Have you made anything from the new “pleathers” that are out now?
I have used leather to make a purse before (see previous blog post dated July 24, 2010) but have just tried the new fake leather fabric. When teaching at Sew Much Fun in Columbus, Georgia, (website http://www.sewmuchfunincolumbus.com/) a few weeks ago, the class was using kits that the store had cut out for them using the acrylic templates for the Two Hour Tulip Purse. They all made the large or jumbo sized bag using different pleathers. They all came out beautifully!
These photos are from that class.
Here are some tips to help you to work with this very different type of fabric:
- If you have a Teflon foot for your machine, be sure to use it! It helps the fabric which can have some shine, to feed better.
- These fabrics don’t iron well from the front, so iron from the back if possible and use a little steam when applying interfacings or stabalizers.
- We didn’t do this in the class, but when I made one after I got home, after sewing the flap together and turning it right side out, I used fabric glue and squeezed a little on the inside and rubbed it around to kind of seal it together. I also topped stitched it, but I think I would top stitch it first and then use the glue next time!
- For the final joining of the lining to the bag, I stitched all the way around to close it and then used a seam ripper to open up one of the lining seams to turn it. Of course you could leave the seam open in the lining, but I found having it already folded and having some “memory” of the previous seam, especially since it is a curve along a slight bias to be a great help when stitching it back together again. I used the machine for this as it would not be seen in the inside of the purse. The final topstitch around the finished purse was easier without an opening to be closed.
I hope you will try some of the new and different fabrics out there to make purses.
And once you make it, email me a photo. I would love to have your photo on the blog!
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