Sewing DO's and DON'Ts - Ola Makes a Clutch: Part 1
August 19, 2016
Do you remember last quilt market ? Who doesn't right? It was so much fun and there was tons of excitement around the new AGF collections. I spent most of my time in the AGF Studio booth where we presented gorgeous clutches among other cute projects sewn with AGF denim and a variety of collections. I have to admit, I could sit there all day long and admire the clutches. They were simply delightful! Meli - one of our product designers noticed how amazed I was and she kindly offered me a sewing lesson, so I could make one of the clutches I had been swooning about! Thank you Meli!
From that time I couldn't stop thinking about it! Recently Meli and I finally found some time to make my dream come true!
I am going to share with you the process of sewing my very first clutch and all the sewing DO'S and DON'TS I have learned throughout the process.
So here's how the story goes:
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Choosing the fabric
As you can read in one of my blog posts : "Fabric Prints inspired by birds", I exceptionally like birds in fashion. I associate them with freedom and I feel like wearing prints with birds makes me feel like I'm flying through the day. ;) That's why my choice for the main print of the clutch was going to be no other than Aves Chatter Dim from Winged by Bonnie Christine. Meli liked the choice and she asked me to choose the fabric for lining.
Digging through the piles of AGF prints, I was looking for fabric that will just make me happy whenever I open the clutch. And there it was! Striped pink fabric known as Streakly Business Blush from Pat's Bravo Collection, Essentials II.
I was happily ran back to Meli to show her my choice but she was not enthused by my choice. This completely surprised me because in my head:
- This print is simple and pretty.
- Only I was going to see the inside of the clutch so why did it need to match the outside? ;p
She explained to me why I should consider a different print for the lining, and these were her tips:
- "Even if you don't see the lining because it's inside the bag, DO keep it cohesive with any element (color, design, texture, etc.) from the the outside of the bag."
- "DON'T use busy prints for the outside and inside of your clutch because it will clash with the look of your project."
I was in awe when Meli told me this because I always underestimated the process of choosing fabrics. I reconsidered my choice and realized she was right. If I want to achieve beautiful aesthetics like professionally made clutches, I have to really find a good match for the lining!
So she helped me to choose the rest of my fabrics, and here are my choices:
from left to right:
a)Linen fabric -for front pocket (DEN-L-4000 Soft Sand from the Denim Studio by AGF)
b)Lightweight dark denim - for the handle (DEN-S-2001 Indigo Shadow from the Denim Studio by AGF)
c)Light brown solid fabric - for the lining (PE-440 Macchiatto from Pure Elements by AGF)
d)Textured dark denim - for the front pocket (DEN-T-3000 Bluebottle Field)
c)Birds fabric - for the front of the clutch (WNG-2026 Aves Chatter Dim)
2. Choosing the pattern
I really like the adjustments that Meli did to the Jessy clutch pattern from the Hello Ollie Lookbook. I love the front pocket with snaps and I knew that it was something that I wanted to go for! So I decided to make the exact same clutch.
3. Cutting the fabric
After I had chosen my fabrics and pattern, it was time to cut all the fabric pieces and prepare all supplies for the project.
Besides the pieces of fabric I needed:
- 9" zipper
- snaps for the front pocket
- clasp for bag handle
- zipper foot
- blind stitch foot
All the dimensions (besides the front pocket) are in the clutch pattern. I marked the dimensions of the pocket on the picture below.
Here is what I have learned when cutting my fabric and preparing supplies:
- DON'T ever leave the rotary cutter blade exposed when you are done cutting the fabric.
- DO iron your fabrics before cutting.
- DO measure your pieces very precisely before cutting because your projects depends on it.
- DO align your rotary cutter to the ruler and press firmly to the mat to make sure that you cut the fabric correctly.
Uff I've survived through all the prepping. Now its time to start sewing! Wish me luck!
I hope you're curious to see how the final result will look! I can't wait to show you my first clutch! Let me know in the comments if you have any DO's and DON'Ts of your own that I should follow.
Stay tuned for the next part of my sewing DO'S and DON'TS :)
All the best
Ola