My Fabric Choices for Sewing the Necessary Clutch Wallet

The Necessary Clutch Wallet sewing pattern by Emmaline Bags is a staple in my sewing studio.

This clutch wallet’s immense popularity stems from a perfect blend of functionality and fashion-forward design. With its ample card slots, zippered coin pocket, bill compartments, and removable wrist strap, this pattern offers the ultimate in practicality. Sewists adore the customizable nature of the pattern, allowing them to express their unique style through fabric choices, embellishments, and hardware selection. Moreover, the Necessary Clutch Wallet pattern serves as a skill-building project, pushing sewists to master techniques like zipper installation and intricate pocket construction. The shared admiration for this pattern has fostered a supportive community where makers can connect, inspire one another, and celebrate their creations. Discover why this pattern has become a beloved favorite among sewing enthusiasts worldwide, as they embrace the joy of creating both functional and stylish accessories. I recommend this excellent sewing tutorial by Lauren Mormino. She demonstrates some cool pattern hacks, and her finishing techniques are on point. I used my domestic sewing machine for all of these bags, switching to a denim needle for the assembly and topstitching.

I tested four Spoonflower fabrics for the Necessary Clutch Wallet, using our Spoonflower Squad Fall Color Collection.

Cypress Cotton Canvas has some drape and a beautiful shine. The cut edges of this woven fabric fray easily, so use fabric glue when you are installing the clasp and consider a quick zig zag on the raw edges of your cut fabric pieces. The canvas holds the shape of the clutch well, and it feels good in your hand.

Petal Signature Cotton works for the exterior of the bag if you reinforce it with an extra layer of good quality woven interfacing. I love Petal Signature Cotton for the interior zipper pockets and card pockets, because it has some structure, and you can finger press the seams as you work.

Recycled Canvas was new to me for this project. You can see from my photo that this little wallet came out with some character! This fabric has a beautiful drape and shine. The canvas is made from recycled plastic bottles, and therefore is more hydrophobic, but it still adheres very well to a fusible interfacing. I did stretch it a little when I was fusing, and so I would recommend re-cutting your pattern pieces after you’ve fused the interfacing, to correct any warping. Use extra clips to hold your pieces in place while sewing.

Dogwood Denim is my favorite fabric for the exterior of this wallet. Colors print on the denim in a vibrant, saturated hue. The denim was easy to work with and struck the right balance of softness, drape and structure.

Here are links to all of the fabrics that I used.

Cypress Cotton Canvas: Monarch Butterfly on Sea Glass and Teal Paisley by Ronya Lake Designs

Petal Signature Cotton: Exotic Beetles on Vanilla by Brittany Lane Designs and Swirled by Jewelraider

Recycled Canvas: Art Deco Cut Out Boats by Sue Shorman and Waves by Kerryn’s Designs

Dogwood Denim: Horned Ghost Crabs by Ronya Lake Designs and Damask Stripes by Nerd and Vine

For our Spoonflower Squad Spring Collection, I went straight for the Dogwood Denim, with a Petal Signature Cotton interior. Our Spring color palette hit all the dopamine style notes and printed beautifully on the Denim.

For this custom order I used the ruler guides on my cutting mat to line up each section as I worked. This helped me to keep the design elements symmetrical. Working with directional prints and damask style prints can be tricky, but the results are so satisfying.

I made this Necessary Clutch wallet using Honeycomb by Cris De Marchi out of Petal Signature Cotton with 2 layers of woven interfacing for the exterior. It was a gift for a friend who is a bee-keeper.