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Home > Fashion Sewing Projects > Ruffled-Zipper Clutch Purse

Photos by Lance Tilford, Limelight Studio

Featured Project

Ruffled-Zipper Clutch Purse

DIYStyle Vodcast Episode 39

Supplies needed

3/8 yard of 60” wide suede cloth

5/8 yard of woven fusible interfacing

1 - 10” Straight Hex-open frame (Ghee’s)

2 - 24” Coats and Clark heavyweight metal separating zippers

Zipper foot

Dual Duty XP sewing thread

The KIT (sewing box essentials)

11” dinner plate

Cutting

1. Measure and mark a 12.5” x 17.5” panel from both the suede and the interfacing. Cut both pieces out along markings.
2. To create the ruffles, place the dinner plate on two layers of suede. Mark around the plate. Remove the plate, on the inside of the circle mark another circle in the center 1 3/4” from the edge of the first circle. Cut out the big circle, cut through to the second circle and cut out the center. Cut out 4 of these circles.

SEWING

1. Lay the suede and interfacing wrong sides together and fuse according to manufacturer’s directions.
2. Fold the panel in half widthwise, forming the “front” and the “back” of the purse. Press the fold.
3. On the front mark a line across the width 1 3/4” from the fold (bottom of purse). Mark three additional lines 1 1/4” from the first line.
4. Press top edges of the front and back to wrong sides of the purse 1 5/8”. These will become the casings for the frame.
5. With a zipper foot on the sewing machine, sew half the zipper to the outside edge of the first circle of suede. Make sure to place the edge of the fabric close to the teeth of the zipper. Repeat for the three remaining ruffles.
6. Open the purse body panel out flat. Hold open the circle ruffle and pin to the marked line nearest the fold (the bottom of the purse). Stitch the ruffle near the raw edge, with ruffle edges towards bottom of purse, along the marked line. Repeat for the remaining three ruffles.
7. Baste the ends of the ruffles to the side edges of the front of the purse. Be sure to sew slowly over the zipper teeth. Trim away excess ruffles and zippers.
8. Stitch the casing in place on the front of the purse, by stitching along the last ruffle stitching. Stitch the back casing across the width of the purse.
9. Fold purse with right sides together. Stitch side seams, again stitching slowly over the zipper teeth. Stop stitching 1” from the top edge of the purse on both sides. Back stitch to secure the side seams.
10. At the bottom corners, fold flat and stitch across 1” from the corner, to create a slightly “boxed” bottom to your clutch.

11. Fold purse right sides out. Insert the purse clips into the front and back casings, following the package directions.

Download this Project (pdf) for your DIYStyle Notebook