Patch Clutch Tutorial

Today I'm going to share a tutorial for a sewing project.  It is a combination of ideas I put together to make a cute little wristlet/clutch.  It could be done many different ways, but I'll show you how I did it.

You will need
6 different fabric scraps 2" x 5" (you will sew together and trim to 8 1/2" x 4") 
From solid color fabric (I used laundered dropcloth, it looks like linen)
1 - 8 1/2" x 2"   front upper  
1 - 8 1/2" x 6"   back
1 - 3" x 11"    handle
From lining fabric (anything cute that matches)
1 - 8 1/2" x 2"
1 - 8 1/2" x 4"
1 - 8 1/2" x 6"
Fusible interfacing  8 1/2" x 4"
Fusible fleece cut 1/2" smaller than your exterior pieces
1 - 8" x 1 1/2"
1 - 8" x 3 1/2"
1 - 8" x 5 1/2"
and 1 - 7" zipper

Lay your fabric scrap strips out so you like how it looks, and sew them together on the long sides, with a 1/4" seam allowance.  Press your seams open.  My pieces are longer, so I could make 2.

Cut it, centered end to end, to measure 8 1/2" x 4".

Cut out the rest of your pieces.

Fuse the interfacing to the back of the piece of strips, and then fuse the fleece to that piece and the upper top and back pieces.  There should be about a 1/4" around the edges.

Lay your zipper, face down with the pull on the left, and stitch it to the front piece.  Move your pull up or down to get it out of the way of the presser foot.  You can use a zipper foot, or I just adjust my needle all the way to the left, and leave my regular sewing foot on.

Now lay the matching lining  piece face down on top of the zipper and pin it.  Flip the whole thing over and stitch it on the back side.  That way you can follow your first stitching.

Now you have a sandwich, with the zipper in the middle.  Press both of these pieces down, with the zipper sticking up.  

Lay your upper top piece face down on the zipper and stitch.  Flip it over and pin the lining piece on and stitch it just like you did for the lower front. 

Press these two pieces away from the zipper, and top stitch on each side of the zipper.  Your front is finished!

I zig zag the ends of the zipper together so it won't spread open or go wonky on me when I stitch the back on. 

Take your handle piece and press it in half longways, then press each side to the center. Edgestitch both long edges

  Fold the handle in half and pin then stitch it to the upper left of the front of the wristlet.

Unzip the zipper halfway or more.  Lay the back piece face down on the front, then lay the matching lining piece face up on top of that.

Pin and stitch around the edges, being careful to keep the handle free.

You can just leave the seams as they are, zig-zag them, or serge them.

Unzip it all the way, and turn right side out.  I put a 3" piece of narrow ribbon in the zipper pull with a slipknot and heat sealed the ends with a wood burning tool.

Ta Da!!  It's all done.

I hope this makes sense.  If you have any questions, please feel free to ask. I also have a couple other fabric choices, and they are all in my etsy shop if you'd rather buy one than make one.  

Have fun sewing!!