DIY: Color Block Clutch

Hey everyone!  I have been itching to get back into sewing (it comes and goes in phases), and I thought it would be cool to do another DIY.  I've been seeing some INCREDIBLE DIY clutches lately and I thought I'd make one.  Home made clutches are pretty easy to make and require basic sewing skills.  Hopefully you'll find this tutorial easy.  As always ask any questions and I'll guide you through.  Enjoy!

Tools:

• 1/2 yard of coordinating fabric.  Always check the remnants section at the fabric store!  Sometimes you can get amazing fabric!  Can be whatever material you fancy.  Leather and vinyl will be more structured than cotton or suede.  But I used suede. :)
• Matching thread
• Measuring tape or ruler
• Pins
• Zipper (needs to be longer than your measured bag)

• Lay out fabric for cutting.  
• All measurements can be however big or small you want.  For this I'm using 16 inches long by 13 inches wide.
• Cut the beige fabric 12 inches long by 13 inches wide starting at the fold .  You should get a folded square of fabric.
• Cut the black fabric 4 inches long by 13 inches wide starting at the fold.  You'll get a folded rectangle of fabric.

• Put right sides of fabric together and sew one of the black edges to one of the beige edges.
• Put right sides together again and sew the other black edge to the other beige edge.  

• You should now have a tube of fabric. 
• Where the black and beige meet, this will be the bottom of the clutch.

• Carefully cut the top of the beige fabric to open up the tube.

• Now we're going to add the zipper.  I wanted a heavy duty zipper so I bought a coat zipper.  Coat zippers don't go smaller than 20 inches, so I had a lot of leftover.  But that's okay.  Just make sure the zip is longer than the width of your clutch.
• Lay beige fabric right side up and zipper right side down.  Pin for sewing.

• Top stitch the fabric and the zipper so that the fabric doesn't get caught in the zipper when opening or closing.  This step is optional, but I always do it.
• For the other side, lay the beige fabric right side up and the zipper right side down.  Pin for sewing.
• Top stitch again.

• Now you have another tube of fabric, but this time with a zipper in place!  Almost done!

• Open your zip a few inches and turn your tube inside out.  You'll need it open in order to turn the bag, so don't forget!!

• Sew up the sides of the bag and when you get to the zipper, fold it in half like in the picture.  Sew over the zipper carefully and do it a few times to really hold it in place.

• Cut off the extra ends of the zipper and the corners to reduce bulk on the inside.
• Reach through the hole in the zipper and pull the bag right side out.

Yay!!!  You are finished!!  Now you have a super cute DIY Fold Over Color Block Clutch!