Flamingo Toes

Vibrant Designs Clutch Tutorial and Giveaway!

I have a treat for you today!! Julie from Vibrant Designs is here today!

Vibrant Designs

Hi!  I am so happy to be here today with all of you beautiful Flamingo Toes readers!  I am Julie, of Vibrant Designs, and my passion is making bags: specifically sewing bags.  I taught myself to use a sewing machine a few years ago.  (I won’t say how many, because I was in high school!)  Then, 3 years ago, I was ending a high risk pregnancy on bedrest.  I got the bug to try and MAKE a new diaper bag for my first daughter.  I should post photos of that bag sometime!  It is usable, but I laugh at the difference 3 1/2 years can make!  FF to now, and here I am, with an Etsy shop, a blog, and LOTS of new bloggy friends!

And if that’s not amazing enough…can you believe this is my first time guest posting?  I met Bev of Flamingo Toes a little while back because I saw her button and thought, “that is one creative blog title!  I’ve got to go check it out!”  So, I ended up emailing her and now here I am, guest posting.  Today, I wanted to bring a new design of mine to the table.  I call it the Rana Clutch and if you’re interested in trying it yourself, here is the tutorial!


 
Materials Needed

  • Fat quarter of fabric
  • magnetic snap
  • coordinating thread
  • fusible interfacing
  • normal sewing notions

Notes:
*Use a 1/2″ seam allowance throughout unless otherwise noted.
 
Step 1. Cutting your fabric.

 

1. The base for this pattern is a triangle. you can go with whatever size you want, but the measurements I use are as follows. The base or bottom of the triangle/bag is 12 1/2″ and each side is 13 1/2″.

2. Cut your 2 triangles from each fabric. Lay a ruler/yardstick/measuring tape on your fabric and mark a line that is 12 1/2″ long. This is the base/bottom of the bag.

3. Find the center of the line and mark it. Draw a line from that mark, perpendicular to the first one.

4. Place the ruler on one end of the base line and find the spot on the perpendicular line that measure 13 1/2″. Draw a line here.

5. Follow step 4 to complete the triangle on the other side.

6. Use this triangle to cut out the other three triangles.

7. Set one triangle aside from each fabric for later. Take the main fabric triangle and measure up from the bottom on each side placing a mark at the half way point. Now connect these dots and cut that top off.

8. Follow step 2 with your lining fabric as well. Now you should have 2 triangles and 2 trapezoids.

Step 2. Attach your pocket now.

1. I attach a small patch pocket that measures about 2″x3″. Cut a piece of fabric that measures 6 1/2″x3 1/2″. fold in half wrong sides together and pin.

2. Sew around the three open sides, leaving a hole on the long end for turning. Back stitch at both ends of the hole for support in turning.

3. Clip the corners and turn right side out. Poke out corners with your scissors and press the hole. Sew closed.

4. Top stitch on the long end that will be the top of the pocket.

5. Choose which side you want your pocket on: pin and sew in place with a small seam allowance.

Step 3. Sewing the body pieces together.

1. Cut out your interfacing pieces. Each piece will be interfaced. Attach the interfacing as per the directions.

2. With the main fabric pieces, line up the trapezoid bottom with the triangle bottom, right sides together and pin in place. Starting at the top of the trapezoid, sew down the side, bottom and up the other side back stitching at each end.

3. Follow step 2 for your lining pieces as well. Don’t forget to leave an opening at the bottom of the triangle lining for turning your bag. Be sure to back stitch at either side of the opening for strength.

Step 4. Boxing the Bottoms

 1. Smoosh (don’t you just love that word?) one of your bottom corners together matching up your side seam with your bottom seam. Measure approximately 1 1/4″ from the stitched corner and pin. Sew this down.

 

2. Follow step 1 for the other 3 corners of the bag. (two of those 3 corners are from the lining.)

3. Clip off the corners on the other side of the seam.

4. At this point, you’ll want to insert the magnetic snap. Take your lining bag and make a mark 2″ down from the top of the trapezoid. Insert the female half of the snap on this side.

5. Put the male half of the snap on the female half and use this to make your mark for the other side of the snap. Fold the flap down and push it onto the prongs that are exposed. When in doubt, measure, measure, measure!! If you don’t know how to insert these snaps, you can use velcro or use this tutorial.

Step 4. Putting the bag together

 1. Turn main body of the bag right side out. Turn lining of the bag wrong side out. (which is technically the correct way for the lining to be when it’s actually in the bag.)

2. Place main bag body inside the lining bag body. Right sides should be together. Line up your side seams so they match.

3. Pin at these two places (the side seams you just matched up) and then pin all the way around the top of the bag and up and around the flap. I hope I’m clear.

4. Sew all the way around the top of the bag, back stitching when you come back to the beginning where you first started to sew.

5. Clip the corner of the flap, right up next to the seam. Be sure you don’t clip into the stitching. Snip into the corners where the flap meets the trapezoid.

(NOTE: you do this to give a sharper point. Try turning it without clipping the corner…you’ll see what I mean.)

6. Remember that nifty little hole you left in the lining? Reach through the hole and grab the main bag. Pull it through the hole…and the lining will follow.

Stuff the lining inside the bag.

YOU ARE ALMOST DONE! This would be a good time to press your bag again…especially around the edge of your bag.

7. You want to pull that top seam apart as much as possible without pulling your stitches and then pin all the way around again.

This is your finishing touch…makes your bag look more professional. Top stitch all the way around your bag with a really tiny seam allowance, about 1/8″. Once this is done, sew up the hole in your bag by hand or if you’re like me and don’t care, by machine.

Enjoy your new clutch!!

Thank you so much for having me here Bev!  I enjoyed every minute of it. 

Julie

Isn’t that so cute!! I love the style!

Julie makes such great bags – check out a couple that are in her shop right now . . .

All-in-One Hobo Bag    Sophia Rose Handbag

I have great news – Julie is giving 1 lucky Flamingo Toes reader a Rana Clutch of her very own!
She has 5 for you to choose from – so you are sure to find a print that you like. This super sweet clutch would be perfect for those quick Christmas shopping expeditions – or to give as a gift!!

Here is how to enter!

Required Entry –
1. Leave a comment letting us know what your favorite style of bag is. Are you a shoulder bag girl? Or a clutch like the Rana? Maybe a handbag is best? We want to know! 

Extra Entries – (Make sure you leave a separate comment for each!)
2. Be or become a Vibrant Designs follower.
3. Like the Vibrant Designs Facebook page.
4. Be or become a Flamingo Toes follower. Love ya!
5. Like the Flamingo Toes FB page (widget is on the sidebar)

That’s 5 chances to win! Holey Shmoley! :)
I know the extra commenting can be crazy – but it’s so fun to support other bloggers and shops. It won’t take too long and you’ll have all those lovely entries!

I’ll announce the winner on Saturday, Nov. 6!


Comments

 

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Comments

  1. What a pretty clutch ♥ I myself am both a clutch and shoulderbag tyoe lol. So please enter me for this wonderful giveaway (bet you can tell which color would be my fave lol) YUP I follow you and just became a follower of Vibrant Designer too. I also like you on FB haha

    Hugs from Marian

  3. I am definitely a shoulder bag kind of gal. I need hands free most of the time! But this clutch is sooo adorable! I could see me using one for a fun night out where I don’t need a free hand to hold a little hand. ;)

  7. I also follow vibrant designs on facebook that’s how I heard about this fun website and giveaway!

  8. They are so cute! I love them all! I’m a clutch or a shoulderbag type – just depends on what I’m doing and where I’m going.

  11. I am already a follower of Vibrant Designs FB page and blog. I actually won a purse for naming it!

    I love purses and am looking into getting a shoulder strap purse made soon! I like how you went thru how to make this step by step!

  12. My favorite kind of purse is what I call the mom purse. Big enough to fit everything you might need for any suprise occasion. :)

  18. I love the shoulder bags. I can carry it hands free or I can shorten the strap and carry it as a handbag. I love the fabrics!

  22. I love clutches, but I’m always afraid I’ll set it down somewhere & forget to pick it back up again. I really prefer purses with a strap long enough to go over my shoulder, but short enough I can carry on my arm or in my hand if it starts hurting my shoulder. So I’m pretty much a Goldilocks, they’ve got to be JUST RIGHT. :)

  26. I am definitely a shoulder bag girl. I like having my hands free, plus I’m so forgetful! Thanks for the tute and giveaway!

  34. Love the purse…but the tutorial looks oh so complicated!

    is that a White something sewing machine? Cause the vintage one I have downstairs with no way to go looks just like that one!

    Sofia

  35. Of course I will follow you anywhere! I am a handbag girl…all the way and I always need a new one. I’ll enter some more tomorrow…off to bed!

  36. I am a shoulder girl, but use both. Would LOVE to win one of your bags,so please enter me – I’m new to sewing and feel a little wary – hope I’m up to making your bag proud. I’m not too proud and will re-do my mistakes, just hope I can become a talented sewer. I like to learn something new every day. Wonderful name by the way.. I am a Flamingo lover! My sister and I try to give each other the most interesting ones we can find. Love the tutorial, thanks. Hope I win!!

  43. I am SO a shoulder bag person. With kids, it’s nice to have space for all the things they expect me to always have on me.

  46. Cuteness!!! Thanks for hosting this giveaway! My favorite type(s) of purses are: clutch, wrislets, and shoulder bags.
    Again, thanks for hosting this!
    ~Grace~

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