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Purse Palooza :: Pattern Review: Amy Butler Perfectly Pleated Clutch

This post is part of Purse Palooza 2012.
For full schedule of guest post pattern reviews and prizes, click here!

Colleen from The Busy Bean has it all on her site; tutorials, cooking recipes, and a shop with her handmade goods that are available to be customized! I saw her Houndstooth Tote (free tutorial) at Quilt Market in person and it is amazing!!

The Perfectly Pleated Clutch is one of many projects in Amy Butler’s Style Stitches book. I’ll be honest, I’ve had this book on my shelf for over a year and have had every intention of sewing a few projects. I’m glad Sara provided me the kick in the butt to actually get one done.

There are directions for three different sizes included with this pattern. I chose the medium size, finishing at 9″ across the top, 14.5″ at the widest point, and 8″ tall. I was a little shocked when I read the materials list. I forgot how much fabric pleats eat up. To make this size, the pattern calls for 1 7/8 yards of the main fabric. That’s quite a lot for such a little bag.

I followed the directions for cutting, and ended up cutting off half a yard of my strip I pleated. That means I could have used just 9″ strips across my width of fabric instead of cutting 64″ along the selvage and having a giant piece of fabric left over. I didn’t mind so much, since I had this tiny dot from Riley Blake in my stash and I will easily use the piece for another project. I just would have been a little bugged if I had gone out and purchased this specifically for this project. But, it’s a gamble when you’re pleating the fabric… you never really know exactly how much you’ll use up in your pleats.

In addition to the giant piece of main fabric, you’ll also need 1/4 yd of a coordinating print for the bands and handle, and 5/8 yd for the lining and pocket. I used a fat quarter from Bonnie and Camille’s Ruby line for my bands and still have a good chunk of it left in my scraps. And since the outside was so bright, I wanted something fun but subtle for the inside. I used a Tuxedo Stripe from Riley Blake for my lining.

For an Amy Butler bag, this one is really light on the interfacing! You just need 1 1/8 yd of fusible woven interfacing. I used Shape Flex SF-101 by Pellon, as recommended in the pattern. I use that by the bolt… there’s some in every bag I make! You’ll also need one 10″ zipper. I auditioned a few on Instagram before making my final decision.

This is a nice simple clutch, but there are so many ways to jazz it up and have fun with it. With any zipper bag, I think using a contrasting zipper is a fun way to add a little something special. I love the blue with this one.

I found the instructions easy to follow. Full disclosure, even though I make a lot of bags, I have never used a pattern for one before. I was curious to see exactly how certain things were described. For that reason, I didn’t change anything as I made this clutch. I followed the directions exactly as they were laid out to see if it really worked as it should. Not surprisingly, it did. There’s a reason Amy has so many popular bag patterns out there… she does them well.

Okay, I kind of lied. I did make one slight change, but it was just in the way I did my pleats, not in the actual bag assembly. It’s a small change, kind of a shortcut. She directs you to fold a pleat, and iron each one before moving on. That just takes me way too long because my iron gets the fabric so hot I can’t touch it right away to make the next pleat, and I just don’t have the patience for that. Instead, I make a pleat on my ironing board cover, and stick some pins in it – pinning it to the board. I do a few, maybe 5 or 6, then I press them all at once. I find it gives me pleats that are just as crisp, and I have a lot fewer burns on my fingers. Just make sure you use glass head pins – plastic ones will melt.

Overall, I’d say that an intermediate sewer will have no problems with this clutch. Because of the pleats and zipper, a beginner might get a little nervous, but I think because of the way the instructions are written, they would eventually figure it out. The pleats add so much to what would otherwise be a simple looking bag. Pleating is actually quite easy, just a little time consuming. There are just three pattern pieces, and one piece with dimensions for cutting (though you cut two of them). It took me just a few hours to put together, so it’s great for when you want a quick project that will really make a statement.

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15 thoughts on “Purse Palooza :: Pattern Review: Amy Butler Perfectly Pleated Clutch

  1. Cherie says:

    That looks so cute! The colours are very effective with all those pleats =D

    I’m having a giveaway on my blog. Feel free to stop by and enter (if you haven’t already) =D
    http://ibescheraldine.blogspot.co.uk/2012/06/official-150th-post-giveaway.html

  2. ♥Duff says:

    The blue zipper makes the bag–nice choice! I think the handle is a little weird, though and takes away from the beautiful pleating. thanks for the honest review!!

    1. I kind of thought the handle was weird at first too, but it’s kind of grown on me and I really like it now.

  3. Jessica E says:

    I love the fabric choices you used here and the fun blue zipper! I have made 5 or 6 different Amy Butler bags, and LOVE the way she does her patterns, but I have learned to not follow her cutting directions in order to save more fabric.

    1. Kate says:

      I also cut my own way as hers seems to use a lot of fabric! Good to know I’m not the only one who thinks that!

  4. Very cute, it looks like it was probably very hard to make

    1. Thanks Dayna! It really looks a lot harder than it is. The pleats are easy, they just take a little time.

  5. Sandra :) says:

    Thanks for the review – I have the book too, with several projects bookmarked for “some day” 🙂 I just started a new Pinterest board for reviews I want to keep track of and pinned your post – what a great reference! I would have thought the 1 7/8 yard fabric requirement for the body was a typo – do you mean you could have used 2 x 9″ x WOF strips instead of the (odd cut!) 64″ down the selvage?

    1. Hi Sandra, yes, I would have cut two strips 9 x WOF, which means you only need 1/2 yard of the fabric you pleat. It does mean you have to make sure your pleats aren’t huge, but I had no problem with that.

  6. Thanks for this review, this bag has been on my to-do list since I bought the book ages ago. Like Duff I am not so keen on the handle though, so will probably change it. I have read elsewhere that AB’s fabric requirements are way excessive, so I am not surprised that you had so much left over from the project.

    I am thoroughly enjoying this series keep up the great work!

    1. I understand writing patterns that you would want to make sure the maker had more than enough rather than too little. This was just a huge overage!

  7. vexa says:

    pretty! not for lazy one like me 🙂 I wouldn’t have nerves to do all those pleates.

  8. Kate says:

    Very cute! I also love to use a fun colored zipper to add a little pop of color. This has been on my ‘get to’ list but I was a little nervous of the pleats, so thanks for your technique of pinning to ironing board!!

  9. Katy Cameron says:

    I also had loads over from all her patterns, so I’ve started just measuring and winging it now lol. Cunning way to do the pleats though, I also didn’t press each one, but pinned them all in place and then pressed.

  10. chicastic says:

    WOW!! I just stumble upon looking at this sweetheart Clutch Wallet..funky zippers are great idea to pop instant eye catching and attractive colours.

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