Bag #8: Mini Clutch Bag

After spending most of the last week in bed with a virus, I wanted to make something fairly straightforward which still gave me the chance to develop my skills and experience.

Having never worked with faux suede, I wasn't sure what to expect. I thought it might be heavy like denim, but actually it felt like a medium woven fabric and sewed beautifully. 

I decided it was time to try making a handbag as this was something I had never done. A clutch bag was a good place to start as it is the simplest type of handbag and doesn’t even need a strap (although I was tempted).

I don’t like large handbags despite the recent trend for enormous bags.  How much does a person really need to carry?  This clutch bag is very small (finished size 8” x 6”) – just big enough for a small purse, credit cards, phone and not much more.  However the shape would work just as well for a larger size.

I used ¼” seams throughout and, as usual, my sewing machine's normal stitch length which is 2.5, increasing to 3 for top stitching.

Skills used in this project:

• Working with faux suede
• Using foam stabiliser
• Keeping it simple
• A hidden pocket

Step 1: Cutting out

From the faux suede, cut out:

8 ½” x 12” (cut a triangle shape from the top 3”)  Front (cut 1)

8 ½” x 6” Back (cut 1)

From the foam stabiliser, cut out:

Front (cut 1) as above

Back (cut 1) as above

From the lining (I used a polyester dress lining), cut out:

Front (cut 1) as above

Back (cut 1) as above

6” x 9” Pocket (cut 1)

6” Zip (I used N3 size)

6” x 2” medium weight sew-in interfacing (cut 2)

Magnetic clasp  and small circle of foam slightly larger than the clasp

Step 2: Making the pocket

Pin the top (6” side) of the pocket to the back lining, right sides together, 5” from the bottom.

I put mine about 4" from the bottom and this was too low, so I have changed it to 5" for this tutorial.

Pin the interfacing to the wrong side of the back lining and wrong side of the pocket, matching the top of the pocket with the top of the interfacing. The interfacing goes across the bag.  You will have a sandwich with interfacing, back lining, pocket lining and then the final piece of interfacing.

Draw a rectangle ½” deep and 5” wide on the interfacing where the zip will go. This should start about 1” below the top of the pocket.

Sew around the edges of the rectangle.  

Cut a slit along the length of the rectangle and snip into the corners. Do not cut the stitches. 

Post the pocket through the slit and press the fabric flat.

Pin the zip through all these layers so that the right side of the zip will be visible on the right side of the back lining. Sew.  Press.

Fold the pocket in half by bringing the bottom edge up and pinning it to the top and sides of the pocket. Sew around the sides and top making sure not to sew the bag lining to any of these pocket edges.

Step 3: Attaching the smaller part of the magnetic clasp

Measure 1½” from the tip of the triangle at the top of the back lining.  Fold the fabric in half to find the middle.  This is where the centre of the lighter part of the magnetic clasp will go. 

The clasp goes on the right side of the lining. Mark where the 2 prongs for the clasp will go and snip the fabric.  Make sure not to make the snip holes bigger than the prongs or the clasp will be too loose.  Push the prongs through the lining and snip and push them through the foam circle. Press the prongs tightly outwards so that the clasp is secure.

Step 4: Creating the bag back

Pin the back foam to the wrong side of the back faux suede and pin the right side of the back lining to the right side of the faux suede.  Sew all around (through all 3 fabrics) leaving a gap along one side of about 4” for turning. Trim the foam back to the seam. Turn out and hand sew the gap.

Step 5: Attaching the larger part of the magnetic clasp

Pin the front foam to the wrong side of the front faux suede.  Find the centre widthways and measure 3” from the top of the front.  Mark and snip the faux suede and foam where the prongs will go through. Push the prongs through and press them firmly outwards.

Step 6: Creating the bag front

Pin the right side of the front lining to the right side of the faux suede.  Sew all around (through all 3 fabrics, including the foam) leaving a gap along one side of about 4” for turning. Trim the foam back to the seam. Turn out and hand sew the gap.

Step 7: Assembling the Bag

Top stitch along the top of the front through all layers.

Place the front over the bottom of the back, lining sides together and match them up so that the lining does not show.  Top stitch all the way round, joining the 2 bag pieces together as you go and continuing to top stitch around the triangle shape back to where you started. 

You are now ready for an evening out with your sophisticated clutch bag.

In this project I learnt:    

• Faux suede is easy to work with – just like any other woven fabric.  I wasn’t sure if the pins would leave holes, but no, it was just like working with cotton and the sewing machine loved it. I shall definitely use it again because it makes the bag look so professional – no one would know I hadn’t bought it unless they looked closely.

• Foam stabiliser is much better for shaping a bag than wadding or interfacing.  I also used it when attaching the metal clasps and it held them firmly in place. I have seen a lot of patterns and tutorials that use bag foam but I’ve never been able to get it locally, then just after Christmas, my local branch of Hobbycraft had it in stock and I snapped it up.  It is much firmer than wadding and would enable a bag to stand up by itself and retain its shape while still feeling soft. It was fusible but it needs higher temperatures that I dared use to fuse successfully – I didn’t want to risk any hotter in case I ruined the faux suede.  The foam was very bulky around the seams, so I cut it back as close to the stitch line as I could and that prevented too much bulk.  Top stitching around the seams also kept them fairly flat.  If I can continue to get it, I shall certainly use it as my first choice stabiliser.  The only drawback is that it is more expensive than wadding or interfacing.

• I used a hidden vent pocket in an earlier bag but didn’t attach interfacing to both parts of the lining and it puckered.  This time I remembered the interfacing and there was no puckering.  In my prototype bag, the pocket was too low, so for this tutorial, I changed the instructions to make it about an inch higher, which I think would work better.

• This would have been really simple if I hadn’t included the pocket.  The basic pattern is so easy to make and it took less than an hour.  I wanted to add a wrist strap but was conscious of the fact that I often over complicate bags, so I held back and I’m glad I did.  This bag’s simplicity is what makes it so streamlined and sophisticated.  Less is definitely more and it’s something I need to take on board more often if I'm to develop as a bag maker.

Bag #7: Make up Bag

I wanted a heart theme for this week’s bag as it was Valentine’s weekend.  I found this fabric in my local fabric store and thought it would make a pretty make up bag. 

It was originally planned to be a simple bag and started making it, then I succumbed to a virus and had to abandon it for a week.  When I resumed, I got carried away, adapting the shape, adding piping, until it became a more challenging task.  I don’t like making small bags (too fiddly) and I don’t like using piping, so I felt that they would make it into a suitable challenge.

I used the narrowest piping cord I could get which was no.3.  I find it quite hard buying piping cord because sometimes it’s sold by numbers and other times its sold by millimetre width, so I’m never really sure what I’m buying. I just asked for the narrowest they had, but I have seen narrower in other stores.

This bag is just the right size for a couple of lipsticks and a small compact and easily fits in a handbag or tote bag. I have some job interviews lined up so this will be perfect for making sure that I look presentable!

Skills used in this project:

• Using piping cord
• Working on a small scale

Step 1: Cutting out

Cut out the following pieces from the outer fabric:

3” x 1 ½” zip tabs (cut 2)

7 ¼" x  (2" wide at ends, tapering to 1½" wide at middle) bag top (cut 2)

Half a 4” diameter circle with extra ¼” seam allowance all around for the bag sides (cut 2)

4 ½” x 3 ½” bag base (cut 1)

Lining and Wadding

Cut out top, side and base pieces, the same as for the outer fabric.  I used iron-on wadding and cotton lining from my stash.

6” Zip

31” Piping cord (I used no.3 width)

31” x ½” Bias binding or 1” wide fabric strips cut on the bias

Bag #7: Make Up Bag Pattern
Here's a link to the PDF pattern for this bag. I haven't included the zip tabs on this pattern, as they are straight forward rectangles, but the sides, top and base are all there.

Step 2: Sewing the zip end tabs

Fold zip tabs in half lengthways and place them over each end of the zip.  They will enclose approximately ½” of the zip at each end. This makes the zip very secure when sewn in place.  Fold under the raw edges where they cross the zip by ¼” and top stitch across the fold, making sure that both sides of the tab are sewn.  Trim the sides of the tab so that they are the same width as the zip. 

Step 3: Attaching the zip

Iron wadding to wrong side of outer fabric pattern pieces. Sew-in wadding will work just as well.

Pin the outer fabric bag top and lining to the zip making a zip sandwich, right sides of fabric together.  I used a cotton lining which doesn’t have a right or wrong side. The right side of the outer fabric needs to be attached to the right side of the zip. Sew but stop ¼” from each end (for ease of attaching the bag base later). Fold the fabric back so that the right sides are facing outwards.

Attach the lining, wadding and fabric to the other side of the zip in the same way, then top stitch along the fabric on both sides of the zip, close to the edge – this gives a professional appearance. Again, stop about ¼” from each end. 

If the zip tab is a little longer than the fabrics on either side, trim it to size.

Step 4: Making the piping

It is quicker to make all the piping in one go.

Open up the bias binding and press it so that it forms a flat strip. 

Fold it in half lengthways right sides facing out, inserting the piping cord as you fold. 

Sew along the strips close to the piping. It is easier to get close to the piping cord if you use the zip foot on your machine.

Step 5: Attaching the piping

Cut 2 8” lengths of the covered piping.

Pin one to the right side of one top outer fabric piece so that the raw edges of the bias binding face in the same direction as the raw edges of the main fabric.  Sew using the zip foot.  Do not sew it to the lining.  

Do the same on the other side of the zip.

Step 6: Attaching the semi-circular sides

  

Pin then sew the outer fabric sides to the bag top ensuring that the piping is sandwiched between the 2 pieces of fabric. Ease the fabrics together and pin at regular intervals.  Sew close to the piping, using the zip foot.  

Do the same for the other semi-circle on the other side of the bag.

Pin and sew the lining bag sides to the bag top, right sides together in the same way.

Step 7: Attaching the piping at the base

Trim the remaining piping cord at one end so that it is about ¼” shorter than the bias binding.  Turn the end of the bias binding inwards so that the raw edge will not be visible. Pin the piping around the base of the bag.  When you have gone all the way round, tuck the end of the piping into the gap created at the beginning so that the join is barely visible. You may need to trim the piping to ensure just a small overlap.

Using the zip foot, sew the piping all round the base of the bag.  Only sew it to the outer fabric – make sure the lining is pinned out of the way.

Step 8: Attaching the bag base

Pin then sew the bag base to the sides, right sides together, so that the piping will be visible when sewn.

 

Step 9: Attaching the lining

Make sure the zip is open or you will not be able to turn it through when the sewing is complete.

Pin and sew the lining base to the bag sides, right sides together, leaving a gap along one long side for turning.  Turn the bag through and sew up the gap.

In this project I learnt:

• How much better it is to finish a project in one go.  I usually start and keep going until a bag is finished, only stopping for work, food, etc.  I was forced to take a break when making this bag due to illness and found it hard to approach it with the same enthusiasm when I resumed.  By then my mind was on the next project and I wanted to move on.
• Small doesn’t have to be fiddly – it depends on the pattern   With small bags, it always seems like a lot of effort for not much reward but this bag made me think about ways in which I could make a small bag without it being too fiddly.  Although it has spurred me on to do a small but even less fiddly bag soon.
• I don’t like using piping.  Unless it’s for something big like a cushion or a large bag, I don’t like it.  Piping on small items just isn’t for me.  I can do it, I just don’t enjoy it.  No one enjoys everything.  No more piping unless the bag absolutely demands it.
• To put my health before my sewing projects.  I wanted to get this bag finished so as not to delay my blog, but I kept making mistakes and the stitch unpicker became my new best friend.  It would have been better to wait until I was well enough to concentrate because all I was doing was taking one step forward and two steps back.  Sometimes we have to give ourselves permission to take time out and relax, especially when external factors beyond our control intervene. After this week’s post, I’m going to have good rest before starting the next bag.  I’ve earnt it!!