Clover and Violet Emma Clutch

I was happy to try out the Emma Clutch by Clover and Violet yesterday, so I wanted to share it with you! The Emma Clutch is a great project that combines patchwork, bag-making, and embroidery. It is appropriate for an advanced beginner. This is a fun evening project to make (it took me between 3-4 hours, including the embroidery on the flap).

Fabric – The patchwork portion calls for 40 squares (2.5″ x 2.5″), and I used my Anna Maria Horner Folksy Flannels. For the flap, I used a hot-off-the-Fedex truck Robert Kaufman Essex linen in the color medium aqua. If you have never used Essex linen before, you really must get some! Just gorgeous!!

Pattern Pieces – There really are no pattern pieces to cut. Everything is a rectangular measurement (however, there is a drawn curve that you line up in the corner of your main pieces in order to get that curve in the corners). There is also a drawing for the embroidery. If you are a beginner at embroidery (which I am…this is only my 2nd embroidered project), you will definitely be able to do this. I embellished mine a little bit, even though I don’t know what I am doing. 🙂

Illustrations/Instructions – Like all of the Clover and Violet patterns, the instructions are clear, to-the-point, and are accompanied by step-by-step photos, which are clearly labeled. I think sewers of all abilities will have little trouble understanding this pattern.

I made a slight substitution to the interfacing in the pattern. A medium-weight interfacing was called for, in addition to flannel (for body), so I just used a layer of Pellon fusible Thermolam for all fabric pieces (even the flap). I did not have a sew-in magnet on hand (to secure the flap to the body of the bag), so I just used a 1/2″ magnetic snap instead (and I like to reinforce all my magnetic snap pieces with a little square (approx. 2″) of Thermolam, just to help with the wear-and-tear of opening and closing the flap all the time.

There is a zipper on the top of the clutch, although if you are not partial to zippers, this can certainly be left off (although you will have to alter the last steps when sewing your outer fabric and lining of the clutch, since that zipper wouldn’t be there to attach everything).

Conclusion – Great and easy pattern! This clutch will be a belated birthday present for my friend, Karrie (I know, I am a bad friend!).