Sew-a-long: Clutch it!

Well, here it is. My clutch for the sew-a-long with See Kate Sew.  This little clutch was a lot of firsts for me. My first pattern.  My first bag. My first button hole. My first time using interfacing. It was fun, and not intimidating, putting my sewing machine to work on this project. I really learned a lot.

Wanna make your own?

HERE’S THE HOW TO:
 
Stuff You’ll Need:

Free pattern available in this post at See Kate Sew
Two coordinating fabrics (1/2 yard each)
1/2 yard midweight interfacing
Button of your choice
Thread & Needle

Method:
 
Kate did a very thorough post on her blog, See Kate Sew, to walk users through the steps. Since there were a lot of new skills for me, I also found Google and YouTube to be helpful resources as well. I’m so pleased with the result. The busy floral pattern I chose was perfect for a beginner like me, because it hides my mistakes really well. Shhhh… don’t tell!  😉

And, I just had to point out my first ever button hole…

The button hole may not look like much, but I’m so proud of it. Kate did a fantastic tutorial on creating a button hole with a button hole attachment. My button was a little tricky. It had an odd shape and wouldn’t fit in the sewing machine’s button foot! After trying several widths, I found one that seemed to work and went for it! I practiced about a dozen times before I did it for real, and I was so nervous until every last stitch was finished.

I’m amazed at how many new skills I learned with this simple project. I think the biggest thing I’m learning about sewing is not to rush! Taking your time, practicing first and double checking everything really can save you so much trouble in the long run.

Now, I feel that I’m well on my way to conquering my fear of sewing machines. YAY!

I’m currently brainstorming what my next sewing project should be…  Do you have any suggestions for a sewing project I should tackle next??

P.S. If you are a newbie sewer too, I strongly recommend this project.  There are so many great skills involved, and with the way Kate breaks it down, it is very easy to do.