Pleated Bag - Class Project

By Judith
 on February 2, 2020

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:

 

For Pleats Sake Bag (class sample)

 

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.

 

For Pleats Sake Bag (class sample)

 

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.

 

For Pleats Sake Bag (class sample)

 

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.

 

For Pleats Sake Bag (class sample)

 

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.

 

For Pleats Sake Bag (class sample)

 

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!

Leave a Comment

  • Cart

  • Blog Archive

  • Sign Up for Our Newsletter!

  • Cart

  • About Me

    Hi! I’m Jude. Welcome to Just Jude Designs! This is where I talk about my sewing endeavours, quilting classes & pattern design. I hope you can stay a while!

  • Newsletter

  • YouTube

  • Instagram

  • Recent Posts

  • Blog Archive

  • Copyright

    All content is Copyright Judith Hollies and may not be produced without explicit consent from the owner.

    Site design & development by Blackdog Media

  • About This Site

    All content copyright Just Jude Designs and may not be replicated or reproduced in any way without prior consent.
    Site design and hosting by Blackdog Media
    %d bloggers like this: