There are so many different bag patterns on the net. If you have a Pinterest account you will know what I mean (and if you don’t I highly recommend getting yourself on Pinterest!) Times have certainly moved on since the days of going to your local fabric store and searching through pattern books. There are a lot of bag making patterns on the web and I seem to be collecting them quicker than I can make them!
One of the projects I recently finished was the Envelope Clutch by Noodlehead. Anna Graham’s sewing patterns are always functional and stylish, and I just love the different kind of fabrics you can use to make something unique. Also as a bonus Anna usually includes two sizes of the pattern so if you like to carry around a lot of things, like me, then you can make the larger size whereas if you like to carry the bare minimum around with you (like my mum – I always wonder how she fits everything she needs in those tiny little bags!) then you can make the smaller size.
The envelope clutch comes in two different sizes and also includes optional extras – internal zipper pocket and card slots. As an added bonus Anna has also included measurements for making an iPad sized clutch – although these might have to be changed depending on the size of your tablet/iPad since there are many different sizes available now.
This pattern is great for advanced beginners because if you don’t feel comfortable with sewing an internal zipper pocket you can just skip that step. The instructions are well written and clear and include pictures to help visualise the written instructions. This pattern also includes piping around the edges of the bag, which you can purchase or you can have a go and try making your own (Anna’s included the link to her tutorial on making your own piping or you can find it here).
I’ve made the larger size clutch and included all the optional extras to the pattern – the interior zipper pocket and card slots. I’ve also made my own piping so that I can keep the colour scheme across the piping, pockets and wrist strap. The piping can be a little bit tricky to deal with because you need to bend it around corners. You can choose to leave the piping out or maybe just use it on the flap.
For this pattern I have used a very light-weight Japanese lawn cotton for the exterior and a quilters cotton for the interior (sorry I don’t know the name of the fabrics as I purchased them a while ago from Spotlight but if you look around you might find something similar). Because the exterior fabric I wanted to use is a light-weight cotton I have used Pellon SF101 on the exterior fabric pieces as well as fusible fleece.
I love taking this bag out to occasions that are smart casual and don’t require me to carry a big bag full of things. I also think it adds some colour to my outfit!
Pattern: Envelope Clutch by Noodlehead
