Simple Party Clutch Bag Tutorial ~ Free-Tutorial.net

This one is a simple clutch with a convertible strap that can be folded in or out. Even better, most of the bag is made with a single fat quarter.

Use interfacing and a magnetic snap to turn your favorite fat quarter into a smart little party bag with a convertible strap.
Finished bag measures 8” wide x 4 ¼” high x ½” deep. Strap drop measures 9”.

Supplies:

- 1 Fat Quarter for Bag
- 1 Fat Quarter (or standard 1/4 Yard cut) for Lining
- 1/4 Yard Peltex®, Timtex® or other heavyweight sew-in interfacing
- 3/4 Yard Pellon® or other Lightweight Fusible Interfacing
- 1 Magnetic Snap
Besides standard sewing supplies, you will need a disappearing ink marker or similar marking tool.

Cutting Instructions:

From Bag Fabric:
Cut 1 strip 1 ½” x 21” for strap
Cut 1 piece 9” x 10 ½” for bag body*
Cut 2 pieces 5 ¾” x 8 ½” for flap*

*If you’re using a directional print, keep in mind that the 9” sides of the bag body and the 8 ½” sides of the flap are the top and bottom.

From Lining Fabric:
Cut 2 pieces 9” x 5 ¾” for lining
Cut 1 piece 4 ½” x 6 ½” for pocket

From Heavyweight Interfacing:
Cut 1 piece 8” x 9 ½”
Cut 1 piece 4 ¾” x 7 ½”
Cut 1 piece 1 ½” x 1 ½”

From Fusible Interfacing:
Cut 2 pieces 9” x 10 ½”
Cut 3 pieces 5 ¾” x 8 ½”
Cut 1 piece 1 ½” x 21”

Making the Bag:

Make Strap: Follow manufacturer directions to fuse 1 ½” x 21” interfacing strip to the wrong side of strap. Fold strap in half, matching wrong sides, and press.
Open the fold you’ve just pressed and fold both sides of the strap to meet in the middle (at the fold). Press again to create a strap about 3/8” wide.

Stitch along both long sides of the strap, keeping your stitches close to the edges.
Set finished strap aside.

Make pocket: Fold pocket piece in half, matching wrong 4 ½” sides. Use a ¼” seam allowance to sew
around the three open sides, leaving a small opening in the bottom for turning. Clip corners, turn pocket right side out and press flat.

Top stitch along the top (folded side) of the pocket.
Center pocket on the right side of one lining panel, 1 ½” from the top. Pin and sew pocket to lining panel, keeping your stitches close to the edge of the pocket.

Make Lining: Place lining panels together, matching right sides. Pin and sew together along sides and
bottom, using a ½” seam allowance and leaving an opening, approximately 4” long, in the bottom of the
lining for turning.

Press all seam allowances toward the finished lining, as shown in the above photo.
Set lining aside.

Make Bag Body: Lay the 8” x 9 ½” heavyweight interfacing panel on your work surface. (The 8” sides are the top and bottom.)
Use your marker and a ruler to draw a line paralell to and ¼” fromeach side. Draw two more lines, each paralell to and 4 ½” fromthe top and bottom.
These lines will create a tiny rectangle (¼” x ½”) on each side of the panel. Cut away these rectangles,
leaving a small notch in each side.

Note: My interfacing has an extra line drawn through the center. You don’t need to duplicate this line.
Follow manufacturer directions to fuse one like-sized piece of lightweight fusible interfacing to the wrong side of the 9” x 10 ½” bag body.
Lay the bag body on your pressing surface, right side down. Center the notched interfacing panel on the wrong side of bag body.

Place the remaining 9” x 10 ½” lightweight interfacing panel on top of the bag body and heavyweight
interfacing. (Make sure the fusible part is facing down.)
Fuse interfacing to bag body, “trapping” the heavyweight interfacing panel inside. You may need to
run the tip of your iron aroung the heavyweight interfacing to make sure that everything is secure.
Trim away any excess fusible interfacing from the edges of the bag body.

Use your marker to mark placement of the magnetic snap. The snap should be centered 3 ¾” from the bottom of the bag body.
Note: If you’re using a directional print, the top and bottom of the print should match the top and bottom of the bag body, as you’re laying it out now. This will ensure that the part of the print that ends up being “upside down” when the sides are sewn together will be hidden under the flap on the front of the finished bag.

Use the back fastener of the magnetic snap as a template to mark the points where the snap will go
through the bag body.
Use your seam ripper to makes small holes at the marked points. Push the prongs of the magnetic part
(the larger piece) of the snap through these holes, so the magnet is on the front/right side and the prongs are on the back/wrong side.
Thread the fastener onto the prongs and fold the prongs to each side to secure.

The right side of your bag body should now look something like this.
If necessary, press to smooth out any wrinkles created by adding the magnetic snap.
Fold the bag body in half, matching the top and bottom. Sew sides together, using a ½” seam allowance.

Note: Using a ½” seam allowance should mean that you’re sewing right along (but not through) the edge of the heavyweight interfacing.

Clip the folded seam allowance on both sides, as shown in the above photo.

Open up the seam allowance at each corner, flattening the corner into a point and sewing across it, ¼” from the point.
Note: This will mean sewing along the edges of the notches you cut earlier.

Turn right-side out and press away any wrinkles.

Attach Handle: Baste the ends of the handle to the top of each side of the bag, making sure they’re centered over the side seams.
Before moving on, double-check to make sure the handle isn’t twisted.

Make Flap: Fuse lightweight interfacing to the wrong side of both flap pieces.
Choose which piece you would like to use for the outside of the flap and place that piece right-side-down on your pressing surface.
Center the 4 ¾” x 7 ½” piece of heavyweight interfacing on the wrong side of the exterior flap. Cover with the remaining piece of fusible interfacing and fuse, “trapping” the heavyweight interfacing in the same manner you did when making the bag body.

Now place the inside flap right-side-down on your work surface. Center the small piece of heavyweight
interfacing near the bottom, as shown above.
Use the same method you used on the bag body to attach the second half of the magnetic snap to the interior flap. The snap should be centered, 1 ¼” from the bottom of the flap. The prongs of the snap should go through the heavyweight interfacing square.
Note: If you’re using a directional print, it should be upside down here, (i.e. the top of the print should be on the bottom of the flap).

The prongs of the snap should go through the heavyweight interfacing square, as shown above.
Place the two flap panels together, matching right sides.
Note: If you’re using a directional print, the bottom o exterior flap should be the bottom of the print
the bottom of the should be the bottom of the print. (The snap should be near the bottom of the interior flap.)

Use a ½” seam allowance to sew both sides and the bottom of the flap. As before, sewing a
½” seam allowance should mean that you but not through, the heavyweight interfacing.

Turn flap right-side-out and press. Topstitch around sides and bottom of flap.

Pin flap to the back (the side without the snap) of the bag.
The exterior (the side without the snap) of the flap should face the bag and the flap should be centered between the two side seams. Baste in place.

Finish Bag: Carefully fit the bag inside of the lining, matching right sides. This may take a little time and will probably involve some “crunching” of the heavyweight interfacing. Don’t worry! You should be able to press out any wrinkles once the bag and lining are sewn together.

Pin lining to bag around the top seam, making sure that the bag handle and flap are safely tucked inside.
Use a ½” seam allowance to sew around the top, joining bag and lining. Once again, a ½” seam allowance should mean that you’re sewing right along the heavyweight interfacing, but not through it.

Remove pins and use the opening in the bottom of the lining to turn the whole thing right-side-out. Press.

Use your machine or a hand sewing needle and thread (whichever you prefer) to close the opening you left for turning.
Note: In the above photo, the bag flap is hidden by the lining, which has not yet been pushed back into the bag.