How to turn a Mexican-embroidered blouse into a purse

Here is how to turn a Mexican-embroidered blouse into a purse! This is a project that I’ve been wanting to try since forever! There are a lot of variations.

You can find these blouses at thrift stores or Mexican import stores.

I went with wood handles, but you can get creative and create straps or make an envelope style clutch.

How to turn a Mexican-embroidered blouse into a purse

When you look at the blouse, there are several areas you can cut to use in other projects. You can use the top portion for the purse, or save the top and use the bottom.

In my sewing book, I have a project where I cut the bottom and replaced with a form fitting bottom of another blouse. This project, I used the top portion for the purse, and now I can use the bottom to make another purse!

Watch my video tutorial here:

Supplies Needed

Mexican embroidered blouse
Lining fabric
Wooden purse handles (slotted top)
Sewing pins
Scissors
Fabric chalk or marker
Clear quilting ruler
Sewing machine

The Construction Process

1.Measure and mark the blouse body: Lay the embroidered blouse flat on your workspace. Using a clear quilting ruler and fabric chalk, mark a straight line horizontally across the torso, roughly halfway down the garment, to define the primary body of the bag.

2. Cut the outer bag panels: Carefully cut along the marked chalk line to separate the bottom torso from the top. Next, cut straight up the side seams and across the shoulder seams to separate the blouse into two distinct pieces: a front panel and a back panel, both featuring the vibrant yoke embroidery.

3. Trace and prepare the lining fabric:

Place your chosen lining fabric flat on the table and layer the cut blouse panels directly on top. Trace the outline of the blouse pieces precisely with your chalk, then cut out the matching pieces to create your interior lining panels.

4. Hem the inner neckline and Sleeves:

Take the lining panels and carefully fold, pin, and iron down the edges along the neckline and armhole areas to create a clean, finished hem. This step ensures no raw edges show from the inside of the purse when completed.

5. Stitch the Outer Fabric to the Lining:

Pin the finished lining pieces to the corresponding outer blouse panels, matching up the top shoulders and side curves. Run a clean stitch along the neckline and armhole boundaries to seamlessly fuse the outer fabric and inner lining together.

6.Assemble the Main Bag Structure:

With the lining sides facing out, pin the front and back panel assemblies together along the outer sides and the bottom edge. Sew along these pinned seams to create the main pouch structure of the purse, then turn the bag right-side out.

7.Install the Wooden Handles:

Slide the top shoulder fabric loops of the finished bag up through the bottom slots of your wooden handles. Fold the fabric over securely, pin it down against the inner lining, and run a final heavy-duty stitch across the base of the handle loops to secure them permanently.

Tips: When stitching the fabric loops around the wooden handles, use a heavy-duty needle or denim needle on your machine to easily glide through the multiple layers of embroidered fabric and lining without breaking threads.

Look for a blouse that has a LOT of embroidery designs, that will give you a lot of mileage!

If you want a smaller purse, buy a kids blouse, a bigger purse, then an adult.

Keep in mind you do not want to cut through stitches, it will destroy the design. So be sure to cut at least one-inch away to give you room to sew.

I LOVE the Etsy store by Aida Coronado, she works magic!

and Erica Maree!

But I wasn’t ready to tackle such a big project, so I did my best to simplify. I wanted a roomy clutch to toss in my wallet and phone for errands. Or maybe some yarn and my crochet hook too.

So I whipped up this design. No pattern, or even sketching, I made it up as I went along. I bet there is an easier way, but it is what it is – and I love it! I also made a video tutorial as well. If you can’t see the video above, here is the link!