Bag #36: Fold Over Clutch Bag

These fold over bags have been everywhere this year. They’re really versatile because they can be used as a shoulder bag or a clutch bag.  The magnetic clasps and zip ensure that the contents are totally secure, so there’s no need to worry unduly about pickpockets.

I’ve never used this classy faux leather before.  I’ve had it for months but it’s so lovely, I was afraid to use it in case I ruined it.  Now that I have a bit more skill, I was ready for the challenge.  I have used cheap faux leather intended for furnishing projects before but never anything as lovely as this. I love the end result but it wasn’t as easy to work with as I expected. Of course, this bag would also look lovely made from different fabric.  I bought the strap clasps especially for this bag and I’m so glad I did.  They finish it off perfectly and make it look professional.

The finished size is 10” x 7” (25 cm x 18 cm) when folded over.

I used a medium weight iron--on interfacing for the lining and pockets and sew-in wadding under the faux leather to give it extra softness. Inside the bag at the bottom part, below the fold, is a mobile phone/pen pocket and a zip pocket for those extra valuable bits and bobs. The mobile phone pocket holds one phone and one pen, but if you made it wider, you could create space for several pens, if you needed it.  That’s the great thing about making your own bags – you get what you want, not what the general public want.

I used a longer stitch length (3.5) throughout but increased it to 5 for top stitching the strap as it was so thick. I used a leather needle and I tried using a roller foot but it didn’t make any difference so I went back to my general purpose foot.  I used ¼”/6 mm seams for the outer bag and slighter wider seams for the lining.

I have included metric and imperial measurements but they are not exactly interchangeable, so you should stick to either one or the other.

Skills used in this project:

• Using faux leather

• Using bag hardware

Step 1: Cutting out

Cut out the following:

11” x 12” (28 cm x 30.5 cm) Bag Sides (cut 2 faux leather, 2 lining, 2 wadding, 2 interfacing) 

9” x 6” (22.5 cm x 15 cm) Internal zip pocket (cut 2 lining, 2 interfacing)

8½” x 6” (21.5 cm x 15 cm) Internal mobile phone pocket (1 interfacing)

8½” x 12” (21.5 cm x 30 cm) Internal mobile phone pocket (cut 1 lining)

2” x 49” (5 cm x 124.5 cm) Strap (cut 1 faux leather)

2” x 3” (5 cm x 7.5 cm) Zip tabs (cut 2 lining, 2 interfacing)

10” External zip (I used an N5 zip cut from a continuous roll)

8” Internal zip (I used an N3 zip cut from a continuous roll)

2 magnetic clasps

2 x ½” (12 mm) D rings

2 Swivel lobster clasps with ½”/12 mm loop

2 Rivets (optional) length 2/8" - 3/8" (6-9 mm)

Scraps of bag foam or extra wadding for reinforcing the magnetic clasps

1½” x 2” (3.7 cm x 5 cm) faux leather, 10 mm lobster clasp, split ring,10 mm tassel cap, suitable glue (optional, for tassel)

Step 2: Making the internal zip pocket

Attach the interfacing to the wrong side of both bag lining pieces and both zip pocket pieces.

Decide where you want your zip pocket to go.  I wanted mine near the bottom of the bag for security and to prevent the fold from being lumpy, but you might want yours higher as it is quite hard to get to.

Pin one pocket piece to one of the bag linings, right sides together, with the long side of the pocket parallel to the bottom of the bag (one of the 11” sides).

Draw a ½” x 7” rectangle near to the top of the pocket interfacing.  Sew around this rectangle through all the layers that you have just pinned together.  

 

Cut a slit in this rectangle (as shown in the photo) making sure not to cut the stitches. Push the pocket through this ‘letterbox’, shape in the lining so that it sits flat and press. You will now have a neat opening to attach the zip.

Pin the zip to the pocket so that the right side shows through the aperture in the bag lining.  Sew all round the opening to hold the zip in place.

Pin the remaining pocket piece to this one, right sides together and sew around all pocket sides, keeping the bag lining out of the way as you do not want to sew through this.  

Step 3: Making the internal mobile phone pocket

After attaching the interfacing to the wrong side of one half of the pocket, fold the other half over so that the right sides are together.  Sew around the open edges leaving a gap for turning. Clip the corners, making sure not to cut the stitches – clipping allows for sharper corners. Turn through and press. The opening can either be sewn up now or when attaching the pocket to the lining.

The pockets are created by inserting pleats or folds in the pocket fabric.  Decide how wide you want the different compartments and pin the pleats in place.  I made the mobile phone pocket 3 ½” wide with a ½” pleat either side.  I then made a small pleat at the other end of the bottom of the pocket for the pen slot.

Pin the pocket in place on the right side of the other bag lining piece.  Sew along sides and bottom to attach.  This will also close up the gap where you turned the pocket through.

Sew from the bottom of the pocket about 1/3 of the way up the phone pleats to hold them in place. Sew a line of stitches between the phone pleat and the pen pocket, all the way up, to create a separate slot for a pen. (I sewed the phone pleats before attaching the pocket but I think it is better to do it once the pocket is attached to the lining.)

Step 4: Making the external zip tabs

I chose to make my zip tabs from a contrasting cotton fabric.  They make the corners less bulky and easier to turn through.

Fold the tabs in half so that the shorter edges meet.  Press.  Fold the shorter edges under by ¼”/ 6 mm and press.  Wrap a tab around each end of the zip and sew across the open end of the tab to secure.  Trim the tabs so that they are the same width as the zip.

Step 5: Attaching the external zip

Place one faux leather bag side (including wadding on the wrong side) and one lining fabric, right sides together.  Slip the zip between them so that the slider faces the faux leather.  Sew to one edge of the zip using a zip foot.

Do the same for the other lining piece and the outer fabric/wadding to sew them to the other edge of the zip. 

Top stitch along each side of the zip for a professional appearance and to prevent the fabric getting caught in the zip.

Step 6: Attaching the magnetic clasps

The thicker part of the magnetic clasps will go on the lower part of the bag and the thinner part on the upper part.  These will all be on the same bag side, attached to the faux leather/wadding.

First decide where you want them to go when the bag is assembled.  I chose to have mine 2½” in from the side edges.  The centre of the thicker ones were 6½” below the centre of the zip and the centre of the lighter ones were 2” below the zip.

I used a small offcut of bag foam on the wrong side of the faux leather/wadding to give it extra stability.   

Make 2 small holes in the faux leather/wadding, push the ‘legs’ through from the right side of the faux leather, through the wadding and foam, add the washer and open them outwards to secure. It is important that the holes are not too big of the clasp will not be secure. 

Do this for all 4 clasp parts.

Step 7: Making the strap and strap tabs

Fold the strap in half lengthways to find the centre.  Fold each side in so that the edge is against the fold line.  It will now look like bias binding.  Fold in half and top stitch close to the edge along the open long side of the handle.  

Step 8: Attaching the strap tabs

Cut 2 x 2” sections off the strap – these will be the strap tabs.

With the magnetic clasps done up, you will see where the bag folds.  The strap tabs will be attached on the fold.  

Slip a D ring onto each section, fold them in half and sew them to the faux leather, one on each side of the bag front, facing inwards with the raw edges towards the seam.  Sew inside the seam allowance so that your stitches won’t show when you assemble the bag.

Step 9: Assembling the bag

Spread out the fabric so that the 2 faux leather/wadding pieces are matched up, right sides together and the 2 lining/pocket pieces are also matched up with right sides together. Make sure the zip is open so that you will be able to turn the bag through.  Sew all round leaving a gap in the lining for turning. Turn through and close the gap in the lining by hand or machine stitching.

Step 9: Attaching the strap

The strap needs to be attached to the clasps

Pull one end through a clasp, fold the raw edge under and either sew or attach a rivet..  Do the same for the other end of the strap, checking first that you are happy with the length.  Make sure that the strap is not twisted.  

The strap can now be attached to the bag to make a shoulder bag or detached for a clutch bag.

Step 10: Adding the tassel

Make cuts in the fabric along one of the longer sides, stopping about ¼”/ 6mm from the top, so that it becomes fringed.

Wind the top round itself so that it will just fit inside the tassel cap.  Sew a stitch through the top of the tassel to hold it firmly in place. 

Glue it inside the tassel cap and wait for it to dry.

Attach it to the zip.  I used items from my jewellery making stash (small lobster clasp and ring) but you could just sew it to the zip.

Now you really have to go shopping to get used to your new bag and perhaps buy some treats to go in it (all in the course of research, of course).

In this project I learnt:

• All faux leathers vary.  This had a lovely woven texture on the back and, although I used a leather needle, I think it would have sewn well with an ordinary needle. However, my sewing machine hated stitching the 4 layer strap, yet it copes admirably with the same number of PVC layers.  I tried changing the foot, stitch length, etc but to no avail.  Some of the surface of the fabric was scraped off on the strap and the stitch length was all over the place. The feed dogs just hated it.  I had no problem with the sewing the rest of the bag because I had ‘normal’ fabric against the feed dogs.  I’ve come to the conclusion that my sewing machine just doesn’t appreciate class!

• I used magnetic clasps, D rings, swivel clasps and rivets.  They significantly add to the cost of a bag but they also make it look more professional.  It doesn’t matter how many items I buy, I never seem to have the right size when I need it.  There isn’t much choice in my local haberdashery stores, so it means being very organised and buying online.  I’ve been lucky that most of the hardware I’ve bought online has been great quality and I’ve now found some online shops that I’m happy to keep using.  The biggest problem is colour matching.  The grey zip I bought turned out to be much darker than I expected and I forgot to buy one for the internal pocket, so I had to use a black one from my stash.

• The tassel was an afterthought.  I spent a couple of days looking at the bag, knowing that there was something missing.  I decided on a tassel to give it a bit more visual appeal.  I had bought the end caps months ago, but never used them.  I soon worked out what to do and it only took about 10 minutes.  Probably one of the best spent 10 minutes this year! I love my tassel.

Bag #35: Laminated make up bag

I love making PVC bags but the choice of fabric design is very limited.  When I heard that you could laminate any cotton fabric, I was really excited and ordered some laminate online.  I bought Vilene Lamifix and couldn’t wait to try it. It comes in glossy and matt – I used the glossy version. I read various reports about it, some good, some bad, and kept an open mind.  You can read the pros and cons at the end of this post. If you have used it, I would love to know how you got on.

I chose to make a small bag with the laminate for practical reasons – I didn’t want to waste a lot of fabric if it all went wrong (and it was quite expensive – I can get PVC much cheaper).  This bag is a cute size for carrying bottles of liquids on a plane or for use as a make-up bag. It can be wiped clean but the laminate does not appear to be washable, so not suitable for anything too mucky.  Or perhaps better with a wipe clean interior instead of the cotton lining I used.

The finished size is 4” high x 6” wide x 1½” deep (10 cm x 15 cm x 3.8 cm).

Difficulty level: intermediate because you need to make your own adjustments when sewing the corners.

I used my normal stitch length (2.5) throughout but increased it to 3.5 for top stitching either side of the zip (slightly longer than my usual top stitch).  I used ¼”/6mm seams for the outer bag and slighter wider seams for the lining.

I have included metric and imperial measurements but they are not exactly interchangeable, so you should stick to either one or the other.

Skills used in this project:

• Making and using laminated cotton

Step 1: Cutting out

Cut out the following:

10” x 5½” (25cm x 14 cm) Bag Body (cut 2 outer, 2 lining, 2 lightweight iron-on interfacing, 2 laminate).  Not suitable for a directional fabric.  

10”/25 cm zip

Step 2: Laminating the fabric

Attach the interfacing to the wrong side of the outer fabric.

Greaseproof paper over the laminate protects the iron and the laminate

Attach the laminate to the right side of the outer fabric. If using glossy laminate, the non-glossy side is the adhesive side which needs to be placed against the right side of the fabric. Before you do this, place greaseproof paper under the fabric/laminate bundle and on top; this will prevent the laminate from melting onto your iron or ironing board. 

Start by ironing the centre and move out to the sides using a medium heat - this pushes any air bubbles out. 

Once you are happy that there are no air bubbles, press all over,  through a layer of greaseproof paper, to ensure a permanent fix. Instead of greaseproof paper you could use a cotton cloth such as a tea towel.  

I have read that you should allow 24 hours before stitching.  I didn’t do this, I just let it cool and didn’t have any problems (although was that why it creased so much???).

Step 3: Attach the zip

Be sure not to pin the laminate (except in the seam allowance) as the pin holes will remain visible. I find clips hold all the fabric in place fairly well.

If using a continuous zip, loosely sew the ends closed so that the slider does not slip off during sewing and assembly (I speak from experience! I couldn’t get the slider back on and ended up having to unpick the zip and start again).

Make a zip sandwich along one of the longer sides by placing the right side of one of the outer laminated fabric pieces against one edge of the zip, slider facing the outer fabric.  Place the lining the other side of the zip (along the same edge) and sew through all layers. The lining and outer fabric will be sewn separately when sewing up the bag, so leave just over ¼”/6mm unsewn at each end of the zip.

Do the same with the other laminated fabric piece and lining.

Top stitch along this edge for a neat and professional finish and to hold the layers in place.

Step 4: Creating the bag’s shape

Position the fabric so that the right sides of both laminate pieces are together and the right sides of both lining pieces are together.  Make sure that the zip is at least half open.

Sew along the bottom edge of the laminated pieces.

Sew along the bottom edge of the lining pieces leaving a gap of about 4”/10 cm for turning.

Working on the laminate side of the bag, flatten the fabric so that the zip is in the centre and the fabric is right sides together.  Sew across each end.

Now push the ends in to create the box shape as shown in the photo.  I wanted a very slim bag, so I used the edges of the zip as my guide, drew and then sewed along that line.

Do this for both ends of the laminated fabric.

Do the same for both ends of the lining side of the bag.

Turn through.  Sew up the opening in the lining.

Press on low heat.

Obviously, you need to put this bag through its paces and test it.  That will mean a night out at the very least or even a weekend away.  It's your reward for making this sweet little bag.

In this project I learnt:

It was very easy to laminate the cotton – just iron on.  I was disappointed that it didn’t feel like PVC. Instead it felt more like a polythene bag on the laminate side and I thought it looked cheap. For some reason, I had expected it to be thicker. I wasn’t sure whether I would still need interfacing - I don’t need it when making a PVC bag.  As it turned out, you do need to use interfacing with it as it doesn’t really stiffen the cotton enough.  It creased really badly during the sewing process so would probably be best suited for projects which don’t need to be turned through after sewing or need that 'lived in' look.  The laminate stuck firmly to the cotton all over and looked very glossy and, of course, I was able to use it on a fabric of my choice. 

It was easy to sew – I just used a normal sewing machine needle.  Most of the time for this bag I was sewing the wrong side of the laminate.  However when top stitching either side of the zip, the foot stuck a bit more than it usually does for PVC and the stitches became really small.  I changed the general purpose foot for a roller foot and increased the stitch length, then had no problems at all.  It was the first time I had used the roller foot but I shall certainly use it again.  It made the fabric feed through so smoothly, with minimal effort.

Would I use laminate again?  Well, I prefer the look of PVC, but if I wanted to make a special fabric wipe cleanable then I would use it.  It will be interesting to see how durable it is. And I shall certainly give the matt version a try.