You might have noticed that the tagline for The Simple Songbird is “life | food | fitness | hobbies | love.”  I sure do talk a lot about food, life, and love.  I’ve recently begun discussing my journey back towards fitness.  So what about the hobbies?

They begin in this post!  While I don’t think I’ll ever be too hobby-centric on this blog, it is nice to have a platform to share the things I like to create, aside from Facebook and Twitter.  I really love to crochet, and I dabble in knitting.  I also love to sew.  I tend to start a lot of projects with gusto…only to fizzle out after a while.  Dan & I laughed a whole lot when I found this gem on Pinterest because it describes me so perfectly:

[caption id="attachment_825" align="alignnone" width="600"] I kind of want to hang this above my sewing machine…[/caption]

It’s mostly true.  But with sewing, I’ve found that I actually DO finish things. :)

I started sewing in October 2011.  I wanted to create a cute owl costume for Halloween.  I got off to a great start with a sewing machine Dan’s stepmom gave me, minimal knowledge, and of course, the Internet.  But then we had the epic “snowpocalypse” in Connecticut, and we were out of power for a week.  I wasn’t able to finish the costume, so it’s sitting on the floor of our “office” in true Katie Z style–half-finished.

I picked back up with the sewing machine in the winter, and found that I really enjoyed it.  I came across a great blog called Sweet Verbena.  Katy is a student and produces patterns that are really great for beginner/novice sewers.  Her instructions and pictures are really clear, which is immensely helpful!  She actually just published this wonderful post called “A Novice Sewer’s Guide,” which I would highly recommend to anyone looking to learn a little more.  I’ve made several of her projects, which I’ll be sharing over time.

Today I wanted to share my version of her “Lined Sequin Zipper Clutch.”  I didn’t use sequined fabric, but I had a pairing of fabrics in mind for quite a while.

First, I needed to clean up my sewing space–which is just part of a big desk Dan & I share.  As you can see, it had been, uh, quite a while since I’d used it…

[caption id="attachment_826" align="alignnone" width="960"] yikes![/caption] [caption id="attachment_827" align="alignnone" width="960"] ahh yes, much better. :)[/caption]

The outer fabric I chose was from a shower curtain that I bought at Goodwill for $7.00.  I love how bold the pattern is, and I knew as soon as I saw it that I’d be using it to make a clutch and/or purses.

I got the second fabric on my last trip up to Massachusetts from the clearance bin at Ganesh Imports in Newburyport, MA.  When I saw it, I knew I wanted to use it with the shower curtain fabric in some way.  This clutch was the perfect fit!

Following Katy’s instructions, the construction of this little clutch went very smoothly–once I had the pieces cut to the right size.  That’s the only part of sewing that I don’t like!

Here are just a few photos of the work-in-progress:

[caption id="attachment_830" align="alignnone" width="960"] the bold outside![/caption] [caption id="attachment_831" align="alignnone" width="960"] the bright inside. :)[/caption] [caption id="attachment_832" align="alignnone" width="960"] almost done…[/caption]

I fell in love with the final product.  I love fold over clutches!  The next time I make this, I think I’m going to include a small wristlet so that I can hang on to it a bit more securely when I’m out & about.

[caption id="attachment_833" align="alignnone" width="960"] lying flat, unfolded.[/caption] [caption id="attachment_834" align="alignnone" width="960"] folded over style![/caption] [caption id="attachment_835" align="alignnone" width="960"] a peek at the inside![/caption]

I love this little clutch.  It’s SO easy to make, and the fabric combinations make the possibilities endless!  I’ll definitely be making more of these little gems in the future.  A huge thanks to Katy for the pattern, and for her guidance as I continue to learn how to sew!

[caption id="attachment_836" align="alignnone" width="960"] with some of my junk inside![/caption]

Do you have any favorite hobbies?

Do you neglect your hobbies as life gets busy sometimes?

What’s on your “to make” agenda?