Trial and Error...

Yesterday the sun shone, unlike today, and I managed to create the ironing pile from my worst nightmares, resulting from 4 loads of washing and making the most of the glorious line-time; but I also had time to try out frame purse number two as a practice for the In The Frame Swap.

Now I started off thinking I would just use some rubbishy old fabric, and hope for the best, but then figured it could be a waste of a perfectly good frame, so I got all brave and cut into my FMF!

I followed the best bits from numerous online tutes, making my pattern, using the turn through the lining method for super neat hinge corners and then it all started to go a bit wrong.

I boxed the corners thinking I was making a nice deep boxy shape - but no, I had created the opposite, and this was the shallowest of purses I could have created; hey ho, not a show stopper.  Then I did my usual machine stitch closure of the lining - but as the bottom of the purse was not exactly buried deep inside, it shows way too much, and thirdly, unless I had wanted gathers galore and an inch gap below each hinge, it was not going to fit the frame.

Bugger!

However, having amassed a selection of frames in my eagerness the other week, I found that it actually fitted another one almost perfectly!

The glueing and sticking went fine, although I possibly could have done with a bit more glue as the frame was too snug in the end to fit any piping in.

I tried to squeeze the frame a little tighter with pliers, which has left it a little wobbly, but it is all holding together, and looks damn pretty, even though it won't hold a lot. 

It is most definitely just a posing pouch...

So lessons learnt...
I will be using an amended version of Katy's Retreat method - keeping the raw edges on the outside, and then coating them in glue and wedging into the frame for a bit more grip - this means no seam allowance having to be spot on for a perfect fit either;
I will just turn the hinge corners in when I top stitch the lining to the outer, for a nice neat finish;
I will research 'bottom shapes' a bit further, and read instructions fully (for once!), and,
I will remember this is meant to be fun - swearing is not big and clever, and does not change things, ever!