Hello :)!

I hope eveyone had a great Columbus Day Weekend. The importance of this holiday trascends ethnicity. The arrival of Christopher Columbus to the Americas shaped more than our continent and our customs, it changed the world. Although the Columbus Day debate continues, at AGF we want to celebrate our race and this legacy with a tutorial using a collection of the same name: Legacy by Angela Walters.

Legacy is about conserving values and items that remind us of where (through our predecessors) we have been. Things that represent positive moments in our lives. The Christina Clutch is a classic item that can go from generation to generation carrying the message of how sewing and crafting with our hands is rooted within us.

Here is what you will need:

1. (2) 11½” x 7” Rectangles of Stitched Heritage
   Glow (Legacy collection)
2. (2) 11½” x 7” Rectangles of Ancestree Foliage
   (Legacy collection)
3. (2) 11½” x 7” Rectangles of heavy-weight fusible interfacing.
4. (2) 12½” x 7” Rectangles of Familiar Roots Willow
   (Legacy collection)
5. (1) 2” x 5” Rectangle of Familiar Roots Willow
   (Legacy collection)
6. (1) 14” zipper

Take piece 5 and fold the long edges towards the center until
they meet each other and press. Sew each side as close to the edge as possible.
Now fold it in half with the rough edges exposed. Sew ½” away from the open
side all the way down. Cut the excess fabric and flip it inside out. You should
end up with a little tube.

Now take pieces 4 and lay them on top of each other (right
sides facing) and sew down the long edges to attach them together. Flip it
inside out and press it so it looks neat. Scrunch down one end and put it
inside of the smaller tube to make the bow.

Add the interfacing to pieces 2. Then fold one long edge
down ½” and press (do this for both edges). Repeat folding for pieces 1.

Lay the bow on top of piece 1 and pin each side. Carefully
sew down both sides as close as possible to the edges of piece 1. Trim the
excess fabric.

It’s time to put in the zipper. Make sure to sew as close to
the edge near the zipper teeth as possible. Add in the zipper by first laying
it with the slider facing down and on the left. Attach it to the folded part of
piece 2 as shown below (we are starting with the interior).

After the lining is attached to the zipper, we now need to
attach it to the exterior of the clutch (side with the bow). Lay the exterior
piece with the folded edge right along the zipper with the zipper slider facing
up this time. Sew along the edge.    

Now that the zipper is attached, open it a few inches and pin
pieces 1 together (right sides facing each other). Keep piece 2 off to the side. Sew all
the way around the three sides. Pin together pieces 2 and sew just the long edge.

Now flip the entire piece through the zipper opening and
take out the lining (piece 3). Fold the remaining open edges inside ¼” and
press. Sew all the way down along the edges. Put the lining back into the bag,
press it carefully and you’re done!

Even though for some cultures October 12th, 1492 represented tragedy, I hope that today we can look back and learn how the preservation of different cultures and craftsmanship makes all humans better as a whole.

Rock 'n Sew,

Lauv