margecam52

you have upholstery/drapery grade fabric...it will be just fine for purse making.
The cording can be singed on the ends, or tie a knot and then hit with fabric glue.
Marge

KenmoreGal2

Thanks for the continued advice! My goal is to use "stuff" I already have in the house, like the macrame cord. I don't have any fusible interfacing, that's why you see I didn't use it. I am totally getting away from using the macrame cord for the handles, at least on it's own. As I mentioned, I did braid it. I found that it stretched even then. Using it inside a fabric handle is intriguing. How exactly would I do that? Would I try to insert the cord into a tube of already stitched fabric or would I create the handle around the piece of cord? Thanks again!!

trolleystation

Wow......What great ideas from the members.

vickig626

I've used this method and looks like the exact type of cording. The tutorial shows a small cord but you can actually use whatever size you want. Just need to adjust the size of your cut fabric.

http://www.patternpile.com/sewing-pa...-cording-foot/

It looks a little tricky but it's really not.

yel

margecam you are right .....i handle that fabric all day long at my other job.....we make chairs and couches lots of this type of fabric .....just saw it in green with red .......and i would do a square knot with the cord if you are set on that ......but i take that fabric cut into 5 " strips and fold like double folded bias tape is when you buy it sew down both side for handles .................... good luck

KenmoreGal2

Thanks for the great tute vicki. Of course I don't have fusible interfacing so I'll have to modify it a bit, but I have some ideas. Those are excellent bag handles, worth some effort in my mind.

Also thanks yel for the suggestion of making my standard handles with the upholstery fabric. I wasn't sure I could do that. I usually iron it into shape and then sew it. I'm sure I can't iron this stuff. So what should I do - pin it??

carolynjo

to me another option would be to cover the cording with fabric. It would not likely stretch then and would not ravel either.

DOTTYMO

Coming from UK I was wondering if the fabric will alter on a rainy day.

KenmoreGal2

I finished my first bag with this upholstery fabric. It sews real nice!! I like my projects quick and fast so I used the selvedge as the top of the bag - no hemming needed. I found a piece of fabric that I thought looked great for the lining. (Don't tell, I think it was a tablecloth in it's previous life...). It was serged at the edge so no hemming there either. I made the handles in my traditional way using the upholstery fabric as yel suggested. Great!! The fabric was so thick that I didn't even need batting in the handles to make them soft and cushioned. I think I'll be making quite a few bags with this fabric. Thanks for everyone's help!!

Oh, I hand washed a scrap of this fabric. Came out just fine so no worries about rainy days.
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miriam

I like it!!! Did you use your old Kenmore to sew it? Those will go through anything.