Let x be the amount of fabric used to make a backpack, and
y be the amount of fabric used to make purse.
The expression is now
[tex]\begin{gathered} y=\frac{1}{2}x-1 \\ \\ \text{IF }x=7,\text{ THEN} \\ y=\frac{1}{2}(7)-1 \\ y=\frac{7}{2}-1 \\ y=3.5-1 \\ y=2.5 \end{gathered}[/tex]Therefore, she needs 2.5 feet of fabric to make a purse.