Handmade Wallet - NCW style wallet

 Handmade Wallet - NCW style wallet

Whatabout ye folks, it's Lee here.  I have watched so many YouTube videos lately of bag making and wallet making, that I am having dreams in my sleep about them.  I watched a tonne of videos on the NCW or, the Necessary Clutch Wallet that everyone and their Grandmother has made, so I thought that I should give it a go too.  The NCW is Designed by Janelle MacKay from Emmaline bags.  There have been many different iterations of this wallet made by different YouTubers, and I loved the style that Sian from Kittenish Behaviour did with the 2 zipper pockets, rather than just the 1.  She also shows how to make the wallet using directional prints, which thoroughly interested me.  Full credit to Sian for her incredibly detailed tutorials on this wallet.  I couldn't have made it without her videos.  An honourable mention also goes to Kassiah, from SiahSwag on YouTube too.  Her video is terrific as well.  And all her bag tutorials are phenomenal.  She's a very talented bag maker and her videos are so detailed, she guides you through every step of the bag/purse making process. 

I used this fantastic faux crocodile leatherette fabric (listed below) together with this stunning 100% cotton Moygashel fabric.  Now, both these fabrics are extremely thick and excellent quality.  And this is where I went very wrong with this project.  Not only, did I use 2 very good quality thick fabrics, but I also interfaced some of the cotton fabric pieces (not the pockets).  And you know me, I always like to tell you my failures as I don't like to imply that everything I make is perfect the first time (or the 2nd or even 3rd, teehee).  These thicker fabrics were all a little too much for my poor wee Janome. It sewed through everything perfectly.......UNTIL.... the final assembly section of adding the zipper pockets to the wallet.  With the thickness of all the fabric, leatherette and interfacing, it just would not go under my machine.  And my machine was an expensive bit of kit so I assumed that it should be able to handle this final thick bit of sewing.  So, little Miss Smarty Pants here decided to cheat physics by dropping the feed-dogs and removing the foot at my needle.  That meant I could get my wallet underneath my machine and VERY SLOWLY attempt to sew the final box of stitching.  But I couldn't just leave it there.....oh no!  The great big eejit that I am, I decided to re-engage the feed-dog in the middle of sewing this way too thick a fabric, in an attempt to help walk my fabric through.  BIG MISTAKE!!!!! Oh, I got the wallet's final little box of sewing done alright......BUT.... I jammed my feed-dog teeth down into my machine and couldn't get them engaged again....OH MY GOD THE SHEER PANIC!  I thought I had broken a £550 machine because of my own stupidity and stubbornness.  BUT....after a panic induced, frantic search on YouTube, I found the solution to re-engaging my feed-dogs and managed to get them back up through my presser plate again (by hand cranking the wheel....they clicked back up into place.  I haven't been brave enough to see if they'll drop again......I'll leave that for another day).  I nearly had a heart attack there and then.

In any case, crisis averted....for now until my next disastrous make, teehee.  I love the wee heart turn lock that I used. That was my first time using one and as intimidating as it might appear, it is actually very easy to install and such an effective look to the purse. I also gave my purse flap a bit more of a pronounced shape and I love how it turned out. The next time I make one of these wallets, I will use less interfacing and thinner cotton too.  I might even try an all cotton one to see how it turns out and maybe use a directional print and follow Sian's instructions for doing this .  These 2 fabrics are incredible quality and I highly recommend them.....but as a couple in this wallet, well, I'd leave them to the Industrial Machines instead, lol.  (Maybe someday I'll be lucky enough to own an Industrial sewing machine.  I am manifesting a Janome HD9, version 2 in my future, teehee).

It's such a fabulously designed wallet.  There are 2 big pockets at the front and back for cash, tonnes of card slot places at the front and back also with room to keep your mobile phone safe inside too.

The updated design with the 2 zipper pockets rather than just one is a far more favourable design to me.  It's a great place to keep loose change secure.

The side profile might look a wee bit thick here, but I literally had just finished adding the Chicago screws into the folds (there was no way my machine would sew down these seams, so Chicago screws it was).  So the purse needs time to mould to it's new shape.  I'm chuffed to pieces with it and will be making many more of these type of wallets....with fabrics that I know will go through my machine, lol.  I promise, I will never disrespect my sewing machine again, teehee.  

That's it from me for now folks.  See you on the next one.  Toodles Noodles...Lee aka Crafty Loops xx

SHOPPING LIST

At the time of typing, the items I linked to are available.  However, items stock changes all the time and with time marching by, some items I link may no longer be available from that particular seller.  However, a quick Google search should help you out if my links are no longer working/available.

NCW pattern - Janelle MacKay, Emmaline Bags

Teflon non-stick foot, Amazon- for sewing machine.  Works great when working with faux leather.  This foot works perfectly with my Janome QXL605 sewing machine

Jeans Needle - Amazon

Personalised, handmade stamp - Stampingallday

5& 1/2 inch Kai Scissors - Christie's Craft Shop, Ebay

Faux crocodile Leatherette - Dragonfly Creations

Moygashel Fabric - Jeff Banks, Port of call fabric, Moygashel purchased from Private seller on Ebay

Woven Fusible Interfacing - Celloexpress - Ebay

Heart shaped purse turnlock - Amazon

Chicago Screws - Amazon

2, No. 3 zippers - from stash but purchased from private seller on Ebay

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