$5 Friday - High Tea Clutch

Welcome to another Friday!  This week, I'm excited to offer The High Tea Clutch from Charlie's Aunt as the special. This bag is really, really cute.  I'm VERY pleased with how it turns out and think you are going to love it too. :0]

It is regularly $9, so this is a great time to get a copy.

Besides being adorable, it sews up pretty quickly.  It took about 2 hours to make the first one and maybe an hour and half for the second. 

The clutch in the first image was made using quilting cotton.  The fabric is from the Bonnie & Camille line for Moda, but I don't remember the print name.

The second clutch is made from an Alexander Henry home dec fabric called "Keely". 

The main pattern images also show a very charming version in wool.  I haven't made one from wool yet, but maybe this weekend I'll be able to try it out.  Sewing in wool is always a pleasure and makes such lovely bags.

It comes with pattern pieces and instructions to make it with the optional big bow embellishment. 

The front is pleated and also has a neat center tuck detail.  I love the tuck and plan to use it on some other bags.  It is very easy to achieve, looks great, and adds some structure. 

This bag is very roomy.  I was surprised how much room it ended up having. The back is flat, so the pleats are on the front only. 

Printing & Size

I had some trouble printing this at 100% (no scaling).  Sometimes weird things happen with these PDF patterns, so maybe it is just me.  But I wanted to let you know, in case you have the same issue. If the pieces end up clipped, it is very slight and you can still see where the edges are supposed to be, and then just fill in the blanks as you cut the pieces.   A huge thank you to Mandy, who pointed out that A4 paper is larger than US letter size paper.  If you are in the US, print this at 95% scaling to accomodate for our smaller paper.  To do this, open the pattern document, go to File and then Print, and look for something that says "scale" or "scaling".  Enter 95% and print.  Below is an example.  Your print properties might look a little different.

When I printed at 95% and used the edge of my presser foot (just under 3/8") as the allowance the final size ended up being 12.5" at widest point x 8" high.

The turquoise one in quilting cotton is a smaller version at 85%.  It turned out 11.5" at the widest point x 7" high. 

A Few Modifications

I made a few changes to my bags.  They weren't necessary, but just personal preference things. 

1. Took about 0.25" off the "cut on fold" edge of the flap piece.  I find it easier to sew the lining and exterior together if the flap is just slightly smaller than the bag width.  Then the side of the flap and side seams don't intersect.  That's always such a thick spot and it can be a weird curve to sew neatly.  

2. Used the edge of the presser foot as the allowance, instead of the 0.5" in the instructions.  Since it's not something that needs to be an exact size, I just like to use the edge of the presser foot.  My sewing is always much more accurate.  My presser foot is just under 3/8".  

3. Used a hidden magnetic snap for the smaller turquoise bag and a size 24 Jumbo snap in antique silver for the home dec version.

The Flap

The instructions are for making it with the same fabric on both sides of the flap.  I always use the lining print on the flap in my patterns, so it was a nice change of pace for me.  Plus, it gave me the option of waiting until the main bag body was finished and then deciding which side to use for the exterior. 

Ok, go make your bag and have a wonderful weekend!