The Cork Clutch. Environmentally friendly, fun, functional and with a little flare.
My father-in-law traveled to Portugal a few years ago and brought my daughter a bracelet made of cork rope. Cork rope is a very soft, beautiful material which comes in a variety of colors used for jewelry making. This was indeed my Christmas Craft of 2018 (hopefully, a post on my bracelets in the future). In buying cork rope, I came across cork fabric on Etsy and thought it was so interesting. My mom bought me a sewing machine a couple years back and over time the idea of trying to sew cork fabric grew.
Cork is a renewable resource harvested from the outer bark of a cork oak tree. A cork oak tree once planted takes about 25 years to reach the appropriate size for a harvest. These trees live for approximately 150 years during which they their bark can be harvested every 9-10 years. The cork bark is harvested carefully to avoid tree injury and this practice actually gives the tree more oxygen promoting its growth and health. The bark is then left to sit out in the natural elements for 6 months improving the quality of the cork. It feels great to know there is a material of beauty which is safe for animals and our environment. I previously posted this from Bobobark.
photo credit to Bobobark.com
Creating the cork clutch I was able to incorporate different materials and techniques. I used my Cricut Maker to cut the fabrics and bonding pieces. My good ol’ iron to bond pieces and finish the edging. My sewing machine to put it all together. I learned to use a walking foot on my sewing machine which I highly advise for anyone learning to sew. It makes straight seams MUCH MUCH more likely to be successful. I learned how to place magnetic clasps in within the clutch.
One of the most rewarding parts of this project is that I reconnected with an old friend…I grew up in the midwest. From the age of 12 until the middle of my junior year of high school we lived in Tomah, Wisconsin. Tomah is a very small town and my parents drove us 45 minutes (in this part of Wisconsin this means 45 miles) to Lacrosse, Wisconsin for swim practice. Anna Graham (Maiden name: Meyer) was on our swim team at the Lacrosse YMCA. Anna Graham is now the owner of Noodlehead and creator on a new line of fabric called Driftless. I was so excited to be able to order some of her items. I used her Envelop Clutch pattern as a guide for the pattern I created on my Cricut. Anna’s pattern was more complex and required more seams. I am far from an expert seamstress, and I wanted something more simple. So, I adapted her pattern to my Cricut and made it seamless:).
For the pocket in the clutch, I used Anna’s pattern entirely. It was super super helpful. Being able to cut the fabric on my Cricut meant all the pieces were square and even, making the assembly process smooth.
I was excited to receive Anna’s book, Handmade Style, as a Christmas gift from my sister. Hopefully, I can find time soon to try some more of her patterns.
I LOVED creating the color schemes within the clutch. I wanted a pop of color or pattern contrast in the lining of the clutch. I wanted to accent the pocket. I used metallic embroidery thread for a few and found this dressed it up a bit.
Giving the cork clutch to family this Christmas, I was proud of my work and excited to share. The kids and my husband helped me decide which clutch was best suited for each loved one…I hope they love them:).
The Cork Clutch in my eyes was a successful Christmas Craft. But, more than that, it was an expression of who I am. It was an exercise of creativity. It was an outlet for me to grow. It was a lesson in mindset and perseverance. It was a practice of flexibility and problems solving. It was a gift of love.
I love my clutch – it is beautiful. So proud of you❤️❤️
They turned out awesome!!!! So fun!!!
Adore these! You picked fabulous lining fabrics. The green one is amazing! Well done…
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