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Purse Palooza – Pattern Review – Suzi Purse Insert

IMG_1150This post is part of Purse Palooza 2015. For full details and contest rules, check here.
Today’s post is from Pam of Hip to be a Square.

Purse Palooza 2015 at Sew Sweetness

Thanks, Sara for having me on the 2015 Purse Palooza tour! Normally I talk about sewing and quilting on my podcast Hip to be a Square and YouTube show The Stitch, but today I want to talk about the dark side effect for having a passion for purse making: transferring all your stuff from one purse to another.

*cue ominous music*

Who among us has not suffered the embarrassing avalanche of items when your purse tips over? Or simply made a new purse when your old one got too full, only to find your best transfer technique was to turn the old purse upside down and dump all the stuff into the new one?  Only me? Huh.

I’m not here to judge; I’m here to help. So let me introduce you to the Suzi Purse Insert & More pattern from Lazy Girl Designs with Joan Hawley.

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Materials

There are a couple things to love about the Suzi Insert: it’s fat quarter friendly and it’s entirely rotary cut without special pattern pieces.  The insert comes in two sizes – medium (6 ½” long) and large (8 ½” long).  You can also customize the number of pockets you add, with the maximum number of two external and two internal.

I made the large version with 2 interior and 1 exterior pocket, and used three fat quarters to do so. You’ll also need a medium- to heavy-weight fusible interfacing.  I used Pellon Décor Bond because that’s what I had on hand; it’s a heavier weight fusible interfacing.

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Techniques

There’s not a lot of fancy techniques for the insert: basic rotary cutting and quarter inch seaming are combined with fusible interfacing and pressing. I’d say this pattern qualifies for the beginner sewist, since the amount of pictures provided in the pattern make it clear how to do the trickiest parts: making the gussets for the bottom of the insert and making the pockets such that they will accommodate bulkier items. That’s one of the best things about Lazy Girl patterns: she always provides LOTS of photos to help make things clear.

As an added bonus, the pattern is available as a digital download PDF on Craftsy, where a number of other sewists have offered tips in the forum in addition to showing pictures of their own Suzi inserts!

The Results

My large insert fits my (large) wallet, an embarrassingly large lip balm/lipstick collection, Dramamine and assorted “Mom Pill Collection”, Altoids, business card holder, eyeglass wipe, badge for work and some other things I hid under my wallet to take the picture. A lady must maintain some secrets, after all.

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I also use built-in pockets in any purse I make, but I find the Insert helpful to organize things that might otherwise collect in the bottom of my purse, which I affectionately call “Grama Eddie Syndrome”.  My Grama Eddie used to just throw whatever change she received from shopping into her purse without regard for her wallet, and wait for her grandkids to clean it out and sort the money when she visited.  It’s a wonder she didn’t have back problems from toting around all those coins.

Since I’m pretty far off from expecting grandkids myself, the Suzi Purse insert seems like a good alternative until I teach my cats to sort change.

But Wait, There’s “& More”!

You may have noticed the “& More” in the pattern name.  That is because with a sturdy interfacing, the insert can be used as a tabletop organizer for desks or sewing areas.  Where I have lip balm, you could put pens or seam rippers.  Where I have my wallet, a rotary cutter would fit nicely.

Since we’re coming up on gift-giving season, I’d consider making these for friends and family members.  It’s a nice, useful handmade item, and you could jazz up the gift itself by slipping in a gift card, swanky lip balm, or a fancy pen.

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13 thoughts on “Purse Palooza – Pattern Review – Suzi Purse Insert

  1. Jill Dalrymple says:

    Genius! I need one.

  2. Clever insert! Enjoyed the review.

  3. Maria says:

    I should have one of these ! Thanks for the great review Pam ! 🙂

  4. Amy K. says:

    Thanks for the review & for bringing this pattern to my attention! I was just thinking, “This may be my go-to handmade gift this year,” as I read the same idea in the post! =)

  5. Lori Michel says:

    What a great idea…useful for home and away…would be a good insert to use when traveling…all those needed items can be set on a bedside table…

  6. Valerie says:

    Love this insert. Keeps organization a breeze. Yes, I agree, a great gift idea!

  7. Judy says:

    Thanks for this great review, this sounds like a great easy pattern.

  8. Cynthia says:

    I have made this insert over and over for years, and have taught many classes with it. There are Suzi’s everywhere in the northeast!!! Always my go-to gift, and I personally will never be without one. If you don’t have it, GET IT! Your life, as a purse-person, will be oh-so-easy because changing purses is a breeze!

  9. Jen Beatty says:

    This is the first one I’ve seen I really like!

  10. Reece says:

    I too suffer from “purse avalanche” syndrome; this would be perfect!

  11. Shelley K says:

    I so appreciate you Purse Palooza 2015, and all the varied patterns. This one gets a vote as one of my favorites. I have purchased a few of the purse inserts because I could not find a pattern nor did I have interest in designing my own. With this great pattern I can make my own in a fabric I really want to use in my purse or on my sewing area. MUCH appreciated!

  12. James says:

    Purse inserts are awesome

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