Happy Friday! It's been a while since I've sewn one of these bags, so it was fun to get back to this pattern.
Showing a picture of the largest size being held has also been on my to do list for some time now. Accurately showing the sizes is one of the hardest parts of taking the pictures and nothing really does it like holding the bag!
So here I am holding the large Pleated Wristlet:
I was going to do the pictures the lazy way and crop out my head. No head = no fussing with hair and make-up. But hey, here I am--with messy hair and all. Posting pictures of myself brings up a lot of feelings for me because for most of my life I've struggled with my weight. All those feelings of not wanting to have your picture taken don't go away automatically. So yeah, it's a stretch for me to share pictures of myself. I'm working on getting over it. :0]
So about this pattern:
This is the Pleated Wristlet pattern and it is regularly $9, but you can add it to your pattern stash this weekend for just $5.
There are 3 sizes included. This blue one with the flower is the largest size and it is one of my biggest bags,
It is made from a chambray shirting fabric. Instead of fusible interfacing, I used a layer of some scrap fabric behind the chambray. Some fabrics I just look at and think "don't interface that...", and this was one of them.
The front pleats have been topstitched to help hold the fabric layers together. I also topstitched around the top of this bag, and it was NOT easy, which is why it isn't in the pattern. It isn't necessary, but I like to topstitch and I felt the urge.
It has pleated corners on the outside, and boxed corners on the inside. I don't know what to call these exterior corners. Sometimes I see them referred to as a gusset, but a gusset is technically a separate piece of fabric, so calling it a gusset doesn't work for me.
Whatever they are called, they are super simple to sew and a neat option for giving bags depth.
This wristlet will take about 3 hours to sew if you have solid sewing experience with making bags. So it is more involved than most of my patterns, but can still be finished in an afternoon.
This would be a lovely gift for someone special. It looks like a major theme on the sewing blogs this summer will be getting a head start on making holiday gifts. Maybe that is the theme every summer and I just forget? Anyway, this bag would be really nice to make for someone special. It turns out great and it is pretty versatile.
You can make one for a fancy party or an evening out. Here is one I made from brocade:
I left the strap off this one, because the strap makes it look more casual to me. Since it is made of brocade--and an embossed brocade at that--the fabric can't be pressed, so folding the strap would have been a real challenge anyway.
You can make one to use as a make-up bag. Any of the sizes would be ok. The smallest one would be for those who are pretty minimalist with the make-up. I use a medium size one for my make-up. It holds a ton of stuff, including my make-up (I'm on the minimalist end), and a bunch of other random things that used to clutter up my bathroom--hair brushes, dental floss, nail files. I just toss it all in this bag for safe keeping.
You can also make this bag without the center pleats at the bottom, so it is even roomier. Leave them off by just cutting the bottom of piece A straight across and then skipping the part where you fold the pleats at the bottom center.
I have even washed this striped bag a time or two and it still looks awesome. If you think you'll want to machine wash yours later, consider skipping the fusible interfacing. It just doesn't hold up well in the wash.
Ok, ready, set, sew!
