Make a clutch bag

1. Cut a 50cm square of pink silk taffeta and iron medium-weight to the wrong side. Use the templates on page 80-81 to cut out each of the bag pieces, as . Repeat with the rest of the pieces, using pink silk dupion for the lining. Place the two buckram bag pieces right sides together, and stitch with a 1cm seam along the bottom edge. Fold the seam out and machine stitch it down, close to the edge (Fig 1).

2. Place the silk taffeta outer fabric pieces right sides together, and stitch along the bottom edge, with a 1cm seam allowance. Iron the seam flat. Place on top of the buckram with right sides facing and match the seams, sewing all the way around very close to the edge, leaving a 1cm seam allowance.

3. Square off the two bottom corners (Fig. 2), by flattening the bottom of the bag, centring the seam. Measure 3cm in from the corner point, and machine stitch a line across the bottom of the bag. Cut the point off just before the stitches and turn right sides out.

4. To make the flap, sew one piece of silk taffeta fabric to the buckram, with wrong sides facing, working close to the edge. Attach the flower trim very close to the edge with small hand stitches, working around the curve so that it sits just inside.

5. Lay the other taffeta flap on top of the buckram-lined piece, with right sides facing. Work a line of stitches just in from the lace trim sewing line, following the edge on the buckram side. Do not sew across the straight side. Cut notches into the curve. Turn through, press with an iron then top stitch around the curve.

6. Attach a magnetic bag clasp, 2.5cm down from the middle of the curve. Find the centre of the straight edge and the centre of one side of the bag. Match these two points. Sew the clasp into place, very close to the edge (Fig. 3).

7. For the top part of the lining, sew the interfacing to the buckram, working close to the edge, then stitch to the lining leaving a 1cm seam allowance. Top stitch the seam. Repeat for the other side. Place both sides together and sew them, leaving a 1cm seam allowance.

8. Slip the lining piece over the bag piece with right sides together, matching the side seams. Sew together with a 1cm seam allowance. Turn right sides out and top stitch the seam. Before working the bottom of the lining, decide where the other half of the magnetic clasp should sit, and attach to the body of the bag. Hand stitch the lining closed.

9. To make the flower motif, cut out the following petal shapes: 10 lilac, 10 pink, 10 lime green and five cotton lace (all backed with fusible interfacing). For each petal, place two same-coloured pieces right sides together and sew around the curve only, working approximately 3mm in from the raw edge. Cut into the curve then turn through and press with an iron (Fig. 4).

10. Once the petals are sewn and pressed, start to assemble the flower. Hand sew a running stitch through the base of each petal, then gather them together. Finish on the starting petal as shown (Fig. 5). Make in colours of taffeta to match your outfit!

11. Create the cotton lace petals in exactly the same way. Make up all four flowers, then sew them on top of each other in size order, with the lace petals positioned underneath the green flower. Attach to the flap of the bag with very small hand stitches. Glue a brooch with the back removed to the centre to finish.

Stitch a fascinator

1. To make a flower, follow steps 9-11 of the clutch bag instructions. Sew a length of flower braid around the edge of a fascinator base. Next, hand stitch the flower to the centre with short stitches.

2. Attach a metal headband to the wrong side of the fascinator. The best way to find the right point to place the embellishment is by wearing the band and positioning the piece to one side. Once happy, remove the band from your head and glue the base in position, covering the join with grosgrain ribbon.

3. Begin adding feathers with small dabs of glue under the pink petals of the flower ensuring they are evenly spaced. Place them on two sides, in line with the headband. To finish, fix a brooch to the centre of the flower as before.