It's not glue, it's me
8 Dec 2014 07:53 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
motorharpA couple summers ago, I bought a cheongsam dress at a yard sale that was way too small. After trying unsuccessfully to design something else to make it into, I set it aside thinking I could make some kind of Asian inspired, hard-sided (as opposed to soft and slouchy) purse at some point. I had no idea how to make a purse like that or what it might be inside it to make it sturdy.
I found this purse at the thrift store and started taking it apart. Or trying to take it apart. I started with the bottom of the purse since it was sewn together and got nowhere. I read up on how purses with clasps are made - they're glued into the clasp - and how to remove glue - rubbing alcohol was what I had on hand - and went to work. The rubbing alcohol did the trick, but only because it dissolved the cardboard. Yes, this entire purse was made with cardboard. The lining is glued to cardboard, there is another piece of cardboard outside of that, then the outside fabric is stitched to cardboard and glued. The bottom piece is stitched to cardboard and glued.
I felt like I did when I found out shoes are made with a lot of cardboard. Horrified, because "everything's cheap these days!" and "shoddy construction, etc!" and excited because "hey, I have cardboard, I can totally make these myself!".
Yep, cardboard.
Three layers of cardboard!
The inside lining is glued to a single continuous piece of cardboard, there's another layer of cardboard on each side, and then the outside fabric is glued to cardboard. The side layers of cardboard do not meet in the middle and that creates space for the purse bottom to flex when it's opened. There's another bottom piece which was sewed to the sides and which holds the feet. Because I didn't want topstitching on my version of the purse, I decided to glue. Ah, yes, my old friend glue.
This is starting out easy enough.
The bottom was the easiest piece to make. I cut a piece of cardboard and marked holes for the feet. They were, thankfully, not rivets, but simply had arms you spread like old fashioned brads so I could reuse them. I cut a rectangle of fabric slightly larger and glued it to the cardboard with Barge cement, which is the only thing I really had on hand that would have worked1. At this point in the project, I had the presence of mind to make sure I glued the fabric to the unmarked side, and my hands were so pristine and glue-free that it was a perfect glue job. As soon as the glue dried... ahahaha! Of course I didn't wait for the glue to dry, I can't use glue right! I used a hole punch for the feet. The hole punch only got a little gluey.
Gluuuuewwww.
One side on, sort of
Instead of sewing the front and back to the bottom like the original, and then attaching, I had to glue the front and back on, then glue the bottom. I had to do this because my fabric + interfacing + felt + cardboard was a little thicker than the original, which had a microscopically thin layer of foam rubber (ew!) and I had a really hard time getting it into the clasp. I figured it would be easier that way. It was probably six of one, half dozen of the other. I did manage to get so much glue on the front fabric that I had to completely rip it apart, and cut new fabric and interfacing and blah blah blah. I also had to trim the felt on both front and back under the clasp because it was way too thick. And I had to trim down the cardboard on the side because with all those layers it was too long to fit under the clasp anymore.
After getting one front on, I finally realized I need to follow the directions and wait for the glue to dry a little before working with it. It went better after that, but I still had problems with where I spread the glue and it oozed out the sides a little. Or a lot.
Not too shabby.
I kept the lining the same because I didn't want to wrestle with that, as well, and I think it gives a nice shot of pink when you open the purse.
1. Apparently Gütermann HT2 glue is the way to go for purses - it's strong and doesn't smell. But only available through one seller in the US?
eBay listing by mountains2dbeach
more views of the purse in the listing
more views of the purse in the listing
I found this purse at the thrift store and started taking it apart. Or trying to take it apart. I started with the bottom of the purse since it was sewn together and got nowhere. I read up on how purses with clasps are made - they're glued into the clasp - and how to remove glue - rubbing alcohol was what I had on hand - and went to work. The rubbing alcohol did the trick, but only because it dissolved the cardboard. Yes, this entire purse was made with cardboard. The lining is glued to cardboard, there is another piece of cardboard outside of that, then the outside fabric is stitched to cardboard and glued. The bottom piece is stitched to cardboard and glued.
I felt like I did when I found out shoes are made with a lot of cardboard. Horrified, because "everything's cheap these days!" and "shoddy construction, etc!" and excited because "hey, I have cardboard, I can totally make these myself!".
Yep, cardboard.
Three layers of cardboard!
The inside lining is glued to a single continuous piece of cardboard, there's another layer of cardboard on each side, and then the outside fabric is glued to cardboard. The side layers of cardboard do not meet in the middle and that creates space for the purse bottom to flex when it's opened. There's another bottom piece which was sewed to the sides and which holds the feet. Because I didn't want topstitching on my version of the purse, I decided to glue. Ah, yes, my old friend glue.
This is starting out easy enough.
The bottom was the easiest piece to make. I cut a piece of cardboard and marked holes for the feet. They were, thankfully, not rivets, but simply had arms you spread like old fashioned brads so I could reuse them. I cut a rectangle of fabric slightly larger and glued it to the cardboard with Barge cement, which is the only thing I really had on hand that would have worked1. At this point in the project, I had the presence of mind to make sure I glued the fabric to the unmarked side, and my hands were so pristine and glue-free that it was a perfect glue job. As soon as the glue dried... ahahaha! Of course I didn't wait for the glue to dry, I can't use glue right! I used a hole punch for the feet. The hole punch only got a little gluey.
Gluuuuewwww.
Next were the sides. They were a little more difficult. The lining on the sides was actually glued to stiff paper. The sides that originally had fake pink alligator leather and cardboard were replaced with my fabric, felt for padding, and cardboard. I sewed them together up the side that went under the purse clasp, then glued the other edges around to the cardboard on the fronts and back. Again, I did not wait for the glue to dry, so got it all over my hands. You can see in the picture that I got a lot of glue on the metal. Barge cement does not come off metal.
One side on, sort of
Instead of sewing the front and back to the bottom like the original, and then attaching, I had to glue the front and back on, then glue the bottom. I had to do this because my fabric + interfacing + felt + cardboard was a little thicker than the original, which had a microscopically thin layer of foam rubber (ew!) and I had a really hard time getting it into the clasp. I figured it would be easier that way. It was probably six of one, half dozen of the other. I did manage to get so much glue on the front fabric that I had to completely rip it apart, and cut new fabric and interfacing and blah blah blah. I also had to trim the felt on both front and back under the clasp because it was way too thick. And I had to trim down the cardboard on the side because with all those layers it was too long to fit under the clasp anymore.
I really did manage to take strategic pictures so the massive amounts of glue everywhere are not apparent.
After getting one front on, I finally realized I need to follow the directions and wait for the glue to dry a little before working with it. It went better after that, but I still had problems with where I spread the glue and it oozed out the sides a little. Or a lot.
Not too shabby.
I kept the lining the same because I didn't want to wrestle with that, as well, and I think it gives a nice shot of pink when you open the purse.
1. Apparently Gütermann HT2 glue is the way to go for purses - it's strong and doesn't smell. But only available through one seller in the US?
