Tuesday, May 6, 2008

Sewing - A Tweed Handbag from 1955


"Make a handsome handbag in either wool or cotton tweed. This roomy bag may be the answer to your fall handbag problem. Simply-shaped pieces which set together like a song will result in a handsome bag of which you can be proud."



It is from Smart Sewing, 9th Edition, 1955. Three pages of instructions start here. When you print off the pattern make sure it comes out as 8.5 x 11 inches or the pieces may not fit together.

Edited to add: My apologies! The magazine is actually dated 1954, not 1955.

Edited again (9/7/09): Check here for a coat pattern to match.
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31 comments:

  1. LydiaMay 6, 2008 at 7:23 AM

    Adorable!!! I'll definitely be trying this one. Thank you!

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  2. ShayMay 6, 2008 at 7:50 AM

    If you put this bag together with last month's skirt and the knitted coat I'll be posting tomorrow, you'll have the perfect 50's suburban matron outfit ;-)

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  3. LidianMay 6, 2008 at 8:38 AM

    That is actually really cute! I love it...

    Shay, just so you know, and i am working on this, stupid WordPress keeps marking your lovely commnets as spam and I KEEP MARKING THEM as NOT, and apparentl Askismet is having a big case of the stupids and....anyway, hopefully that will get sorted out soon. Sorry. Because I LOVE your comments!

    And your blog.

    Oh, and this tweed handbag, too!

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  4. ShayMay 6, 2008 at 8:47 AM

    I am so glad to hear that, Lidian...not because I'm happy you are having problems, but because I was wondering why my comments on your posts were falling into a black hole!

    Sorry you are having such a tough time with it, hope it works out!

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  5. MotozulliMay 6, 2008 at 10:51 AM

    I love this, what a great design! I really like the hidden zipper too...I'm always paranoid about my purses, here in NYC.

    -Alaina
    www.gothampatterns.com

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  6. ElleMay 7, 2008 at 5:57 PM

    I've been lurking for a while and I just sat down and got this cut out. I LOVE it. Simply just adore it. And I know no one else has anything remotely like it here. Thank you so much, I have all kinds of nifty clothes from your blog.

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  7. ShayMay 7, 2008 at 6:49 PM

    Elle, we'd love a picture!

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  8. T-MomMay 10, 2008 at 10:46 AM

    That's pretty nice. If I sewed, I might take a crack at it--looks like it would make a good knitting tote.

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  9. Mon Café CoutureSeptember 16, 2008 at 5:39 AM

    WHOW! THIS IS REALLY ORIGINAL I LIKE THE CHOICES YOU MAKE IN YOUR SEWING POSTS

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  10. ShaySeptember 16, 2008 at 11:47 AM

    Merci du compliment. J'espere bientot d'avoir encore plus de patrons annees cinquate, pour les enfants aussi.

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  11. Mon Café CoutureSeptember 16, 2008 at 12:06 PM

    Shay, je viens de rentrer du travail et j'ai coupé le patron du sac, il me tentait trop. Merci beaucoup pour ta gentillesse. J'espère pouvoir te montrer une photo du sac si je le réussis.Je fais un post et je mets un lien sur mon blog, n'hésite pas à me dire si tu ne le veux pas, A+, Lucia

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  12. ShaySeptember 16, 2008 at 6:00 PM

    Merci beacoup pour les visiteurs nombreux qu'arrivaient de France au jourd'hui!

    Je voudrais bien mettre le photo ou un link dans "little grey bungalow" quand t'as finie. Je n'aurais jamais assez de temps d'essayer tous les projets dans mes magasins et livres, c'est un raison que je suis heureux de les partager. ;-)

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  13. Mon Café CoutureSeptember 17, 2008 at 5:10 AM

    merci

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  14. ShaySeptember 17, 2008 at 7:34 AM

    "heureuse." not "heuruex."

    Man, my French has gotten bad over the past 20 years!

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  15. Mon Café CoutureSeptember 18, 2008 at 1:46 PM

    I wish I could speak and write in English as well as you do in French in twenty years. have you been to France? 20 years ago?

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  16. ShaySeptember 18, 2008 at 4:21 PM

    I spent a year in Paris 1975-1976, as an au pair. Haven't had anyone to parler with in.....longer than I care to remember.

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  17. Mon Café CoutureSeptember 19, 2008 at 2:34 AM

    Hello Shay, au pair experience can be enrichissante aussi, j'espère que tu as aimé. Quant au sac, je suis à la phase presque finale, il me rest la doublure à coudre à la coquille ainsiq eu faire les anses. Il a l'air pas mal du tout pour l'instant, je t'envoie une photo dès qu'il est prêt. A+

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  18. AnonymousOctober 30, 2008 at 7:43 AM

    lovely bag thanks gracias

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  19. ShayOctober 30, 2008 at 12:10 PM

    de nada, glad you like it!

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  20. CicurkaNovember 23, 2008 at 6:02 AM

    Hi! First of all, thank you for the pattern. I tried to sew this one, but I got mixed up. So I saw another bag by right of your pattern. :-) You can find it on my blog.
    Thanks!

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  21. karenSeptember 22, 2009 at 9:07 AM

    I make it !!!! if you want to see:
    http://yakafaire.canalblog.com
    thanks for this pattern.
    I'd like to do a translation in french, can I ?

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  22. ShaySeptember 22, 2009 at 7:03 PM

    When you translate the pattern, could you please send a link so I can add it to this post? I'm so glad you like it.

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  23. sab le plaisir de gourmandiseJuly 20, 2010 at 11:43 PM

    i tried to do it but the top seems to be too big..dis I make sthng wro,g??? I cant' read the explanations as it doesn't appear propoerly so I did it the way I thought but it would be easier with the explanation!!! is theer any way you could help me??? thanks

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  24. replica bagJuly 31, 2010 at 11:32 PM

    Thanks for the info. Now I can use my handbag again. It has some scratches like this one. Thanks again!

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  25. UnknownAugust 20, 2010 at 11:04 PM

    This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

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  26. handbagsDecember 6, 2010 at 3:01 AM

    The pattern may be old style yet I love the classic and chic look.

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  27. LillyJuly 17, 2011 at 12:04 AM

    I love this little bag, i'll be trying it. Thank's for th tutorial!!!

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  28. ChaApril 20, 2012 at 12:13 PM

    Thank you for the pattern, would you believe that it is this bag taht inspired me to learn how to sew. I am still at the beginner stage but I will attempt this bag. It doesn't say what seam allowance to use so I suppose 1/4". The fact that the instructions are not very details (for me) show that in past years all women knew how to sew so well. Anyway, I will let you know if I manage! I am so impressed by your French, one yera as aupair years ago and you speak spo fluently --> W-O-W!!! Mind-blowing!!

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  29. ShayApril 20, 2012 at 1:24 PM

    Cha, I'm not sure I speak it THAT fluently

    Seam allowances in those days were 1/2 inch, 1.5cm will work.

    I hope you try some of the 1950's clothing projects that I have listed under the sewing category. The instructions are minimal but most of the patterns are beginner-friendly:

    http://littlegreybungalow.blogspot.com/search/label/sewing

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  30. RosaJuly 4, 2012 at 5:37 AM

    Love this bag.It`s abdolutely beautiful!!

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  31. MarylèneApril 25, 2013 at 1:45 AM

    Bonjour
    J'ai imprimé le patron du sac depuis bien longtemps déjà et je souhaiterais le réaliser , mais voilà je ne trouve devant quelques difficultées pour le réaliser !!Auriez-vous la tracduction en Fraçais ?cela me serais très très utile!
    Je vous remercie par avance!
    Marylène

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