In our current block of classes we are looking at tucks and pleats.
You may remember I had made 2 examples of tucks for our classes, but at the time was still working on a pleats sample.
And here it is:
The pattern for this pleated bag is by Lisa Lam (U-handbag.com) and is called 'For Pleats Sake!'. You can find the free tutorial here.
The tutorial doesn't include quantities for the exterior and interior fabrics.
If you are using non-directional fabric you will need 0.5 metre of both. However, if you have a direction to your pattern which follows the width of the bolt, you will need 0.75 metres.
And a further note on the fabrics. I used 'deco' (decorating) weight fabric (or lightweight curtaining) from Ikea. This fabric gives body to the bag, pleats beautifully and negates the need for interfacing or fusible fleece.
I used the same weight for the lining (a vintage curtain) which also gets pleated. However if you wanted to use quilting weight cotton I recommend using a heavy weight sew-in stabiliser (rather than fusible fleece) on both the exterior and lining. Spray baste the sew-in stabiliser rather than using a fusible heavy weight stabiliser as this could resist the light weight cotton and cause it to bubble.
Sewing the faux leather handles through the exterior layers only can be tricky (the handles can't be held in place with pins and the needle comes out awkwardly between the exterior and lining!). So try sewing through both layers and covering the visible back stitching with glued on fabric or leather scraps.
P.s. you want to use really strong thread to sew on your handles, like linen, perle cotton or 6 strand embroidery floss.
The bags currently being made in class are gorgeous! I can't wait to show you them at half term, with the equally beautiful pleated pouches and cushions! It's a hive of wondrous activity!
(Want to know the difference between pleats and tucks? See here)
Happy pleating!
