Personalized Clutch for Mother's Day

Mother’s Day is right around the corner and for me, it’s one of those holidays that I get to make personalized gifts for the special people in my life. This year I wanted to do something with embroidery. Embroidery is a simple way to add a custom touch to any gift. It can be a purchased tote, hat, scarf, or even a handmade item. I like to embroider monograms on gifts. For this project I created a “Mother’s Day Clutch.” It has a couple more steps but worth it once finished. Get the details below and make your own.

Supplies:

• Brother SE625
  
• Brother PE800
  
• 5” x 7” Hoop
• Pacesetter Cut Away Stabilizer
• ½ yd exterior fabric
• ½ yd liner
• ½ yd fusible interfacing
• Dirtz Small Swivel Hook & D-Ring
• Dirtz Magnetic Snap

Fabric:

• Choose a medium weight fabric for both the main exterior and liner fabric. You will also want to use fusible interfacing on the liner of both the flap and body of the bag.

• Before cutting, think how you’d like to embroider your front flap. You can either cut a piece of fabric that measures slightly larger, fit to your hoop size and cut after or you can cut the front flap out and float the embroidery.

Cutting:

• 1 x Main flap: 7.5” x 4.5”
• 1 x Liner flap: 7.5” x 4.5”
• 1 x Interfacing flap: 7.5” x 4.5”
• 2 x Main piece (front and back): 13” x 7”
• 2 x Liner piece (front and back): 13” x 7”
• 2 x Interfacing: 13” x 7”

• The first step you will want to complete is the machine embroidery on the front flap. I chose to do a monogram as it’s a nice custom touch to the clutch which makes it great for gifts. The monogram I selected is a built-in design from my Brother SE625
  

• Hoop Pacesetters Cut Away Stabilizer and your fabric. If you already cut out the flap then you will want to mark the center. Spray a temporary adhesive over the cut away stabilizer and place the flap piece over the stabilizer matching the centers.
• Before embroidery, make sure the design fits in the center of the flap. You will need to keep in mind the seam allowance (1/4”) and the snap closure that will come about an inch up from the center.

Embroider!

• Once embroidery is complete you can cut the pattern out (If you haven’t done so…). You will need to curve the bottom edges by hand.

Sewing!

• Before sewing you will need to add fusible interfacing to your liner. Then you will add the closure on the right side of liner. I’m using Dritz Magnetic Snaps. Follow the product instructions. You will want to place this about 3/4” up from the center.

• Place liner and main (embroidered) pieces right sides together and sew sides and bottom. Leave the top open to flip right sides out.

• Clip corners and curves.

• Flip right sides out and press. (you can topstitch if you’d like…)
• For the body of the clutch. Cut the pattern out.
• You will need to evenly curve the bottom edges by hand. Make sure everything is even with the liner.

Add pleats!

• To create the top pleats, I drew a diagram on the wrong side of the fabric. The pleats went down 2” from the top edge. I then created diagonal lines that were evenly dispersed along.
• You can use my measurements (above) or just simply create your own. As long as front/back and liner pleats are all equal and the same.

• To sew the pleats, fold the lines to meet right sides together, pin, and sew. Continue until you have 4 even pleats.

• Then complete the rest of the pieces and press the pleats.

• Pin the flap onto the back main so the flap is centered and right sides are facing. Sew into place.

• Create a tab for the D-ring and Swivel hook.
• Cut a strip of fabric that measures 1.5” x 15”
• Fold right sides together and sew.
• Flip right side out with a loop turner.

• Cut 2” off the strip to fold over the D-Ring.

• Sandwich the tab with the D-Ring in between the main front and back (right sides facing) about 1” down from the top. Baste stitch into place if necessary.

• Sew Main front and back right sides together.

• Sew liner front and back right sides together leaving a 2.5” opening at the bottom center.

• Flip the flap down and mark where the snap hits the front body of the bag. Insert the snap onto the main body of the bag according to the snap instructions.

• Place liner and main right sides together and sew around.

• Flip right side out through the liner opening.

• Sew the liner opening shut.

• Flip the liner inside and press. Next you can topstitch around the top.

• Use the additional strip you created to sew over the swivel hook to create the strap.
• Finally, pour yourself some coffee and enjoy the day!

Happy Mother's Day!