An elegant small handbag without a handle, which you need to elegantly and effortlessly hold in your hand, has become fashionable for a very long time. I remember that even in foreign films of the military and the first post-war years, cute girls casually carried such handbags. In the second half of the last century, clutches “faded into the background, becoming an addition only to evening attire, and in everyday life, women preferred a large roomy bag with a strong belt, into which you can put a ton of everything, hang it on your shoulder without knowing fatigue. But time passed, femininity, ease, freedom and idleness returned to fashion, and here again a narrow elegant clutch bag, in which you can put only powder, lipstick, and a purse, at the peak of popularity.
The clutch is so simple and concise in shape that it is easy to make it yourself. The main thing is to take into account some of the nuances of style. So, an elegant suit will suit a simple clutch of muted tones made of expensive leather, without elaborate ornaments. An evening bag of this shape, embroidered with rhinestones, beads and gold thread, can be very elegant, made of velvet, lace or brocade. A winter clutch should be made of dense wool, leather or fur; it should radically differ from a summer accessory made of silk, colorful bright decorative fabric or thin leather. Finally, a clutch is an attribute of a certain style, classic or romantic, but not sporty in any way.
How to sew a clutch with your own hands
1. First you need to determine the size and draw a pattern on a sheet of cardboard. It should contain front and back parts that are cut together, a valve, which can be a continuation of the rear half or a separate part, two side inserts to give the purse volume. In accordance with the size, they buy the necessary amount of the main fabric, lining and dense pads (glue or plain).
2. Before stitching the clutch, transfer the made pattern to the main fabric and cut it out, leaving allowances for the seams. We cut out exactly the same details from the lining fabric and gaskets. Glue a glue pad to the wrong side of the main fabric with a hot iron. If there is no adhesive layer, then we sweep it along the edges around the entire perimeter of the main part, as well as the valve and sidewalls.
3. How to sew a clutch on a sewing machine? We put the part with the gasket up, fold it along the pattern with an envelope, sweep the side parts, which should be in the form of a drop (expand and curl down and have a sharp tip on top) and embed on the side seams. Then we do the same with the details of the lining fabric.
4. Before stitching the clutch further, we smooth the seams on the lining parts, and do not touch the side seams on the top parts (for greater relief, they can be sewn along the front surface close to the edge). We turn the main fabric on the face, put a lining in the handbag and sweep along the upper cut and the cut of the whole-cut valve, bending the edges inward by the amount of the allowance. With a neat, even stitch, sew the top cut of the bag and valve.
5. How to sew a clutch with a valve as a separate part? We connect this part with the lining, we sew it on three sides, twist it, then, bending the edges of the fourth side, mowing it slightly at the corners, we sweep the handbags to the back part and sew with two lines. After that, we sew in the side parts of the clutch.
6. You can simplify the model and make it completely flat without side inserts. How to sew a clutch bag in the form of an envelope? Also, like a three-dimensional model, only side seams should be stitched directly, without additional expanding inserts.
7. When the clutch is completely ready, take care of the clasp. This can be a large decorative button, then when building up the edge of the valve, you need to insert a cap loop from a twisted cord into its tip. Or you can use adhesive tape as a fastener.
Before stitching the clutch, choose the right fabric. Not every texture and color is suitable for this model. Jacquard fabric with a light pattern, tapestry, dense satin, fur with a small pile, any artificial and genuine leather will look beautiful.