Finished Evening Bag

This evening, I put a little more time into finishing the little evening bag.  Saturday, I had gone to the store for lining, a button, and some stiff interfacing.  Sunday, I blocked it lightly over a piece of cardboard 7" by 10" by pulling it over the cardboard, steaming the front lightly, steaming the back lightly, and then pulling down the rather shriveled triangle flap and steaming that very gently.  Monday, I cut a piece of the VERY stiff interfacing 10-1/2" by 14" plus the triangle and fused it to my lining, which is a crepe backed silver-gray polyester satin.  It was fused like a sandwich, folded over where the front straight edge of the bag.

Tonight, I made a long idiot cord over 4 needles - first 400 passes, slipping one way, of gold, and then 400 passes of silver.  I twisted that and sewed it in.  I did it twice - twisted it too little the first time.

I also trimmed the lining to make a 1/2" seam allowance all around that interfacing, then sewed the two short sides of the lining and did a hard pressing job to get the lining folded under before hand sewing it into the purse.  Then, disappointed at how it wasn't going to stay in place while I sewed, I basted it into place on the pointy end of the lining and finally, I hand-sewed the lining into the bag.

Finally, I sewed on the button, then wandered around the house looking for a spot where I could hang it up and photograph it.

S