This is a great little clutch that will hold the essentials while going out for the evening. Free sewing Tutorial
Fat quarter of fabric
magnetic snap
cooardinating thread
fusible interfacing
normal sewing notions
Notes:
*Use a 1/2" seam allowance throughout unless otherwise noted.
Step 1. Cutting your fabric.
1. The base for this pattern is a triangle. you can go with whatever size you want, but the measurements I use are as follows. The base or bottom of the triangle/bag is 12 1/2" and eash side is 13 1/2".
2. Cut your 2 triangles from each fabric. Lay a ruler/yardstick/measureing tape on your fabric and mark a line that is 12 1/2" long. This is the base/bottom of the bag.
3. Find the center of the line and mark it. Draw a line from that mark, perpendicular to the first one.
4. Place the ruler on one end of the base line and find the spot on the perpendicular line that measure 13 1/2". Draw a line here.
5. Follow step 4 to complete the triangle on the other side.
6. Use this triangle to cut out the other three triangles.
7. Set one triangle aside from each fabric for later. Take the main fabric triangle and measure up from the bottom on each side placing a mark at the half way point. Now connect these dots and cut that top off.
8. Follow step 2 with your lining fabric as well. Now you should have 2 triangles and 2 trapezoids.
Step 2. Attach your pocket now.
1. I atach a small patch pocket that measures about 2"x3". Cut a piece of fabric that measureses 6 1/2"x3 1/2". fold in half wrong sides together and pin.
2. Sew around the three open sides, leaving a hole on the long end for turning. Backstitch at both ends of the hole for support in turning.
3. Clip the corners and turn right side out. Poke out corners with your scissors and press the hole. Sew closed.
4. Topstitch on the long end that will be the top of the pocket.
5. Choose which side you want your pocket on: pin and sew in place with a small seam allowance.
Step 3. Sewing the body pieces together.
1. Cut out your interfacing pieces. Each piece will be interfaced. Attach the interfacing as per the directions.
2. With the main fabric pieces, line up the trapezoid bottom with the triangle bottom, right sides together and pin in place. Starting at the top of the trapezoid, sew down the side, bottom and up the other side backstitching at each end.
3. Follow step 2 for your lining pieces as well. Don't forget to leave an opening at the bottom of the triangle lining for turning your bag. Be sure to back stitch at either side of the opening for strength.
Step 4. Boxing the Bottoms
1. Smoosh (don't you just love that word?) one of your bottom corners together matching up your side seam with your bottom seam. Measure approximately 1 1/4" from the stitched corner and pin. Sew this down.
2. Follow step 1 for the other 3 corners of the bag. (two of those 3 corners are from the lining.)
3. Clip off the corners on the other side of the seam.
4. At this point, you'll want to insert the magnetic snap. Take your lining bag and make a mark 2" down from the top of the trapezoid. Insert the female half of the snap on this side.
5. Put the male half of the snap on the female half and use this to make your mark for the other side of the snap. Fold the flap down and push it onto the prongs that are exposed. When in doubt, measure, measure, measure!! If you don't know how to insert these snaps, you can use velcro or use this tutorial.
Step 4. Putting the bag together
1. Turn main body of the bag right side out. Turn lining of the bag wrong side out. (which is technically the correct way for the lining to be when it's actually in the bag.)
2. Place main bag body inside the lining bag body. Right sides should be together. Line up your side seams so they match.
3. Pin at these two places (the side seams you just matched up) and then pin all the way around the top of the bag and up and around the flap. I hope I'm clear!
4. Sew all the way around the top of the bag, backstitching when you come back to the beginning where you first started to sew.
5. Clip the corner of the flap, right up next to the seam. Be sure you don't clip into the stitching. Snip into the corners where the flap meets the trapezoid.
(NOTE: you do this to give a sharper point. Try turning it without clipping the corner...you'll see what I mean.)
6. Remember that nifty little hole you left in the lining? Reach through the hole and grab the main bag. Pull it through the hole...and the lining will follow.
Stuff the lining inside the bag.
YOU ARE ALMOST DONE! This would be a good time to press your bag again...especially around the edge of your bag.
7. You want to pull that top seam apart as much as possible without pulling your stitches and then pin all the way around again.
This is your finishing touch...makes your bag look more professional. Topstitch all the way around your bag with a really tiny seam allowance, about 1/8". Once this is done, sew up the hole in your bag by hand or if you're like me and don't care, by machine.
Enjoy your new clutch!!
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