Tuesday, July 9, 2013

crochet love {adding a zipper to a crochet clutch}


I've got this new addiction for making crochet clutches!
What happened was that I found a really good deal for zippers that I just couldn't pass up.
The zippers came in so many great colors and they were begging to be sewn into a purse.
I am having so much fun pairing the beautiful zippers with different colors of yarn.

So far, I have made two clutches.
I had plans to add a chain shoulder strap to one of the clutches,
but then I realized that it fits my Chromebook perfectly.
So, maybe it will continue to be a laptop protector,
maybe it will turn into a shoulder bag...we shall see!

Anyways, here is a quick tutorial on how I hand stitch the zipper to the crochet clutch!



1. Flip crochet clutch inside out and line edge of clutch right up to the zipper as shown in picture 1.
2. Pin zipper in place. Make sure zipper pull is on the inside.
3. Thread needle with tail of yarn and poke needle through zipper close to the zipper teeth and close to the end of the zipper. Pull through.
4. Coming from behind, poke needle through outside edge of zipper. Pull through. 
5. Continue with a blanket stitch down one side of the clutch. As you sew the crochet and the zipper together, do not sew all the way through the crochet. Simply catch a few threads of yarn at a time. This way, the stitching will not be visible from the outside of the clutch. Keep your stitches even. 
6. View of the completed blanket stitch.
7. When you reach the edge, squeeze the edges of the zipper together. Poke the needle through this squeezed edge, making sure to also catch threads of yarn from the clutch underneath. Repeat this two or three times to make it secure.
8. Pin the other side of the zipper in place, and repeat the blanket stitch on the other side. Finishing the edge the same way as in step 7. Tie a knot and weave in the loose end.
9. View of the completed blanket stitch on both sides.
10. Flip your clutch right side out and you're done!



Next week I will post the pattern that I used for the crochet clutch so you can create one too!



3 comments :

  1. Awesome tutorial!! Thank you!

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  2. Great tutorial! I'm pinning this for future reference. :-)

    Navy Wifey Peters @ Submarine Sunday Link Party

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  3. Thank so much for these tutorial!!! :)

    ReplyDelete