New Concealed Carry Purse Design Available at GCC
In the summer of 2017 I was eager to find another great purse to convert to a ccw purse. I had a few requirements.. 1. It needed to be easy to make in different sizes, 2. It needed to have lots of pockets, 3. I wanted to be able to add a crossbody strap and/or shoulder straps. I finally found the perfect purse from one of my favorite designers..Svetlana Sotak, the owner of Sotak Handmade. She has a Vera Slouch purse that is just beautiful. The basic design was a great starting point for my new GCC Slouch Concealed Carry Purse.
I decided to make this purse in 3 sizes. It took some trial and error, but I finally came up with these three purse styles for my gun carrying customers. Let's take a look! ;)
First, we have the Mini Slouch, Top Draw Concealed Carry Purse
Next, we have the Medium Slouch, Ambidextrous Side-Draw Concealed Carry Purse.
Last, but not least (because this is my favorite and the bag I carry every day)....
WHAT CHANGES DID I MAKE TO THE ORIGINAL DESIGN?
Let's start with the size changes.
Vera Slouch is 11" wide x 11" tall x 4" deep. The measurements for my purses are as follows;
GCC Large Slouch Ambidextrous side draw: 13" wide x 11" tall x 5" deep
GCC Medium Slouch Ambidextrous side draw: 12" wide x 10" tall x 4" deep
GCC Mini Top Draw: ~ 9.5" wide x 8" tall x 3" deep
A lot of the size change had to do with converting the back of the purse to a gun compartment. It needs to be long enough and tall enough to accommodate many gun sizes.
Secondly, after my first attempt at converting the Vera Slouch to a gun purse, I noticed some things about the design that I wanted to change.
INNER FRONT POCKETS WITHIN A POCKET
When I started carrying this purse, I had just gotten my very first smart phone. As I was carrying it around in the outer front pocket, as I think most people would do, I realized that it did not seem very secure. So, I decided to add strips of fabric that would allow me to slide my phone into a snug pocket inside the larger one. I absolutely love this feature! The pocket to the right of my phone is also great for my reading glasses, which seems to be a requirement for me now. (ugh!) The simple delights of being over 40. 😋
I add this feature to the Large Slouch and Medium Slouch only, as the Mini has nice deep pockets.
EYEGLASS POCKET
Another issue I noticed while I was carrying around my new purse, was that my sunglasses often fall to the bottom of my purse. With my fair complexion and blue eyes, I wear my shades basically all day. So, I need them in easy reach. I cannot remember where I saw this brilliant design idea, but on one of my many Etsy searches while looking for new designs, I came across a purse that had a sewn in eyeglass case. "BOOM!" What a brilliant idea! It now is part of my Large Slouch Design.
HANDLES
My customers love the option of adding shoulder straps to my GCC Convertible Concealed Carry Purse. No matter what purse you decide to use, I think the best way to wear your purse is in a crossbody purse. This way your purse is always on you and you are less likely to set it down when out and about. However, I know some of you like the option to throw your purse over your shoulder, as do I.
For the Large Slouch, I soon realized that having "handles", not shoulder straps, would be a great option for this larger style. I did not have it on my original design, as it was not part of the Vera pattern. However, I absolutely LOVE the handles and could not live without them. Why? I just love being able to grab my purse quickly by the handles when I get out of the car. I also love to just have the purse hanging on my wrist if I'm just getting out for a second to go into the gas station. I also like to throw it over my shoulder once and a while. Now, the handles are short, so if you are a larger woman, or wearing a really bulky coat, it may not work over the shoulder.
GUN COMPARTMENT
The last, and obvious change, is the addition of a gun compartment on the back of the purse. The GCC Mini has a concealed top draw zipper gun pocket on the back and the Medium and Large Slouch purses both have concealed ambidextrous entry points. That means that if you draw right handed or left handed, it does not matter. I have zippers on both sides of the purse that lead into the separate gun compartment.
I think that is about it. I'm so happy you stopped by to read more about my purses. I'd love to hear your feedback. Do you have any sewing hacks to share with me? I'd love to read about them.
See all GCC Concealed Carry Purses in my Etsy shop at www.Etsy.com/Shop/GCCginascraftcorner.
Thanks and HAPPY NEW YEAR!!
Gina
👇
Join the fun and follow Gina on Facebook to watch her make dozens of CCW purses this year. See before, during and after pictures and enjoy all the beautiful and unique fabric her customers select for their new CC purse.
Also, join her VIP Facebook Group to hear all the latest GCC news, contest information and promo codes first!
Gina is also on INSTAGRAM. Enjoy "in process" photos and behind the scenes shots of the sewing process from beginning to end.
Comments
Post a Comment
I LOVE..LOVE...LOVE...comments from you! It truly makes my day! So, leave a comment AND your webpage or social media link and I will get back with you. Thanks in advance!!
~Gina