I sew almost every Friday night (via phone) with my friend Ingrid (from Bobbin Weave). One day I’ll actually get a web cam and Skype… Anyway she posted here about last week’s sewing session, but I did not. So here’s my version.
I e-mailed her about this adorable, pleated bag. I have never made a purse, only tote bags. This one looked simple and didn’t require a zipper, so I figured I could handle it. Boy was I wrong!
I had problems with the pleating and connecting the top to the bottom. The pleats weren’t wide enough and I had to redo them at least 3 times each! When I finally got that right, I had to connect the top part to the pleated part. I was so annoyed because they weren’t matching up. I finally sew them together to find out that I sewed the top upside down and had to redo it. This was the breaking point for me.
Now Ingrid has made bags before and if it wasn’t for her, my bag would have been half done and in the bushes. I got so frustrated that I wanted to throw it out the window. I really needed Skype for this project. But Ingrid was a trooper and talked me through the steps over and over until I got it. I finally assembled the whole thing, the correct way, and sewed it together. It turned out really cute, but a bit flimsy. If I make this bag again, I will use heavier fabric for the outside.
While I was able to make this, thanks to Ingrid, I would not recommend this pattern for beginners. There are just not enough written instructions to help you assemble the pieces. Maybe the one you buy has more instructions. I do, however, appreciate that Rae made this pattern available for free.
I just love your fabric choices for this bag. I’m glad you stuck it out and got through that one confusing part! I agree on the heavier fabric.
Thank you! I used it yesterday and it really does need interfacing. Especially the strap!