Spotty clutch

Sometimes a simple sew is just what you need to get your mojo back.

Something that requires no muslin, no fitting issues, no adjustments.

Lisa from White Tree Fabrics had contacted me a good few weeks before Christmas and asked if I fancied trying out one off their Uhandbag kits.

I choose the spotty ‘Simply Smart Clutch’. I was interested in how the clasp was attached. It turned out to be just the right thing to spend a quiet afternoon sewing in between the madness of Christmas and New Year.

The pack you get comes with a booklet of instructions. These were great except for one thing. The photograph of the open clutch in the booklet showed the front section shorter than the inner front piece, thus forming the pocket at the front of the bag.
The paper pattern was the opposite way around, with the deeper front on the outside and the other less deep front piece on the inside forming the pocket on the inside. This foxed me for a while until I decided to just go with it.

There were four layers of fabric to cut out for each piece. Outer fabric, lining, interfacing and adhesive wading. I used my mat and rotary cutter as I knew from experience that bags are most successful with precise accurate cutting out.

I sandwiched the pieces together as instructed, cutting away the fleecy interfacing at the seams to reduce bulk.

The area where the clasp was attached was reinforced with three further layers of interfacing.

Following the instructions, the bag came together very quickly.

You would never think the whole purse could be turned the right way round through this small gap in the stitching at the top, but it did.

I love the professional looking strap and clip.

I’ve seen the clasp and clip sold separately so now I have the pattern and instructions I can see a many a matching clutch made in the future!

All in all a great little kit and of great value for money. A thoroughly enjoyable afternoon project.

Love, Lucie xx