A wallet to go with my purse

I had extra fabric and thought I’d try my hand at a wallet/billfold.

Original size was 9 x 12 and I cut three pieces. One outside and two for the inside for extra strength. If’ I’d not had enough fabric, I’d have used muslin.  I used a leather wallet as a guide for construction.

I wanted more card slots than you get in most wallets, so my plan was to make 5 slots that would give me 10 slots (x2 would give me 20). The bottom fold is 3″. Then I folded accordion style using a gift card as a guide – pinning at each up or down fold. I should have unfolded this piece and measured it, but I didn’t. Everything started out at 9″ wide.

Steam ironed front and back.

Just checking sizing and layout here. The piece in the middle will be a coin purse.

Back to the card slots. I folded the end pieces over to sew together. They will be top stitched into the wallet along that bottom edge.

I had to unpin the pieces to turn them. Since this was my first one, I hoped it would refold into it’s original shape easily.

I sewed a line up the middle and each edge after turning.

Coin purse. I made inch seams on this piece. It has to go in the middle and I have to be able to sew around it without it catching in the main wallet edges.

When I turned and pressed this, I did NOT sew up the sides. Seam is at the bottom center. I’m going to sew along that bottom center seam to attach this to the wallet. THEN I’ll sew up the sides. I hoped this would make for a more secure attachment to the wallet – allowing for a seam that goes completely across the bottom of the coin purse.

Layout – inside and outside is to the left.

This is the center piece of fabric. All the insides are sewed to the inside piece and the center piece for added strength.

After the coin purse was sewn to the wallet, I top stitched both ends together.

Inside is constructed.

I tried to find purse magnets, but had to settle for velcro. I’ll have to keep my eye out for the purse magnets though because they would have made for a nicer finish.

Folded the wallet to place the velcro before sewing the inside and outside together.

I left an opening at the top for turning where there was the least amount of bulk.

After I turned it, I top stitched on all four sides. The squared off look on the flap was ok, but turned in the corners so it would have the same look as the purse. It would have been better to have done this earlier, but . . . I also added another piece of velcro for those times when the wallet is thicker or thinner.

Finished wallet.

Purse is here.