Version 1.0

I want the perfect handmade fabric wallet and I would like to be the one who designed it. The problem is that I want a lot from this wallet. I want it to be sturdy. It should have a closure that will stand up to lots of opening and closing. It needs to have a pocket for cash but who am I kidding I never have cash. What I want is a place to stash receipts so they don’t litter the inside of my purse. I also want lots of slots for all those plastic cards you need to pay for things, get discounts at stores, get library books, and legally be on the road. Oh, and I want it to be small and not too bulky so that it fits in a wide range of purse sizes. I don’t want much, right?

Using my current wallet as a guide of what I like/don’t like I made an attempt at constructing the perfect wallet. On first glance I thought it would be a piece of cake. I took some measurements and jotted some notes on the size and number of pieces to be cut. Excitedly I pulled out cutting mat, rotary cutter, fabrics, and interfacing. Then construction began and I realized the way I thought it might go together would put too much bulk in the seams. So I slept on it and spent the next day folding pieces of paper when it finally came to me.

It was pretty smooth sailing putting together all the card slots and assembling the wallet until I turned the whole thing inside out. It was then that I realized I ended up with some raw seams in my cash pocket. No problem, I decided to go with it for now.

Overall I’m pretty happy with version 1.0. The card slots are perfect, as is the overall size. In version 2.0 I’d like to somehow make it sturdier. It feels a bit too fabric-y and light in the hand if that makes sense. I’m not sure if the answer is Peltex or layers of lighter interfacing. I’d also like to improve the snap. It tugs a bit too much at the fabric when opening. Over time I’m worried it might damage the fabric. Of course I’d also like to solve the problem with the seams in the cash pocket but that I could live with that if need be.

What about you in blogland? Any experience with wallet construction? Any tips you could share with this novice?