The Envelope Clutch

I know that I've mentioned her before, but do you know Anna over at Noodlehead? Well, she recently debuted another pattern which I was lucky enough to test for her! Her new pattern is for an envelope clutch, and it includes 2 sizes with 2 flap styles, plus directions for adding a wrist strap or a shoulder strap.

I couldn't resist, I made one in each size!

The smaller clutch, exterior is a Heather Ross linen blend from Far, Far Away II - I really like the heavier weight of this fabric for the exterior:

Lining is a dot from Katie Jump Rope by Denyse Schmidt:

Inside is a zipper pocket and 3 card slots:

The larger clutch, exterior is the Ikat print from Amy Butler's Lark:

Lining is the chinese lantern print, also from Lark:

Inside is a zipper pocket, 4 card slots, and 2 small pockets:

Plus a little bit of Denyse Schmidt (from JoAnn's):

After I created these 2 clutches I realized that my iPad *might* fit in the larger one. Well, the clutch ended up a tiny bit too short, so I made another! This time I made the clutch a bit taller and a bit narrower, because I like my iPad covers to fit pretty snugly. I also opted for velcro closure on this one. Anna recommends canvas in the 2 clutches above, which gave them great shape. For an iPad clutch, she recommends batting. I used a thin, fusible batting for my iPad clutch, and I think it worked really well!

Isn't this the best.print.ever?!? It's part of the spring line by Melody Miller for Kokka.

Some metro dots for the lining:

I included the card slots and pockets on this one, because I thought they might come in handy.

And some ladybugs to line the pocket!

My iPad clutch finished at about 8.5" x 10.5". There was quite a bit of trial and error (on my part, no fault of the pattern!) to get the size exactly how I wanted the clutch to fit. If I were to make another, I might leave a little more room. I hope I don't spill on this one, because I'm pretty sure it would shrink in the wash! (I made that mistake on a sleeve that I made for my macbook!)

As usual, this is a great pattern! I love the sizes and shapes of these clutches, and Anna has great directions. If you haven't already, go check out her blog! She has some great tutorials and patterns - all of which are written with such great detail (and great photos!) that a newbie could sew one up with easy!

My Lady Grey

I know I promised to blog about this last week, but I have a really good excuse. We planned a last minute trip to upstate New York to check out the area that we are moving to! Matt is taking a new job, and we are all pretty excited about this move. Lots of work to do, but we are getting tons of help with packing, moving, etc. from Matt's new company!
So, about my Lady Grey coat! I joined the sew along at Gertie's blog last year two years ago, but soon learned that couture sewing is not my cup of tea. I hated hand basting all of the hair canvas, so the project sat for months. Then last fall I decided that I wanted to finish all of my UFOs. I abandoned the hand basting in this coat for a fusible interfacing and then hit another bump in the road - I should have done a small bust adjustment on the pattern before I cut my fashion fabrics. I tried to tweak the pattern pieces, but wasn't having any luck. Eventually I decided to just sew the princess seams with a larger seam allowance to fit my figure better. It's still not a terrific fit, but the coat is done so I'm calling it a win!

You may recognize this picture from my profile!

A side view:

The back:

And check out that lining!

All photos are the work of Melissa McClure. Check her out, she's fabulous!

I'm really happy with how this coat turned out, despite the imperfectly fitted bust. I need to find a pair of elbow-length gloves to complete the look. I've already worn my Lady Grey a few times on warmer days without gloves, and I really love it! It's a great piece to wear with a nice dress, but it also pairs well with jeans and ballet flats.

As much as I love the styling of Colette Patterns, I'm not sure that I have the patience to tailor the patterns to fit my figure. I know that many people love these patterns because they accomodate a larger bust (I believe the patterns are drafted for a C-cup), but they don't seem to fit me very well without alterations. I do love all of the dress styles, though, so I may tackle another of these patterns in the future - armed with the knowledge that I must make a muslin to check for fit!

(Check out my Sorbetto top here.)