Hi sewing friends. Today I'm sharing 4 tips for how to sew vinyl handbag handles. Are you joining me for the Just for You Sewalong? We are sewing our way through the monthly chapters of Just for You: Selfish Sewing with Your Favorite SewCanShe Bloggers.  We just finished out January and I have a project share with you. Here's my Sweetly Gathered Round Hangbag!

This pattern from the book is designed by Delia Randall of Delia Creates. I love the style of it. And isn't this fabric dreamy? It's called Sinister Swarm Rayon Challis by Anna Maria Horner. The lining is Sunprint Arrows by Allison Glass.

These flexible handle hoops are made from brown faux-leather and they took A LOT of practice to make.

Tips for Sewing Vinyl Handbag Handles

1. Make a practice handle! 

I can't stress this enough. I personally never want to spend more time on a project than I have to. But for this project your first handle will be a mess and your 2nd handle will look WAY better. You don't have to buy a third length of cording for your practice handle but you will need extra vinyl. Just cut along your stitches and remove the vinyl from your 1st handle and reuse cording it for your third.

2. Be careful not to turn the edges under too much.

This is easy to do. If you turn them under more than the recommended 1/4in there isn't enough room to sew, even with a zipper foot.

3. Grease your vinyl with a swipe of sewing machine oil

Machine oil usually comes with your machine. Spread a very thin layer on top of the vinyl along your sewing path. Wipe it off with a paper towel when you're done. I was so so amazed at what a difference this made. I think every machine handles sewing on vinyl differently.

My old machine would always skip stitches on vinyl, this one has trouble feeding it through. But with the addition of just a little oil for lubrication it seriously sewed so much easier. See the difference in the photo below. These are my 2nd and 3rd handles I used the same stitch length on each of these handles. I cut the vinyl off the messy looking one and sewed up a new improved one to match. So, yes, I sewed 4 handles.

4. Always use a Jeans or Leather needle in your machine

These needles have a point that easily cuts through the vinyl which makes it easier for your machine and you'll have fewer skipped stitches.

***Instructions for making these vinyl handbag handles are found in our JUST FOR YOU sewing book available in the Etsy Shop

I haven't had a lot of sewing time over the last couple years, I just constantly get tugged and interrupted with all these kids running around and trying to be ready for the next part of our day. But, I'm determined to take more time to do the thing I love this year, sewing!  

So in order to accomplish this project I decided to break it down into doable steps and list them. I just worked on one part of the bag each night I got a chance to sit and sew. Sometimes I just got to sew 10 minutes at a time. "Baby steps" is my new sewing mantra. 🙂 I can finish a project if I just do it in baby steps, even if I don't meet my deadline.

Anyway, I sure think it's pretty.

If you make one or use these tips to sew your own vinyl handbag handles, I'd love to see them! Come join our Facebook page and see what everyone else is making, Grab a book and sew along!

For More handbag posts and patterns visit my HANDBAGS PAGE