I made this to go with my mom’s pleated purse.  I based it off of Martha Stewart’s “pattern,” but used regular fabric instead of felt.  In doing so, I had to attach some fusible interfacing (one of the best inventions ever) to the fabric.  I also had to modify the pattern to fit the measurements of the little hem I made on each side where the tissues come out.  Also, I sewed the short ends together wrong-sides-together, that way I flipped the holder inside out to have hidden seams rather than the seams sticking out and using pinking shears for the edges.  (Yes, Martha, that’s fine for felt…but would have looked awful with the fabric.)  I just realized how confusing that must be to read.  But that just goes to show that I have no idea how to put into words what I do with sewing.  In other words: don’t expect tutorials from me anytime soon.

Since I take my pictures close up with no other objects to create scale, this tissue holder might look gigantic.  But really, it’s a travel-size pack of Kleenex.  This little booger (hehe! a pun!) was fun and fast to put together.  It doesn’t take much fabric to make one, so it’s a good use for scraps of fabric that might be vegging out somewhere.

My mom received a homemade Mother’s Day gift this year.  The sewing machine my parents gave me for this past Christmas seems to be a gift that keeps giving!  To make this purse, I used the same pattern that I used to make one for my fiancé a couple of weeks ago.  For you sewers out there, it’s a great, easy (and free) pattern.  I am a beginner sewer, and I did just fine.  (Well, after threatening the lives of pleats far and wide the first time I made one.)

The purse came together a lot faster this time, but it still took forever to cut out the fabric.  I definitely need more patience in the fabric-cutting department.  Even though I made the patten before, this was the first time I used magnetic snaps.  They were incredibly easy to attach, and I like the way the close/open.  Please don’t look too closely at the stitching around the magnetic snaps.  I meant to switch out the brown thread for the tan so it wouldn’t show up, but I forgot.  It looks a little bad there, but it’s not like anyone really sees it.  (Except for now, when I’m putting it on full display for you.)  But, hey…have you ever tried to sew a circle on a sewing machine?  I need practice.

If you were wondering, my mom really liked the purse.  She knew that she was getting it, because she picked out the fabric.  But it was nice to be able to give a gift that I knew she would like and appreciate.