The classic rolled clutch is a summertime favorite: lightweight, lovely, and just the right size. Often seen in woven straw, we created a version you can make yourself in fabric. Three flat panels cleverly wrap around and come together to produce the three dimensional roll. We originally used the Janome Horizon Quilt Maker Memory Craft 15000 for both construction and embroidery. It’s great to have one machine that can do both! Take a look at the new Janome Continental M17; it’s fabulous!

A solid exterior and patterned lining is the perfect combination to set off the cool monogram on the front flap. Although that monogram is optional, it is a striking embellishment that personalizes the pouch. We used a built-in monogram option on the Janome Horizon Quilt Maker Memory Craft 15000 – monogramming is standard on many of the Janome top-of-the-line sewing/embroidery models.

In order for the signature roll to take shape, you must start with crisp panels. Two layers of mid-weight fusible interfacing (stabilizing both the exterior and the lining) provide this. Once the side panel ovals are stitched into position, the flap comes down, completing the roll. A magnetic snap holds it shut.

We recommend a décor weight fabric for the exterior and a quilting weight cotton for the lining and binding. Our beautiful lining/binding print is Abundance in Meadow, from Amy’s Butler’s farewell fabric collection, Natural Beauty for FreeSpirit Fabrics.

A traditional French binding finishes the raw edges of all three layered panels. We provide steps within the instructions below as well as a link to our full Bias Binding tutorial if you are new to the technique.

If you’re a Janome enthusiast as we are, you know the stitch precision of Janome’s machine embroidery is unrivaled in the industry. It’s mesmerizing to watch the design form right before your eyes. Thread art in action. Visit a Janome dealer for a test stitch on the new Continental M17 to see for yourself.

Your fabric selection gives this bag its ultimate style – from a casual flair to every day polish to evening elegance. With all those choices, you might need to make more than one!

Our Clutch finishes at approximately 11½” wide x 6” high x 2” deep.

Sewing Tools You Need

• Sewing machine and standard presser foot
• If you wish to add a monogram to the flap of the Clutch as we did, you do need a machine with embroidery capability, such as the Janome Continental M17
• Quarter Inch Seam foot; optional but helpful for the binding

Fabric and Other Supplies

• ½ yard of 44”+ wide décor weight fabric in a solid color for the exterior
• ½ yard of 44”+ wide quilting weight cotton in a coordinating print for the lining and binding
• 1 yard of 20”+ mid-weight fusible interfacing; we used 45” Pellon Décor Bond
  NOTE: If you use a 45” width interfacing, you need only ½ yard.
• Tear-away stabilizer as recommended by your machine for the optional monogram
• Water Soluble stabilizer for the optional monogram
• ONE ¾” magnetic snap
• All purpose thread to match fabric for construction
• 50wt cotton embroidery thread for the optional monogram
• Standard bobbin thread for optional monogram
• See-through ruler
• Fabric pen or pencil
• Iron and ironing board
• Scissors
• Rotary cutter and mat
• Seam gauge
• Seam ripper
• Straight pins

Getting Started and Pattern Download

1. DOWNLOAD PATTERNS: Download and print out the Clutch Pattern Top, Clutch Pattern Side, and Clutch Pattern Bottom. These two pages have been bundled into one PDF to make the download easier.
   IMPORTANT: Each page within the PDF is ONE 8½” x 11″ sheet. You must print the PDF file at 100%. DO NOT SCALE to fit the page. There is a guideline on each page to confirm your printout is to scale.
2. Cut out the pattern pieces along the solid lines. Following the arrows on the pattern pieces, butt together Clutch Pattern Top and Clutch Pattern Bottom. Do not overlap. Tape together to form the complete Clutch Pattern. The Clutch Side pattern is a single piece.
3. From the exterior fabric, cut the following:
   Using the assembled Clutch pattern, cut ONE on the fold as shown in the photo below
   Using the Side pattern, cut TWO
   
4. From the lining/binding fabric, cut the following:
   Using the assembled Clutch pattern, cut ONE on the fold
   Using the Side pattern, cut TWO
   From the remaining fabric, cut approximately 80” of 2” strips on the bias
   
   NOTE: If you are brand new to cutting binding strips on the bias, take a look at our full Bias Binding Tutorial.
5. From the fusible interfacing, cut the following:
   Using the assembled Clutch pattern, cut TWO on the fold
   Using the Side pattern, cut FOUR

At Your Sewing Machine & Ironing Board

Fusing

1. Collect all the cut pieces.
   
2. Place an interfacing panel on the wrong side of all four fabric side panels, the front fabric panel, and the lining fabric panel. In all instances, the fabric and interfacing layers should be flush all around. Following manufacturer’s instructions, fuse in place.
   
   NOTE: Decorator fabrics can vary in fiber content and can even slightly melt if exposed to high heat. Test the setting of your iron on a scrap of fabric before applying the fusible interfacing. A pressing cloth may be needed for the best results.

Marking

1. There are several helpful marks on the pattern that need to be transferred to your fabric panels.
   
2. With the interfaced side facing up, place the pattern on the lining panel. Mark the placement of the top snap half at the curved end of the panel.
   
3. Create a full crosshair marking to make centering easy.
   
4. With the interfaced side facing up, place the pattern on the exterior panel. Mark the placement of the bottom snap half at the straight end of the panel.
   
5. With the pattern still on the exterior panel. Mark the placement of the optional embroidery (we used a monogram) at the curved end of the panel.
   
6. Finish by transferring all the side markings on the exterior and the lining panels as well as the four side panels. You’ll also notice that we made the original horizontal marking line for the optional embroidery (at the curved end of exterior panel) into a full crosshair marking to make centering easy.
   
   NOTE: We are showing ALL the markings at this point to give you a very clear indication of where everything goes. However, once the exterior and lining pieces are placed wrong sides together, the SIDE markings can’t be seen. They will be marked again on the right side after the binding is applied. If you prefer, you can just mark for the snap halves and the optional embroidery at this point and wait to do the side markings until after the binding is complete.

Optional Monogram

NOTE: As mentioned above, our monogram was done on the Janome Horizon Quilt Maker Memory Craft 15000. The steps detailed here are for this machine. Your embroidery steps may vary but should be somewhat similar. Refer to your machine’s manual for details.

1. Set up the machine for embroidery. Thread the machine with bobbin thread in the bobbin and the 50wt cotton embroidery thread in the top.
2. From the home screen, select Edit. The Edit Screen will appear. Select the Hoop: SQ14 hoop.
   
3. Select Home. From the Home screen, select Monogram. Select Font and choose the 3 Letter Monogram.
   
4. On the 3 Letter Monogram screen, you can add your choice of monogram letters. There is also a choice of frames if desired. We used the Laurel frame. Select the frame.
   
5. Add the letters.
   
6. When the three letters are complete, select OK.
   
7. The completed monogram will appear on the Edit screen.
   
8. From the edit tools, select Resize. A Prompt Box will appear. Reduce the size to 80%. Press OK.
   
9. Press OK to return to the Ready to Sew screen.
10. Find the Clutch exterior panel, which should be interfaced and marked.
11. Find the marking for the embroidery. Pierce the fabric back to front with a pin.
    
12. Turn the Clutch Front over with right side up. Place a second pin at the spot where the first pin pierces the fabric. This transfers the mark for embroidery placement to the right side of the fabric. Remove the first pin.
13. Hoop two layers of tear-away stabilizer in the SQ14 hoop. Position the fabric over the hoop with the mark for embroidery placement centered within the hoop. Pin in place. Attach the hoop to the machine.
    
14. Adjust the needle position if necessary, using the jog keys to position the needle directly over the placement mark. When perfectly centered, remove the pin marking the placement.
    
15. Place a square of water soluble stabilizer over the hoop.
    
16. Use the Baste function to secure all layers of fabric to the stabilizer.
    
17. Start the embroidery.
    
18. Let the machine run through the entire monogram embroidery. As is normal, the monogram and accompanying frame are all done in one thread color.
    
19. When the embroidery is complete, remove the hoop from the machine. Remove any excess tear-away stabilizer at the back and gently remove the water soluble stabilizer from the front. Any remaining fragments of the water soluble stabilizer can be removed with a spritz of water.
    

Insert the magnetic snap halves

1. Both snap halves are set in the same manner.
2. Flip over the fabric panel so it is interfacing side up. Using the snap half’s washer as a template, align it with your previously marked snap cross hair and draw in two vertical lines for the side slits.
   
3. Using small, sharp scissors, create a small slice for each side slit. Insert the snap half from front to back.
   
4. Slip the washer over the exposed prongs.
   
5. Fold over the prongs to secure.
   
6. Repeat to attach the remaining snap half. As shown in the photo below, the larger socket half of the snap should be inserted into the straight end of the exterior panel and the smaller stud half of the snap should be inserted into the curved end of the lining panel.
   NOTE: If you are brand new to working with magnetic snaps, we have a full tutorial on Inserting Magnetic Snaps that you can review prior to starting.
   

Layer exterior and lining and bind all the panels

1. Find the front, back, and side panels. Layer them together in pairs, wrong sides together.
   
2. The layers should be flush all around. Pin in place. You should have one layered main panel and two layered side panels.
   
3. Re-thread the machine with standard thread to match the fabric in the top and bobbin and re-set for a normal straight stitch. Attach a standard presser foot.
4. Find the 2” binding strips and stitch them together end to end. To do this, overlap the ends at a 90˚ angle and stitch across on the diagonal as shown in the photo below.
   
5. Trim back each seam allowance to ¼” and press open. As mentioned above, you need a total length of approximately 80”.
6. Fold the finished length of binding in half, wrong sides together, and press well to set a crease.
   
7. Unfold the strip wrong side up and press back one raw end ¼”.
   
8. Re-fold along the original crease line, wrong sides together, and re-press if necessary.
9. Find the main panel. Place it exterior side up.
10. Align the raw edges of the folded binding with the raw perimeter of the fabric panel. Start the binding at the center of the panel’s flat edge, leaving about 3″ free from the pressed end of the binding. You can certainly lightly pre-pin the binding in place, but with a curved panel, we find it easiest to work without pins in order to be able to ease the fabric as necessary.
11. If possible, attach a Quarter Inch Seam foot.
12. Remembering to leave 3” free at the head, use a ¼” seam to sew the bias strip to the edge of the clutch. Be careful to simply guide the layers – do not stretch the bias strip.
    
13. Go slowly and evenly around the curves and miter the corners in the same manner as you would for quilt binding. As mentioned above, if you are new to working with bias binding, check out our full tutorial, which outlines the steps for turning a corner.
    
    Stop the stitching just before reaching your original start point. Overlap the bias strip, head over tail, trimming away the excess from the tail. This excess will be used to bind the side ovals.
    
14. Pin the overlap in place and complete the stitching.
    
15. You should now have a continuous binding strip around the exterior side of the main panel.
    
16. Fold the bias binding around to the lining side of the main panel and pin in place, making sure the original seam line is covered. Pin in place from the lining side but with the heads of the pins facing out from the edge so they will be easy to grab and remove as you sew.
    
17. Flip over the main panel so it is once again exterior side up. Switch back to a standard presser foot.
18. Edgestitch the binding in place, removing the pins as you sew.
    
19. Make sure you are stitching as close to the seam as possible, but that you are still stitching on the binding; you are not “stitching in the ditch.”
    
20. This stitching should catch the fold of fabric on the lining side.
    
21. Use this same technique to bind the two side ovals. Start the stitching on a straight section so the overlap occurs at this point instead of a curve.
    
22. On these much smaller pieces, we found that when bringing the bias strip around to the lining side, it covered the stitching without much help, and with a quick press from the lining side, we were able to edgestitch in place without the help of pins. As always, if you need the help of pins – use them!
    
23. You should now have three bound components to create your clutch.
    

Insert the side ovals to finish

1. As mentioned above, now is the time to mark (or re-mark) all the side elements. Using the original paper pattern pieces, mark the large side dot on the main panel with a pin. Flip over the pattern to mark the opposite side of the main panel.
2. Mark the side ovals, placing a pin at the bottom dot and a pin at either end of the horizontal line that indicates the upper edge.
   
3. Place one side oval into position, aligning the bottom straight bound edge of the main panel with the upper edge pin mark on the side oval. Then, align the large dot on the main panel with the bottom dot of the side oval. It’s a bit as if you are placing a lid upside down into a carton. We found it was best to start by matching the bottom point of the side oval then to work up each side toward the top, pinning as you go. The edges of the two layers of binding should be flush. Don’t be afraid to use plenty of pins.
   
4. Edgestitch through the two layers of binding, running the seam about about ⅛” from the edge. Back stitch at the start and stop points to secure.
   
5. Go slowly, removing the pins as you reach them. At the bottom curve, lift up the fabric slightly to help keep the binding layers aligned.
   
6. Repeat for the second side.
   

Project Design: Alicia Thommas
Sample Creation and Instructional Outline: Michele Mishler