A knife pleat sounds dangerous, but is actually one of the easiest and, we think, prettiest members of the pleat family. In a knife pleat, the folds are pressed to one side in the same direction, which is why they are also sometimes called side pleats. More than likely, you've seen knife pleats on a garment; like those great tartan kilts bag pipers are known to wear... with or without something underneath.
Paper napkins are... well... paper ! Cloth napkins are more beautiful, more absorbent, and more green. Today is the second project in our Kitchen Confections series for Moda Fabrics, featuring the new Vintage Modern collection by Bonnie & Camille. On Monday, during our debut placemats tutorial, we showed you a technique for building patchwork strips called a 'strata.' Today you get to practice the technique again to make a set of coordinating napkins. Then, hold on to your honey buns.... we have four more projects on tap as well as two super cute downloads of matching recipe cards and gift tags, and a marvelous Great Giveaway to round it all out. Our thanks for Moda for sponsoring the entire series.
Pleats are the origami of the sewing world. And although you don't usually need to fold one into the shape of a swan, there are a wide variety of pretty pleats that add distinct visual and textural embellishments for both home décor as well as garment sewing. Each type provides a different look based on how it's formed. You can make: knife pleats, knife pleats in two directions, box pleats, inverted box pleats, inverted box pleats with a separate underlay, accordion pleats, sunray pleats, and wave pleats. In this tutorial, we're focusing on a box pleat and its identical yet opposite cousin, the inverted box pleat. We'll address knife pleats later this week and some of the more specialized pleats in the near future.
It's a Shopping Day at Sew4Home. Our friends, Dennis and Tonia of Fashionable Fabrics have provided us with TWO $50 gift certificates. And, because Fashionable Fabrics is already set-up to ship both within the US as well as internationally, this drawing is open to all our Sew4Home visitors. WOW! I can hear those screams of delight from all around the globe.
