This project was found in the August 2008, Issue 93 of American Patchwork & Quilting Magazine. Page 52, to be exact. A simple purse made with two dish towels. When I first saw this pattern, I thought it looked like a cute little purse/tote and would be a quick and easy project. It was.These are my supplies......two dish towels and a pair of purse handles. This was another 1-hour project, from start to finish. My dish towels were not the size recommended in the pattern, but this doesn't really matter. Obviously, it changes the finished size, but that's OK. Wider or longer is not an issue. As I was looking at dish towels in the store, they were all different dimensions and I didn't find any that were the recommended size. BTW, this project was about $6.50 (plus thread that I already had). The dish towels were $1.50 each and the handles were half price at Jo-Ann's for $3.50.
This is the finished purse. My dish towel choice wasn't the best because the rose pattern on the towels is almost hidden. On the inside towel, the roses are crimped up in the handle and on the outside towel, the roses are on the bottom of the purse. Now that I have made one, I'll know what kind of pattern will show the best. I finished all of the raw edges on the inside with a simple zig zag stitch, just to keep the threads under control. This was not in the instructions, but it gives the purse a more finished look. Overall, I was pleased with the project and plan to make more. I think that this is more of a tote than a purse because the outside pockets are not that usable. They are loose and open so you wouldn't carry anything in them that was of much value. Good for tissues, comb and brush, water bottle, that type of thing. Things that wouldn't be sorely missed if they fell out of your purse. A decorative snap or button closure on each pocket section could solve this problem and even enhance the purse. Maybe later............