I’ve been meaning to make myself a new wallet for ages now, my old one eventually stretched a little so the card pockets weren’t secure and a purse I made sometime ago is now so tatty and falling apart it’s an embarrassment! On Thursday I decided a new wallet was my project for the day,

I used the same pattern as last time, it’s called the Terrific Trifold Wallet, it’s in a book called A Bag for all Reasons by Lisa Lam. I wanted to use the lovely eucalyptus print left over from making Helen’s apron so I found some blue batiks that would go with it. I decided to use the print on the inside and batik’s on the outside, I think the light print would get grubby very quickly.

It always takes a while to cut out all the pieces for bag making and this wallet was no exception, I put all the pieces into a box so they didn’t get lost whilst I was stitching – I’m sure my sewing room has a black hole as things just disappear! I used woven fusible interfacing where needed and fusible pellon for the outside. The instructions called for Decovil which apparently gives the outer fabric a leather-like quality and durability. I used the Pellon instead as I happened to have some, pellon is like a very thick interfacing.

All the different sections of the wallet were made first, the coin purse and the card slots. These were then stitched on to the notes slot fabric and the edge bound with bias binding. I didn’t quite manage to catch all the bias down on the back with my first row of stitching so I used a decorative stitch as well which I think gives a nice finish too.

Frustratingly after carefully fussy-cutting the print for the two top card holders so they had a pretty sprig each, I stitched the pocket on the other way up and didn’t realise until I’d already attached the binding. They still look pretty though.

The hardest bit of the wallet was turning it right side out as the pellon interfacing is pretty bulky and firm. Edge stitching round it was then awkward as the main body of the purse was so much thicker than the very edge, I think in the end I used a zipper foot.

The pattern closes the purse with a popper, I haven’t got any poppers so I stitched an elastic into the tab and added a blue button.

As you can see my wallet is already in use, I think I need to make a new bag next!