Hello Sewing Friends,
What was your very first sewing project? This is something most sewists never forget! Or maybe try their hardest to forget because it didn’t go as planned! ;) My first sewing project I ever made was a clutch. Nothing very fancy, just two rectangle pieces of suede fabric and a zipper. Let’s just say at the time, I thought it was the coolest thing ever but I have come a LONG way in my sewing journey and learned a lot of tips and tricks to make a much prettier finished product! Back then, a patchwork clutch would have never been something I would have even thought of making, but after 11 years of being a quilter I couldn’t imagine a clutch to be anything other than full of patch work! Which is why I am so excited I got to sew up the Atacama Clutch free pattern with one of our Art Gallery Fabrics latest Cur8tor collections called Bohemia by AGF Studio.
Download the Atacama Clutch Here!
This pattern provides a template and easy to follow step by step instructions which made me able to have this clutch done in an afternoon and ready for date night with my daughter after work. The thing about daughters is if you have one, she probably will want the very same thing you have. So if you don’t want her to steal it, you might as well make two at a time.
I love that it's patchy on one side and solid on the other. It also was a real treat to quilt it with the perfect shade of dark pink that pops off the “Zambia Stone” Pure Solid.
Here are some tips below that I always remind myself of when diving into a zipper project.
Zipper Tips for Beginners:
1. Use Wonder clips instead of pins to pin your lining and outer clutch to zipper, to secure all layers into place to avoid shifting while sewing.
2. Basting Tape- Eliminates pinning and puckering completely. Great for holding down zippers as you stitch.
3. Make sure you find the middle of your project and the middle point of your zipper and pin pieces together at the middle point.
4. Topstitch the lining down so it will lay flat after your project is complete.
5. Always open your zipper before sewing around your entire clutch before you pull your clutch through the unsewn portion.
(I don’t know how many times I have caught myself not doing number 5 because I am in a hurry. :) )
6. When sewing around your entire piece make sure your zipper teeth are facing the lining. This ensures that the zipper tape is hidden when the pouch is turned right side out.
Hope these tips and tricks leave you a little bit more confident to tackle this clutch project and many more to come!
With practice and repetition each zipper pouch will come out better than the last! If you have any zipper tips of your own make sure to drop them in the comments and share with your sewing friends!
Happy clutch making! Make sure to share your creations on Social Media using the hashtag #AGFBohemia.
Until Next Time,
Melissa