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Russian doll Lara

Assembling the purse

 

Here you will find the explanations necessary to make a purse with the Lara doll.

I used the explanations offered in Yumiko Higuchi’s book to achieve this work in the best manner

Simply Stitched with Embroidery: Create Artful Motifs for Purses and More

This is a real gold mine and the explanations provided in this manual allow you to make purse assembling of all shapes in the simplest way. I will try to pass it on to you.

 

Furniture

To carry out this assembly you will need:

 – a clasp

 – a piece of fabric to line the inside of the purse

 – small sewing material, the assembly can be done without a sewing machine

 – textile glue and possibly a stabilizer to strengthen the purse fabric

– small drawing material to prepare the stencil

Here is the clasp I used. You can order it HERE.

I used this iron-on material to reinforce my fabric. It is easy to purchase it in the trade and is often used in quilting.

The small tube on the right is a complement to the iron-on fabric and allows you to easily turn over and glue a piece of fabric to give it the desired shape.

I use Guetermann’s HT2 glue to secure the top of the purse in the clasp.

Template

Here is the procedure to follow to prepare a template for the measurements of your work

Position the clasp around the doll’s head and draw its outer outline on the paper.

Remove the clasp and trace the outline of the purse in line with the pattern. Mark with a small line the limits of the clasp.

Cut out the template and check that the doll’s head fits well into the clasp.

Sewing and assembly

Here is how to prepare the 2 sides of the purse and mount them in the clasp

Cut 2 templates in the iron-on fabric.

Using the iron, glue both templates on the back of the embroidered parts, ensuring its placement. Then place these pieces on the lining fabric (right sides together) and sew the bottom of the purse, following the templates from one edge to the other (according to the pencil marks) of the clasp.

 

Cut the 2 sides of the purse, leaving a margin of fabric around the seams and the contours of the head.

Turn the 2 parts of the purse over and iron carefully.

Now superimpose the 2 sides of the purse (embroidery on the outside) and sew them firmly together with hemstitch. It is necessary to sew the bottom of the purse up to the height of the clasp (see the pins).

Carefully fold back the 2 independent parts of the head by guiding you with the iron-on fabric, glue, or maintain using a few stitches. The more precise this work, the easier it will be to slide the head of the figurine into the clasp.

Starting with one side, insert HT2 glue into the clasp rail and slide the doll’s head inside. You may need to use a stick or toothpick to push the fabric to the bottom of the rail. Wait about 10 minutes and proceed in the same way for the 2nd side.

Note

After thinking about it, when I will redo this assembly or when I will explain it to my students, I believe that I will put in place the fabric around the head of the doll before joining the 2 sides. It is certainly easier to do this job on a single part rather than on 2 attachments.