Tag: Emmaline Retreat Bag

This was the other Large Retreat Pouch I completed over the Halloween weekend. I sent it off to Gerre for Christmas and am assuming she liked it.

The Retreat Bag  is a free pattern from Emmaline Bags that requires a frame. The frame is not free, but also not very expensive. The frame allows it to open all the way, providing easy access to the contents.

I ran out of the ice cream fabric I used for her other gifts. I bought this, because I thought it was fabric she would like. I made some pillowcases out of the fabric and she told me she really liked them. I don’t really like it, however. I only had a yard of it, so I will use the rest of it for smaller gifts and then find something else that will work for future gifts.

I didn’t use the Sugar Skulls for the inside, because I always like a light inside for bags. As I have said a million times, it makes it easier for me (and people) to find things at the bottom of the bag.

I used a Joel Dewberry Notting Hill poppy print. I have had this laying around for a few years and am so glad I used it. The inside is so pretty!

As mentioned, this is the pouch in which I put an inside zipper pocket and needed to consult with Tim as well as watch the video. I also made a slip pocket, which is included in the pattern, but I don’t like it as much in this iteration. It will be fine, but I’ll do it differently, if I made this size again.

I had some zipper pulls and decided to use one on this bag. I got these on sale at Michael’s, I think, and always forget I have them. I have been going through my hardware bag regularly. I remembered and thought one would be a great addition.

I made another Retreat Pouch the other day. I cut up the fabric when I went to visit Tim, then decided to sew the pouch on Saturday.

I am ridiculously pleased at how this Retreat Pouch came together. I think it looks great!

It is also a great project. Once the pieces are cut the bag goes together in a couple of hours. I think I talked about this before.

First, I love the fabric. This fabric is one of Anna Maria’s Hindsight prints. I received it in one of the Modern Handmade subscription boxes I received last year. Can you believe how lucky I got on the cutting? It looks like I intended to match the flower on either side of the zipper.

I really wanted to make the larger size, but one fat quarter is not enough to make one pouch, so I resorted to this size again. I bought two frames in each size, so I can choose some different fabrics that I have in larger quantities to make the larger version.

Second, the sewing went very well and the pouch looks professionally sewn. I am pleased with how the zipper ended up looking based on the instructions. I went an extra step by pinning the zipper down rather than holding it while I sewed and I think that helped. I knew where to pin it because I measured. I think this is another version of ‘veering’ the zipper that I have talked about with the Cotton Candy Pouches and the UCAB 45 degree angle technique.

Third, turning the pouch using the interior zipper pocket was a smooth process. Sara Lawson of Sew Sweetness has a tutorial. I don’t know why I don’t add these pockets for turning all the time.

This is not part of the pattern, but it is easy to add to any pouch or bag. I had to think carefully about the size because of the boxed corner. Despite my care, I still think the bottom of the pocket goes below the curve on the bottom of the pouch. I don’t think it really matters. For the moment I don’t know what I will put in that interior pocket.

I say this is an easy pocket to put in, but I always need to refer to general directions. I also have Sara Lawson’s Acrylic Zipper Pocket Template (no affiliation) and that makes the marking super speedy. I also saw one by Piera (no affiliation), which includes purse feet measurements as well.

I did watch the video before I sewed the first Retreat Pouch. I vowed to watch it again before making this one, but I didn’t. I don’t know why because it is a good resource.

I put my new Snap Setter and all of my Snap Setter Supplies in this pouch.

Here are a few more pictures of the zipper.

 

 

Sometime ago I bought the frames for the Retreat pouch. The Retreat pouch is a free pattern from Emmaline Bags. The pattern, as I said, is free, but the frames are not.

Over the New Year holiday, I decided I was going to make some bags, the supplies for which had been hanging around. The Retreat pouch was one of the bags I sewed.

I started out with the small size, which is about 8 inches x 4 inches. I didn’t think the small size was tiny. Once cut out, this is not a difficult bag to put together. I was able to finish it in a couple of hours while I catted with a friend.

I thought the installation of the frame was a little weird because the pattern says to remove stitches you have already sewed in order to install the frame. The pattern didn’t say whether to sew up the hole that I made, so I did.

I just used a frame for the Sheffield Tool Bag. That pattern uses a casing to house the frame. Since I haven’t used a lot of frames in bags, I don’t know what is normal. I prefer the casing.

I plan to use this pouch for my bag making tools. I might need to make the larger version for the tools as I have a lot of them, but I plan to make the larger one anyway.

I found a video that shows how to add handles and make some other changes to the bag while showing how to make the pouch. I have watched it, but I didn’t watch while making this pouch. I may add handles to my next one.

N.B. on Frames: I still don’t have a good handle on frames. I know how to install them in a bag or pouch in a couple of ways, but I don’t know if different frames can be interchanged in different bags. I haven’t made enough bags with frames to understand them very well.