Cricut + Simplicity = Sewing Fun!

May 30, 2018

Cricut + Simplicity = Sewing Fun!

Cricut has teamed up with Simplicity and the possibilities are now endless! Simplicity has been producing printed patterns since 1927, and as an expert in the sewing world is now making patterns available to be cut on the Cricut Maker!

I wanted to make a couple of purses, so I tried two patterns. Tote Bag

and Ruffle Purse. These two purses are definitely what little girls dreams are made of!

I love that I can just hook up the laptop to my Cricut Maker and get started. I don't need to take out a paper pattern, iron it, pin it to my fabric, carefully cut it out, then unpin everything. I just go into Cricut Design Space and choose a Simplicity Pattern and the Cricut Maker takes care of the cutting for me.

For the Tote Bag, I chose to use Cricut fabric called On Trend. I fell in love with the floral print with its pinks, oranges, and that solid green!

These fabrics were perfect for the inner and outer pockets.

There are a couple of tips that I can share that might make the process of making these purses a little easier if you decide to try them. 1. Use the Cricut EasyPress Mat. This mat is the perfect size for ironing small things. You can keep it next to your sewing machine so you don't have to get up every time a small seam has to be pressed.

2. Topstitch on the bottom of the Tote Bag where the straps are sewn into the seam. The webbing is bulky and needs to be sewn flat for a flatter bag bottom.

3. For both the Tote Bag and the Ruffle Purse, leave a generous opening in the bottom of the lining for turning the bag right side out. If the opening is too narrow, the seam or fabric may tear.

4. Use two different thread colors for a more professional finish.

5. Use a zipper foot for topstitching if the area is too narrow for your regular foot. I wanted my magnetic snap to be closer to the top of the bag, so this left a narrow area for topstitching.