Little clutch

Here is my latest sewing project and one of my first (if not the first) FINISHED bags using a zipper. I have a bunch of zippers I bought in thriftstores but never got around using them. Now I got the chance with a tutorial from Christine which I thought was great. I only had a couple of snags, especially the part of how you attach the tube with the zipper onto the pouch itself. I think I pinned all possibilities before finding the right one, lol. Well, I actually did three tries then I lost my patience and my sweetie explained it to me. He's so good with instructions and "trial-and-errors". He's such a big help when I can't figure stuff out.

I sewed on a couple of beads to highlight the bird and roses. I was smart enough to plan to sew it on before I put the whole thing together, but I had already sewed the lining and outer fabric together at the top. So in the end the little stitches show on the lining fabric...That's one of the things I would like to improve.

 I think the lining fabric is so sweet. Don't you just love when things are well-done allover, not just on the outside? I love the little surprise you get when opening this bag and also to find out it matches the handle! I used a decorative stitch with little hearts on the handle. It's two stitches that I sewed seperately and then aligned so they would be opposite eachother. I attached the handle on the side where the zipper closes, so even if you wouldn't close the pouch properly the items wouldn't fall out. Smart, huh?

One of the other things I would change when making another one of these is the zipper. First I had a little too much fabric over the zipper itself on the inside so it gets a liiiiitle bit stuck in the middle. It still works, but for a perfectionist like me it's annoying (I'm trying to live with it though and still be proud of this bag ;)
The other thing is that I didn't have the exact same length of my zipper as in the tutorial. My zipper is actually the same length as Christine's, but from end to end, not the zipper part if you know what I mean. This makes the endings a bit - how should I say it - UGLY! So next time I will put a piece of fabric over the beginning and end. It would look much better I think.

And there you have it - a wonderful little clutch for summervacation. I think I'm going to make one in every colour to match my outfits. I'm usually a more practical kind of gal with a sturdy backpack to carry all of my "neccessities". I like the idea of little purses, but I'm afraid I'll lose them. The handle on this one makes even the most forgetful person safe. Your belongings are stuck on your wrist wether you like it or not :D


PS, New winner for the follower candy has been chosen. Check HERE.