Sweet Pleat Bag

A few weeks ago I bought fabric to make myself a new bag. I’m not going to call it a diaper bag, even though I house diapers in it, and I’m not going to call it a purse, because I feel like it’s just too big for that. It’s an in between bag, because that’s what stage we’re in right now. We’re in between baby and… well, not a baby.

So anyway, I bought fabric (from the Central Park collection by Kate Spain, for Moda Fabrics) but didn’t have a pattern. I originally saw a pattern online I liked, but after buying the fabric decided it wasn’t what I wanted. I hunted and searched all over the internet, but couldn’t find the right pattern. The biggest part of the problem was that I didn’t know what I wanted. Then last weekend Kyle and I took a quick trip to Portland and while there I spotted a lady who had a bag I loved. And decided I wanted. But, I had no pattern. Only the very detailed mental images I tried so hard to take of her bag.

This bag is my own design, and actually is not the same bag I saw in Portland. And that’s ok, because I’m super happy with it. And super proud of myself to make my own bag totally from scratch, beginning in my head.

I had no idea what I was doing. I was a bit nervous about cutting up my super cute and expensive fabric, but I figured that if it didn’t turn out I’d learn from it, use the fabric for something else, and I would use different fabric to make another bag. Luckily for me it turned out pretty good on the first try.

I’m calling it the Sweet Pleat Bag. If I make anymore that name may change. But that’s what it is for now. It has pleats on the front and pleats on the back. Even pleats on the inside, but if I were to make it again I don’t think I would pleat the lining. The back has a nice big pocket on the outside, the inside has an elastic to hold Hailey’s sippy cup in place (I very much dislike having a wet bag because her cup fell over and leaked), small pockets to store things, and even a ring to clip my keys to so I know right where they are when I need them. 

Yay for my new bag! And it only took me 4 of Hailey’s naps to get it done. Whew! A lot of work, but so worth it.