I had the privilege of putting together a little gift for a seamstress friend this year. What a treat!! I don’t have too many friends that think a pile of fabric would make the BEST gift. Or someone who can truly appreciate the thought and care that goes into a sewn clutch, you know, down to the careful selection of the perfect thread to stitch it with.
For the handmade portion of the gift, I found this awesome little clutch pattern at Elm Street Life. I used an upholstery fabric for the main clutch fabric and lined it with a nice quilting cotton. I used some metallic thread for the topstitching and I just love the little pop of fun that it provides!
I stuck to the pattern almost entirely, but I did sew the zipper on a little differently so that the stitching didn’t show on the outer fabric alongside the zipper. Overall, the clutch was a quick sew – took just a couple hours.
To go along with the clutch, I made a little 1/2-yard bundle of some of my favorite fabrics in colors that I thought the recipient would love!! I stacked them and tied them with some metallic ribbon.
I picked up a spool of metallic thread and some buttons from the store and then I shopped for some other knick knacks in my sewing room. Buttons, pretty butterfly straight pins, paper flowers, ribbon wrapped on a vintage-like clothespin, and little cotton-spun mushrooms. I like to have a healthy supply of all of these things in my sewing room; it makes it fun to share them, use them, and just generally stare at them. I packaged a little of this and that in a cute ice cream container that I found at the grocery store this summer (the novelty ice cream packaging didn’t sell too well at the grocery store and I found piles of them in a clearance cart one day – yep! bought ’em all). I filled another carton with caramel corn because, who doesn’t love a snack when they’re looking through their new pretties?
I wrapped the clutch and fabric bundle in another 1/2-yard cut of fabric and wrapped a piece of lace around it to finish off the wrapping job! I stuck this bundle and the ice cream cartons into a shipping box with tissue paper, pom-pom ribbon, and a little note, and shipped it off!
Sources and Brands:
Paper Flowers: Prima
Buttons, vintage clothespins: local scrapbook store
metallic thread: Gutterman
mushrooms and silver ribbon: Caramelos on etsy (love this shop – I buy supplies in bulk from her!!)
Fabrics: Heather Bailey, Tula Pink, Premier Prints (upholstery/cotton slub duck) Fabric.com
Comments & Reviews
Lanie says
How fun to put together! And even more fun for her to open! Great post idea!
Stef says
Thanks, Lanie! Imagining the person opening it really is so much of the fun giving a gift!!
Nesti says
Здорово!
Stef says
Thank you, Nesti!
Sunae Reilly says
This really would be the best gift ever! You reall have a knack when it comes to celebrations and gifts, Stef 🙂
Stef says
Thanks Sunae! That means a lot!!
Charity says
What a lovely gift! I would be absolutely delighted to receive a gift like this… and it must have been so fun to put together! =)
Andrea says
It is all so pretty! I’ll have to check out that shop!
kristin says
Beautiful, Stef. You put together the perfect package for her!
Ruby Jean says
Oh I love it…So do I need to send you my address 🙂
Handmade is always best!!!
Angelina
Simple Simon & Co says
What a fun gift! The fabric choice, notions, everything is just so cute!
liZ
Simple Simon & Co says
What a fun gift! The fabric choice, notions, everything is just so cute!
liZ
Simple Simon & Co says
What a fun gift! The fabric choice, notions, everything is just so cute!
liZ
JLL24 says
I’m with everyone else..that this is really a pretty cool gift. I had a friend that thought anything handmade was tacky. So, one year instead of makiing something for her I bought a small gift, rest of my friends I made their gifts. Well, that friend was upset that, now get this, that I didn’t buy all friends a gift. My friends that got their homemade gifts loved them, and these ladies are still my friends. Keep up the suggestions for gifts, as I love them.
Wendy says
I have stumbled upon your blog from another blog, through another blog! How lucky for me! You truly are inspiring me! I love that you live in the moment and share your moments with us! I have a new grandson and even though you have girls and make all the great girly stuff, you also spread your creativity throughout your home! It will help me to get going more than I have in the past and not waste time worrying if home made is good enough. It is better! And the love you put in to each item will live on in the hearts of the recipients. So thank you! So glad to visit your blog and get more inspired! Hope you have a joyous holiday season and a very Merry Christmas!
sandra says
How do you sew the zipper different? ,so that the stitches does not show. Please tell me your secret… Love the fabric colors
girlinspired says
Thanks Sandra! Perfect timing – I have a tutorial going up tomorrow that will show you how to do the enclosed zipper! Check back in the morning http://www.thegirlinspired.com and you can click through to the tutorial!