Sewing with a 100% Polyester/600 Denier Waterproof Fabric is a Breeze

A customer recently requested a concealed carry purse in camo fabric.  As we began searching, she settled on this design.  Actually the design we picked was velveteen, which I did not realize until it arrived at  my front door.  It is very soft and cuddly, but not so great for a purse.  Now I'm deciding who is going to get a camo blanket for Christmas!

We soon settled on this fabric, as it was the only one similar in design and color to her previous choice.  I was a little nervous because it said it was 100% polyester and 600 Denier, which I had no idea what denier meant.  Come to find out, it simply a measurement for the thickness of the fabric.

The bonus, is that this fabric is waterproof and it just has to be wiped down when dirty.  I did use a cotton fabric for the flap, the bottom and for the shoulder straps, however.  I think next time I'll also look for a solid material in an outdoor fabric as well.

By the way, check out that button.  Isn't it cute?!  The label said it was made from real horn!

If you look at the back of this fabric, it has this lining on it.  I was a little unsure how it would sew, but no worries here.  This fabric ran through my machine with no issues at all.

The most difficult part of working with this fabric is that it does not iron over on itself very well.  The handles and the zipper closure were a little tricky, but overall it was no problem.  Just be sure to keep that iron on a low setting or you will melt the fabric.  Also, be sure to use clips instead of pins when piecing your fabric together.  It's very similar to leather in that you should only use pins in the seams where little pin holes won't be noticeable.

I also made a wallet to match.  I'm so thrilled with how they both turned out.

Thanks for stopping by.  Have you ever sewn with this fabric before?  It has such a professional look, that I think I will be looking for it in a variety of other designs.

Happy sewing!
Gina

PATTERN NOTES:
*The original purse pattern is from Bluecalla on Etsy.  I altered the "Iris Covnertible" quite a bit to make this purse.
*The wallet was made using the Necessary Clutch pattern by Emmaline Bags.