Okay, now that I got that out of the way, I finished my first holiday gift yesterday! I am feeling pretty good about that so early in october, but I still have a long way to go on this list of mine. Today I am hoping to start on the next thing, although I am pretty sure I don't have all the pieces for any one gift at this point, so all I can do is start a bunch of things until I get to the store.
But anyway, my mother-in-law bought Amy Butler's Style Stitches a while back and was kind enough to let me borrow it so I could make a few bags, while naturally mentioning which bags she would be happy to receive this holiday season ;) I thought that really it was the least I could do and so I set to work. I made the smallest version of the perfectly pleated clutch.
It is quite a good pattern. In the instructions it says you need something like 1 5/8 yards of fabric but upon inspection that was for a 54" length of fabric so I used a half yard of leftover voile instead. I think it used less then the recommended amounts for everything. I really was a bit sad to use the rest of my diamond mine voile, but it looks so good in this pattern and I already had it. The band/handle are pastry line voile and the lining is some yellow pearl bracelets. It turns out that I find this the perfect yellow fabric and now I am pretty much out. Sad times.
The pleating was not as bad as I was afraid it would be. It was tedious and took a while, but wasn't hard and the result is pretty fantastic. The hardest part was flipping it over when you are done and not messing it up, but I managed without too much trouble. I didn't love her instructions for putting in the zipper and if I did it again I would probably do it the way I've been making my other zip pouches, but it wasn't bad. And really it just looks so impressive, especially considering how relatively simple it is.
So yeah, all in all a good make. I find the end result really impressive and it is just so soft and lovely in the voile. Hopefully my mother-in-law loves it :) I guess I just have to wait 2.5 months to find out! Also I guess I should get making myself a few bags before I have to give the book back. For now, happy weekend! I will be off roaming around new york state checking out some new {to me} quilt shops and hopefully keeping the budget under control. I'll be back Monday to finally show my tragic kingdom quilt, which is now bound and awaiting washing.
The pleating is adorable. Have fun on your quilt shop journeys this weekend. One of my favorite ones ever is just South of Syracuse.
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