Tutorial: Making a Freeform Crochet Purse

© Copyright 2012 Patrice Walker All rights reserved

Tutorial: Making a Freeform Crochet Purse. I discovered freeform crochet around 2005 when I joined the Crochet Guild of America. I was struck by the incredible beauty of the fabric that results from applying freeform crochet techniques and couldn’t wait to learn how to do it.

At my first CGOA conference, I took a freeform crochet class and produced a small piece of fabric that I decided to turn into a little purse with a flap. That got me thinking that using freeform crochet to create purse flaps would be an easy way to incorporate a piece of art into a functional item.

In this article, I’m going to introduce you to freeform crochet and show you how you can easily create a beautiful work of art that is functional as well.

Freeform crochet is a method of creating a piece of fabric by using a variety of stitches (e.g., popcorn stitch, bullion stitch), yarn textures (e.g., smooth, boucle, eyelash) and color. It’s called “freeform” because you typically don’t use pattern instructions to create the fabric. Instead, you rely on your imagination, your knowledge of stitches (and this can be easily augmented), as well as a variety of yarns in different colors and textures, to create what is literally a work of art.

There are two basic ways to do freeform crochet: scrumbling and organic patchwork.

Scrumbling involves building a piece of fabric from the center and working out in all directions. You start crocheting with one yarn, color, and stitch pattern and then change yarn, color, and stitch pattern as often as you like, building on what you’ve already created.

The photo below is an example of a scrumble that I turned into a case to hold my crochet hooks and supplies.

Organic patchwork involves crocheting small pieces or motifs (e.g., mitered squares, spirals, flowers, circles) and them sewing them together to create the final, freeform fabric. I created the purse to the right for an online exhibit of the International Freeform Crochet Guild. You can check out my crochet blog to get more information on how I made it. I used textured/relief stitches (e.g., bullion stitch, granule stitch) when working with smooth yarn and simple stitches when working with the novelty yarns.

You can also combine these two methods by crocheting a number of scrumbles and then sewing these together in organic patchwork style.

You’ll need the following materials and tools to make a freeform crochet purse:

• A crochet stitch dictionary. It’s impossible to remember how to make all of the various stitches that can be used in a piece of freeform crochet, so it’s good to have a decent stitch dictionary to serve as a handy reference. Some favorite stitches I like to use in my freeform projects are the bullion stitch, the granule stitch, bobbles, popcorns, and puffs.
• A variety of yarns in different colors and textures. I’d recommend using no more than three colors to begin with. An easy way to select colors is to find a variegated yarn that contains colors you find pleasing and select three colors from it to use in your piece. You’ll also need two or three different yarn textures, although it’s entirely possible to create a freeform piece using only smooth yarn. If you have a decent yarn stash, you should be able to find a nice selection of yarns to use. Choose yarns that are close in weight. In other words, don’t use a bulky yarn and a fingering yarn. Although, if you can find a creative way to combine two radically different yarn weights, then go for it!
• Several crochet hooks in different sizes. Because you’ll be working with yarns of various weights, you’re going to need crochet hooks that match the weight of the various yarns you’re using. Use the yarn label as a guide in determining which hooks to use with which yarns, or just try several hooks until you find the right one for the yarn you’re using.
• Yarn needles. You’ll need these to sew your pieces together if you decide to use the organic patchwork method to create your freeform crochet purse flap, as well as to sew the side seams of your purse body. You'll also need them to weave in the numerous ends you get because of all the yarn changes you make.
• Freeform Crochet Worksheets: These worksheets were created by James Walters and the late Sylvia Cosh, the father and mother of modern freeform crochet, for use in their workshops. They are an excellent resource for the beginning freeform crocheter, and include information on color schemes, different kinds of scrumbling, organic patchwork, and much, much more. Best of all, they are free to download.

Step 1. Look at examples of freeform crochet to get inspiration.

A great way to decide on the kind of freeform crochet purse flap you want to create is to review examples of the work of other freeform crochet fiber artists. You can google the term, freeform crochet images, or check out the online exhibits of the International Freeform Crochet Guild for inspiration. You can also search on Flickr to find amazing examples of freeform crochet.

Step 2: Select a variety of yarns for your flap.

If you've been crocheting for a while, then you probably have a yarn stash that contains a variety of yarns in different colors and textures. I typically start a freeform project by sorting my yarns by color and then picking three or four colors that "blend" well. I know next to nothing about color theory, so I simply go with colors that "feel" right. And I also try to have several different textures of yarn within the colorway I've chosen.

Then I select a color and yarn for the purse body. I usually crochet my purse bodies in a single crochet stitch, using worsted weight yarn. This makes for a sturdy bag that doesn't need to be lined (depending on how I'm going to use the purse). As for color, I select one that's included in the purse flap.

Step 3: Construct the flap first.

If you’ve never done freeform crochet before, don’t be surprised if you have some false starts. That’s absolutely okay and to be expected. The name of the game in freeform crochet is experimentation. Another way to say this is that the journey is just as important as the destination, so take your time and enjoy the process of creating your freeform crochet purse flap.

Whichever method you use to create your purse flap – scrumbling, organic patchwork, or a combination of the two - you’re going to have a lot of ends to weave in. Weave them in when you have finished the flap so they don’t interfere with attaching it to the purse body.

Step 4: Crochet the Body onto the Flap.

Once I’m satisfied with my freeform crochet purse flap, I choose one side of it to start crocheting the body on. Use a smooth yarn for the body and a simple stitch. Single crochet works fine because it will give you a simple background on which to display your fabulous purse flap. Attach the yarn to the purse flap and work stitches into the freeform fabric to begin the body of the purse.

Don’t worry if the side of your freeform fabric that you want to attach the body to isn’t a straight line.

One way to get a straight edge is to vary the height of your stitches as you crochet across the side. As the fabric dips down, use half double and double crochet stitches as appropriate. If you still don’t have a straight line after you’ve completed the first row, do the same thing again on the second row of the purse body until you have a relatively straight line. At this point, you simple continue single crocheting until the body of the purse is as long as you want it. You need to crochet enough fabric to create the purse front and back.

In the photo above, I was able to get a side that was straight enough to attach the gray yarn to, to begin the body. But I still had to vary the height of the stitches a bit on the first single crochet row to create a straight line. I also added a reverse single crochet (aka crab stitch) edging to the flap create the illusion of a (relatively) straight line.

TIP: You can reverse steps 3 and 4, constructing the body first and then sewing the flap onto the body.

Step 5: Sew the Side Seams of the Purse Body and Add a Strap.

Fold the purse body in half, right sides facing, and sew the side seams. I typically use an overhand stitch to accomplish this, but a mattress stitch also works well. Once the side seams are sewn, turn the purse right side out.

You can also line the purse to add strength to the body and prevent items from falling through the stitches.

To add a strap, attach your smooth yarn to the top of one side seam and crochet a chain as long as you want the strap to be. Attach the chain to the opposite side seam and slip stitch back over it. Weave in any remaining ends.

Have fun with this. As I said earlier, experiment with different stitches, yarns, and color combinations. Pretty soon, you’ll find your unique style and be on your way to creating beautiful freeform crochet purses.