Lemon Squeezy Home

The Pleated Pouch Tutorial with Pattern

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Pleated Pouch Tutorial {a lemon squeezy home}

I know, the name has been taken about 500 times over, but seriously, this is all I could come up with (and before I searched and found a million others called the same thing, mind you!).
Pleated Pouch Tutorial {a lemon squeezy home}

Don’t let the pleats scare you (or the length of the tutorial—I just included a LOT of pictures to explain things clearly).  The cutting takes more time than the actual sewing does, in most cases!
Pleated Pouch Tutorial {a lemon squeezy home}

Let’s get started!
Pleated Pouch Tutorial {a lemon squeezy home}

First, print and cut out these four patterns:  HERE.  Round off the corners if you desire with the circle on the pattern.  I did on my pouch, but you can leave it so it has sharper corners if you’d like.  **The pattern for the pocket is small—you might want to make it bigger.  I think I will next time.  As it is, it fits a standard size credit card, but two pockets side by side might be nicer.**
DSCF2241
DSCF2242


What You’ll Need:
fabric for outer
fabric for lining and band
20” piping, cut into two 10” pieces
9” zipper
interfacing
(all seams are 1/4”)
Cut out your fabric and interfacing according to the pattern pieces you printed off.
DSCF2245

Take one of your band pieces and line up the raw edge of the piping.  If you are unfamiliar on how to sew on piping, I found a helpful tutorial here on The Cottage Home. I won’t go into as many details here, so if unsure, click on over there!
DSCF2248

You’ll want to stitch just to the left of the stitching already on the piping.  DSCF2249

Next line up the band with the 10” edge of one of the outer pieces of fabric, like this.
DSCF2251

Pin, and stitch even further to the left of what you stitched above on the band and piping part alone. DSCF2253 DSCF2256

Press the seam down towards the body of the purse.  DSCF2257 DSCF2258

You can topstitch at this point.  I think I actually prefer it not topstitched (which is why I left the opposite side without it). DSCF2259
Repeat previous steps with the other band and piping.  Pin and sew the band onto the other outer piece.
DSCF2267

On the pattern piece with the pleats, instead of marking the pleat placement, I just cut tiny slits where the lines were for the pleats.  You can see them here:DSCF2262
Now take the fabric to be pleated, and mark a line 1” from the side, as follows.DSCF2268

So when you sew your pleats, since the bag has an angular edge, try and keep the fabric even when folding down.  Like this:DSCF2269

NOT like this:DSCF2270

You can see that since it is angled, the pleats don’t match up on the ends.  That is ok!  Just backstitch at the beginning and end of each pleat—ending the pleat at the 1” line you marked. DSCF2271
After sewing the three pleats on one side, press down and stitch along the edge to hold them in place.  Repeat for the pleats on the other side of the fabric.DSCF2274  DSCF2276

Iron on your interfacing pieces.  The pocket interfacing just goes on half the pocket piece.DSCF2277

To make the optional pocket, fold it in half, right sides together.  Leave a 2-3” opening to turn.  Clip corners and turn. DSCF2278

Topstitch one of the edges for the top of the pocket, then pin it onto the right side of the lining and topstitch around all but the top.
DSCF2279  DSCF2281

Almost done!  Time for the zipper.  Lay one of the lining pieces, right side up.  Then the zipper, right side up.  Lay one of the outer pieces, right side down over that.  Pin, and using a zipper foot, sew the 3 layers together.  See next 5 pictures.
DSCF2282 DSCF2283 DSCF2284 DSCF2285 DSCF2286

Now flip over the outer piece, then flip the lining under the outer piece.  Topstitch close to the zipper teeth.  (Next 4 pictures)DSCF2287 DSCF2288 DSCF2289 DSCF2291
Now repeat those steps with the remaining lining and outer pieces.  The next 4 pictures show how to lay your pieces of fabric.   Don’t forget to topstitch as you did above once the outer and lining are sewed to the zipper.DSCF2292 DSCF2293 DSCF2294 DSCF2295
Now take the two outer pieces of fabric, right sides together.  Flip them to the side and place the lining pieces right sides together.DSCF2297 DSCF2298
Sew lining pieces together, leaving a 4” gap at the bottom for turning.  Make sure not to catch the zipper when sewing the lining pieces.  Just sew to the zipper, otherwise the corners of the bag look wrong when finished.DSCF2299
Before sewing the outer pieces together, unzip the zipper a bit.DSCF2300

And although I took a million pictures of the rest of the steps, I forgot to take a picture of the next couple!

Sew the outer pieces right sides together, like you did with the lining.  Pull the purse through the lining, then sew the gap in the lining closed.  Tuck in the lining, iron the pleats down, and you are finished!
Pleated Pouch Tutorial {a lemon squeezy home}Pleated Pouch Tutorial {a lemon squeezy home}     Pleated Pouch Tutorial {a lemon squeezy home}Pleated Pouch Tutorial {a lemon squeezy home}
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Comments

  4. I really like the horizontal pleats…as I shake my head and think wow, why haven’t I ever tried that? Going to have to make some of these for sure :) Great Christmas gifts. Thanks for the tutorial, have a wonderful day.

  10. oh my gosh, I love this! Now I wish I hadn’t made the purse I did so I could use my Alexander Henry fabric for one of these!

  16. I just became your 1000th follower… how cool is that?!! =) he he

    Love the tutorial… It is on my must do one day list… sewing with zippers! all the zippered pouches in the land of blog inspire me to give it a whirl this winter!! wish me luck! ;)

  19. Oh, I really love this. I have some vintage fabric scraps that will make really cute ones. I’m thinking they could be makeup bags for Christmas? Absolutely. :) Thanks for sharing this!

  21. I love this fabric! My sister in law used it to cover honey jars lids at her wedding for favors. Too cute! Maybe a cut Christmas present for her.

  22. Help! I’m trying to make this for a bag swap and this is my last weekend to work on it. I thought I was all done and now see that my pleats won’t stay creased. In the middle they stretch out and the fold I carefully pressed is almost all gone. Where did I go wrong? Was I supposed to make sure to pull them taut as I sewed the sides together to get them to stay? Is there some trick I’m missing?

  24. Love it and I can’t wait to make mine !! I can never have to many purses and especially when I make them out of almost scrap material, it’s well worth the joy to simply make one up. :-}

  34. Just used your tutorial to make this.
    It was my first try at pleats, at using interfacing and piping :D AND I LOVE IT! I usually just try and do things without a pattern… well I have to say this purse looks about ten thousand times better than anything I ever did, purse wise at least. It’s cute and posh, I love it, and it was SOOOO easy… thank you!!! You can see a picture of it on my facebook , I linked your tutorial too :)

    http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=478395712195434&set=a.103210526380623.7327.100000750273499&type=3&theater