Women’s Wallets

I have a “standard” size wallet that has a detachable strap to convert to a small crossbody/purse. (Tumi, in gold, gifted to me.) I use it as a wallet in my larger bags and on its own with the strap when I need something smaller. No need to transfer IDs and cards. If I only need my ID and one or two cards, I have one of those adhesive card cases on my phone case.

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Like others I am probably not going to be of help, but 99% of the time I just have my driver’s license and one credit card in a thing glued onto the back of my phone. When I carry a purse, (small Bagalini) the coins are in a zippered compartment along with my very basic wallet which is a Tyvek one from Paperwallet.

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I have some Czech Koruna in my wallet for the same reason! It reminds me of my trip to visit DD when she was studying abroad there. It’s worth about $4.19

I use a Hobo Vida wallet/wristlet. I love it! Carries all that I need, plus my phone. Mine is a discontinued color that I would love to find again.

https://www.hobobags.com/products/vida-wristlet-in-polished-leather-black

I also use a sling bag occasionally that the Vida does not fit into, so I downsize into this

https://www.loandsons.com/products/small-wallet-cactus-leather-burgundy-gold-camel

They had amazing customer service when the stitching was pulling out on a wallet that I bought for my daughter.

I found that getting rid of (and refusing to sign up for) all the misc. reward cards freed up a lot of room in my wallet. I just carry the basics now.

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I like the size of that wallet and also that it zips up. Having a zip around the important stuff makes me feel much more secure, especially when travelling.

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So…I finally took a picture of what I use.
A pink slim card leather case with slits on both sides, and room for a $20 bill or blank check in the top middle pocket. (I inserted a folded piece of paper sticking out some to show you all.)

The top floral zippered pouch has a clear ID sleeve on the opposite side, and a keychain that I should probably put my car fob on (duh), and I use it to store cash and any extra cards that I don’t have to have but would take if I’m going OOT.

I mostly just throw the pink case in my small gym pouch.

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I have so many wallets.
My current is a card case from Thread that I bought last year before a trip. It has a lanyard-like thing that I can hook to my purse if needed. It’s easy to slip into a pocket and takes up no space in my purse.

Before this I used a larger, more standard card case.

I don’t use cash much anymore. This one will hold a few bills in the center. When I travel, I take a small Longchamp coin purse.

Even my husband has moved to a card case or a very small/thin billfold.

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Usually no purse for me. I have a neck wallet with license, Visa card, and medical card. (But often even that stays home because I have Apple Pay with Aetna card and Visa and AAA; Colorado has an online license app.). Sams and Costco cards stay in the car, though they are also on apps. Kohls card on phone. An assortment of other cards stays in a drawer in the kitchen until I have a need for them.

Love the look of your debit card ! :+1::+1:

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I haven’t used a full sized purse or “wallet” for well over 10 years. The bright flowered zip pouch is for cash and the blue zip pouch holds every card I need at any time (gift cards, Visa, medical, AAA, etc). My purse is a small crossbody and has a compartment for eye drops, mints, pen, chap stick, toothpick holder, tissues and probably crap I don’t need to drag around with me (but far less than I used to!). I buy new zip pouches that catch my attention when I travel. Nice souvenir and reminder of places I’ve been.

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Those of you who never use a purse - don’t you ever carry sunglasses in a case, a small hairbrush and keys, for example? I have a small crossbody that holds my skinny wallet and phone, but for most outings I need a purse that holds more.

I don’t carry a large purse anymore. I make these to distribute to cancer survivors. Because I had a dear friend pass away from cancer, before she passed away, she asked me to make a mini bag for her during Covid.

She couldn’t carry in a big purse to her treatment center because she didn’t have the upper body strength. They were limiting people in the treatment center so that no patients would get infections.

She had a hard time opening doors with her walker and wanted a crossbody to hold her insurance cards, a credit card, keys, her glasses, and her cell phone.

She sent me a pattern but it didn’t hold what she wanted. I found a free pattern online and adjusted it for her. My brother was also going through cancer treatments and I made a bunch for his co-patients.


By word of mouth, I get requests from family/friends for one of these. No charge.

I carry a Kate Spade wallet (pink). Fits in my pocket. Both sides carry what I need. The middle has space for cash. I used to carry Fossil purses for years! Now, daughters kept buying me Kate Spade backpacks which I only carry on trips.

Edited to add: the family/friends usually give me specific ideas about colors and patterns, then I sew them. I am in a sewing group with people who went to high school with me. We all learned to sew in middle school and now trade fabrics, threads, patterns with specific specialties. We didn’t really know each other in high school but NOW they are great friends!
One member does pediatric blankets, bibs and pillow cases. One member does men’s items. We have tons of fabric!

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Prior to about March 2020, I regularly carried a purse that contained everything I could possibly need. Then all of a sudden I was working from home, and when I did go out, I realized I could carry phone, keys, and a slim card case in my jeans pockets. My purse still sits on my counter, but I take it with me maybe once a year. I did get a cross-body backpack that I use when I need to bring more stuff. Sunglasses can go in the backpack or the car.

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Thank you for sharing this story and your talent with others!

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Keys go into a pocket. Don’t usually carry hairbrush or makeup, unless going out to a more formal place, so only then I would grab a small purse for that purpose. Sunglasses go either into a pocket or get hung from v-neck or a buttonhole.

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I only carry my housekey and carkey. They live in a pocket. Hairbrush? I keep my hair shortish and just fluff it up. I should wear my sunglasses more often, but they live in my hiking daypack. I could fit both a small hairbrush and my eyeglasses in my small bagallini if I wanted to. I use it mostly when I’m going into the city on the train and want to read a book on my Kindle instead of the phone.

I keep prescription sunglasses in the car, switch from my regular glasses as needed. (I keep a pair of glasses with clip on sun glasses in husband’s car.) Key and cellphone are in my pockets. Sometimes I wear a neck wallet (with real cards to match those on my cellphone) or carry a small purse.

The car came with a flat key, which maybe can go easier in the neck wallet. Or… there’s an app to run the car - still adjusting to that idea and have not tried it.

I love your wallets!
I use a small wallet with a D-ring that originally came with a Baggallini purse. Several times, I’ve nearly left my purse behind after paying, so now I attach my wallet to my purse with the key clasp to prevent that from happening.

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Thanks! I can’t take the full credit because I used another person’s pattern. If you want the pattern, I can link it. It’s on YouTube. It is from Spain, so she speaks the “Kings Spanish”. I had to “adjust my ear” because I speak regional Southwestern Spanish. Supposedly she has the instructions in English somewhere, but I wanted the original dialogue and I never did find the English instructions.

I did change:

The sizing: to 5 1/2” width and 8” length.
(I make a larger size when requested by the patient.)

I increased the size of the back pocket by an inch to accommodate glasses.

I increased the size of the pocket flap to hold in the “larger length” cell phones and space for fabric change purses.

The original pattern does not call for increased interfacing, so I made sure all the pieces have fusible interfacing, or fleece support, where strength was needed.

I also made the strap “adjustable” (with a slider) so that my friend could adjust it.

PM me and I can give you more specifics or sample. I try to keep a base of 10 to 15 samples.

The samples aren’t my best sewing, but when I get a request, I send out a sample. (My machine has been inconsistent so the stitches have been awful lately! I haven’t been able to drive to get it repaired. Doesn’t help that I am recovering from knee replacement surgery!)
Thankfully, the recipients have been grateful and don’t mind my awful sewing!

And even though Joann’s is three minutes from my house, when I have to buy fabric, I buy from small independent shops when requested.

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