Create a clutch with clean lines and a contrast zipper like a racing stripe across the body. Available options include detachable wrist or shoulder straps and an interior divider. You can take this streamlined concept and make it travel with interesting zippers, hardware, and eye-catching textured fabrics or faux leathers. It’s a great stash-buster project, because you can use fusible interfacing to change fabric hand and weight and make a wide variety of textiles work for this accessory.

The construction is speedy for a few reasons. The bag exterior and lining are each single, folded pieces. The layers are sewn as one unit and finished later, to halve the number of bag elements you make and handle. The finished bags have folds at top and bottom, curved side seams, and 1/2-inch-wide seam allowances throughout. The samples shown are 10 inches wide, 7 inches high, and feature a 10-inch exposed zipper. The wrist strap clips onto to the zipper pull or D-rings sewn into the side seams. For a final boost, the seams are straight or gentle curves, so you can finish this project in record time. Start making this fast and easy handbag from the “Quick to Make: High-octane clutch” article by Don Morin in Threads #169.