom to keep the rose intact.
4. I used a clearance purse from a discount store and glued the roses on. If you are really crafty, sew your own purse. This was a leather type vinyl. I used E-6000 Adhesive 3-3/4 oz to adhere the roses. It seems to hold well.

Your color combinations can vary. I have a few more I got fabric for this weekend- so I need to get started. It took around 55 roses- 3 yards of fabric- to cover both sides of this purse at the larger measurement. Let me know if you try this out. Overall, with the purse, not including my time and tools (sewing machine, pinking shears), I spent about $18. I think it is cute--- too bad I am giving it to my sister!