A Hostess Gift

Clara has been spending the week out of town at a chamber music festival, working on a Mozart quartet with three other musicians. She is staying nights at the home of one of her best friends, also a tall, long-haired cellist who homeschools. I wanted to do a nice gift for her hostess, and decided to sew the "Pleated Beauty" bag from Bend-the-Rules Sewing.


I think this is the most complicated "crafty" thing I've ever made. But you can see why anyone would want to sew it! The contrasting pleats! The contrast lining in the straps!


I stuck fairly closely to Amy Karol's instructions, even using the suggested embroidery pattern incorporating vintage buttons. I chose a very heavy linen (oh, yes, the only linen I had in my stash) for the main fabric. It has a wonderful gloss and body, but tended to jump around quite a bit on the cutting board and under the sewing machine needle.


Pockets inside, of course, in contrast fabric.


Then I made a matching wallet, also from the book.