Product Review -- Frame Purse Making Kit

I've read lots of interesting features on amazing Etsy artists, and seen lots of great pictures of items while browsing, but now and then I'd love to read about the actual product. So, here we go. Everything I review will be something that I have personally purchased and used.

My first product review is on the Frame Purse Making Kit sold by U-Handbag. There it is in the picture from her Etsy shop. It's so cute, and I've been dying to try to make this kind of clutch purse. I make other clutches, so it's not a stretch for me, but needed the basics.

First of all, fast shipping. I think it took just about a week to come from London to Atlanta. Everything you need is in the kit except thread and glue. The thread was not a problem. I'll get to the glue in a minute. I dove right in and made it the day it arrived.

Lisa's pattern is so easy to follow, and she herself describes it as "easy peasy". A couple of notes. Follow Step 1!! At least the part about reading all the way through. I've been sewing for over 30 years, so sometimes I take little short cuts, and this pattern was no diffeent. All went well until Step 10 and the gluing.

To start with, I didn't have the glue she recommended, but hey, I'm a crafter with glue. Got out the E6000 and even have a long pointy tip thing, but it seemed to be just too thick and didn't come out in a smooth line. Next up was Fabri-Tac, a glue that I highly endorse, and have used often in attaching trim to window treatments. But my bottle was not new, and the tip was cut a bit far down, making the hole a bit larger than desired.

Still, I'm impatient, and wanted to see the finished product, darn it! I forged ahead, mostly making do with the fabri-tac, but I had neglected to read the part about "working with one side of the purse at a time". Oops. Once I started to stuff the edge of the purse into the channel of the frame, well, it was a gluing nightmare. After getting it all over my fingers, and having it squish out around the edge, I did somehow manage to successfully insert the bag into the frame. Mind you, this has NOTHING whatsoever to do with the kit itself. Just a reminder that this kit maker knows what she's talking about!

Bottom line: If you enjoy sewing and trying new projects, this one is a very fun and satisfying one indeed. The fabric and frame included are high quality, leaving you with a wonderful finished product that closes with a satisfying snap. Here's my finished purse. Not too bad, but I need practice.

Besides buying U-Handbag products on Etsy, you can also purchase them via their website, U-Handbag.com, and check out her fun blog for more tutorials on making handbags.

My rating for the kit: A+