Basic Clutch Purse Pattern

May 8, 2024

Hi!

It’s been a little while since I shared a pattern, and today I thought you might like this quick and easy Basic Clutch Purse Pattern.  I find this size purse is super handy – it’s large enough to fit the essentials I want with me, but small enough to just tuck under your arm. I love the folded over top too – it gives extra security, plus the folded bulk stiffens the top for a really nice carrying shape.

So without further ado – here goes…

Basic Clutch Purse Pattern

Super quick, super easy and super glamorous, you can whip up this basic zippered clutch in under an hour, ready for your next night out.  The top of this generous sized zippered clutch folds over for a casual, understated elegance, and sew one in your choice of fabrics to suit.  (This also makes a fab and fun gift if you need to stockpile a few.)

Purse Dimensions are 11½ inches wide x 10½ inches high.

 

You Will Need:

½ metre ( ½ yard) fabric for purse outer

½ metre ( ½ yard) fabric for purse lining

½ metre ( ½ yard) light-weight fusible pellon

¾ metre ( ¾ yard) medium-weight fusible interfacing

1 x 12-14 inch zip for purse top

 

Clutch Purse Pattern – Construction:

Please read all instructions fully before beginning.  All measurements are in inches, and unless stated otherwise, a ¼ inch seam allowance has been used.

Referring to the Cutting Guide at the end, carefully cut the required bag pieces from the bag fabrics, interfacing and pellon as required.  Iron the interfacing to the back of each piece as indicated in the Cutting Guide, and fuse the pellon on top of the interfacing on the wrong side of the bag outer sides.

 

Assembly:

Start with the zip.  Each end of the zip has a small fabric tab sewn to it.  Start with the zipper pull end.  Place one of the small tab squares over the zip, with right sides together.  Line up the raw edge of the tab with the larger plastic/metal stoppers at the end of the zip teeth, so that the rest of the tab lays down the length of the zip.

(This photo shows the other end of the zip, but the technique is the same.)

Sew carefully across the zip with a ¼ inch seam as shown.

Fold the tab back over the zip as pictured.

Trim away the excess zipper ends from under the fabric tab.

When you have done this for the zipper pull end, lay your zip across the top (12½ inch side) of the bag front and measure from the tab end across the top.  Position the second fabric tab so that when it is sewn and folded back, the end aligns with the edge of the purse front.  (This should be about 10½ inches along the zipper from the folded edge of the first tab.) Trim excess zip from the other end too.

Now insert the zip.  The zip is sewn between both purse outer and lining layers in the one seam.

Lay one purse outer face up on a flat surface. Lay the zip face down on top as shown, then add the lining face down on top of that, so the zip is sandwiched between the fabric layers.

Align top edges and pin. Use your zipper foot to sew the zip in place, stopping and starting a ½ inch from each end.

Open out and fold back so wrong sides of the purse outer and lining are together.  Topstitch along that seam beside the zip. (Starting and stopping a ½ inch from each end.)

Repeat for the other side and topstitch as well, so your clutch purse pattern halves are joined as shown with the zip in the middle.

Open the zip fully before sewing the sides and base of your purse.

Open out the halves so that the zip is in the middle, so the two purse outer panels are right sides together, as are the lining panels, out to the other side.

Pin and sew.  Start a couple of inches from one bottom corner on the lining side and sew to the corner, down the side of both lining and purse outer panels, and across the bottom. Continue up the other side and across the bottom of the lining for another couple of inches.

Clip corners and turn right sides out through the gap left in the lining bottom.

Tuck in the seam allowances at the lining bottom, and topstitch the gap closed.

Push the lining into the clutch purse outer to finish.

Now just pop in a few essentials, fold over the top, tuck it under your arm and you’re good to go!

(If you want to, make a fancy zipper pull from some ribbon or beads, but this is completely optional.)

 

Clutch Purse Pattern Cutting Guide:

• Rectangle measuring 12½ inches wide x 11½ inches long

• • Cut 2 Outer fabric
  • Cut 2 Lining Fabric
  • Cut 2 Pellon
  • Cut 4 Interfacing

• Square measuring 1¼ x 1¼ inches

• • Cut 2 Outer Fabric

 

And there you have it!  This is a great project to show off larger scale prints, or those that you just can’t bring yourself to cut too small.

Of course, if you’re not into using clutches for your purse, you can never have too many zippered pouches to store sewing essentials or projects-on-the-go either!

Enjoy!