Tag: Pouch

Sleeping Bag Pouch Started

Remember when I mentioned the sleeping bag pouch made by CraftyKristnf? Maybe I just mentioned it to you in my head? She posted some guidelines for making it and I have been mulling them over in my head. 

One thing she mentioned in the guidelines were the size of the base piece. A couple of days ago was the day I decided to start. I cut the fabric I planned to use as a base. WOW! It is large. When I think of a pouch, I think small, but this baby will be big. 

Template for a curve
Template for a curve

The top is curved so my first order of business was to figure out the curve. I decided it was more of an oval than a circle after trying different plates and templates laying around the house. I finally ended up with one of the platters from my china set.

The platter hasn’t been out of the china cabinet for a year, maybe two, so I am sure it was pleased to have an outing. 

I folded the fabric in half. In the photo above, the fold is at the top of the photo.

Sleeping Bag pouch base fabric cut
Sleeping Bag pouch base fabric cut

I lined up the ‘short’ end of the platter with the short end of the fabric. I also lined up the ‘long’ side of the platter with the open (non-fold) side of the fabric. It didn’t exactly fit, but it worked well enough. I drew a line and then cut a curve along the non-folded side of the fabric. 

I was very pleased with the way the base fabric was shaped. I plan to trace it and use it as a template for future pouches like this. I don’t want to keep running downstairs for my platter. LOL!

The example CraftyKristnf showed uses Renaissance Ribbon and is absolutely gorgeous. I’d love to make one like that. I have plenty of Renaissance Ribbons so materials are no problem. I didn’t want to use them if I was going to wreck my first effort. Selvedges occurred to me. I have a bin full of them as I haven’t cleared it out and given the most recent ones to Amy yet. 

Applying selvedges to base
Applying selvedges to base

Before I started applying selvedges, I put some SF101 on the back of the base fabric. I thought it would strengthen the fabric for the applique’. 

Next, I started arranging and pinning selvedges to the base fabric. Since the top is curved, I was able to use smaller pieces at the top. In the photo, left, you can see the arrows pointing to the curves at the top of the base fabric. 

Sleeping Bag Pouch laid out
Sleeping Bag Pouch laid out

I was working on something else at the same time, so I dipped in an out of adding selvedges when I needed a break from the other project.

By the end of my sewing session, I had all the selvedges laid out and pinned down. Some of the selvedges are from favorite or much loved fabrics, which makes me happy. 

My plan is to start sewing the selvedges on to the base and then trim the piece to size and shape of the base fabric. Then I’ll make the template, adjusting if necessary. 

I feel so happy that I am trying this and that, so far, it is working out well.

 

Zeppelin Finished

Finished: Zeppelin pouch
Finished: Zeppelin pouch

Today’s is Lil Sissy’s birthday and I was able to finish her Zeppelin pouch and send it off.

I am really pleased that I was able to fussy cut the fabric so that main Paris motif is, essentially, centered. 

This was a very easy pouch to make, if a little fiddly.I know I talked about the shape of the pieces the other day. The construction was genius! I am constantly amazed at what Sara comes up with. I don’t know how she figures out these bag patterns.

Zeppelin end
Zeppelin end

The one part that was a little confusing was the ends, where the zipper tabs and sides come together. I had to watch the video and that made it clear. You have to know what to do, then it works out.

The photo shows mostly the handle, but if you look behind the handle at the zipper, you can see the zipper tab, which is longer than normal sewn in. Super clever. It also reminds me of what I was trying to do the other day with the zipper tab technique.

Zeppelin back
Zeppelin back

I also remember to put on my label! It is pretty prominent, because I remember after I had already assembled the pouch. I think it is ok to have it be a little prominent for once. 

The fabric I used is such great fabric! I was so pleased that I found more of it. I love all the different motifs. 

Zeppelin lining anchored
Zeppelin lining anchored

I was also able to anchor the lining to the exterior even though there was no way to box the corners. I took a look at the Hackney pattern, which shows one method and kind of followed those directions. 

Hopefully, Lil Sissy likes it.

Needlecase for Swap

SIL#2 led at swap at the meeting on Saturday. As mentioned, I made a pencil roll. I decided at the last minute to make another organizer in case a new member or potential member came and wanted to join in.

I found the pattern in a book I reviewed some time ago called Make It, Take It: 16 Cute and Clever Projects to Sew with Friends by Krista Hennebury. I am glad to say that I did notice this project when I reviewed the book. 

Make It, Take It needlecase
Make It, Take It needlecase

I am very pleased with the needlecase I made. It is kind of a portfolio and holds quite a bit of stuff.  I like it because it is useful and practical, but also has scope for creativity.

I used some of the leftover improv piecing from the latest improv donation top. I think it would work to use Quilt-as-you-go to make the cover as well. I could just as easily use one piece of fabric for a very quick finish.

I was also pleased to see the way the zipper was installed, because I thought it would help me with another project on which I have (mostly not) been working.

Make It, Take It needlecase - open, inside
Make It, Take It needlecase – open, inside

This was a fairly quick project. I had all of the supplies, which helped. You do need some wool felt and a long zipper. 

Each section could be used for a different type of needle, if one were that organized.

One of the reasons I am pleased with the pattern is that it gave me a different way to install a zipper on a circular piece. I can use this technique. I need more practice, but it came out better than my other project.

Make It, Take It needlecase - open, outside
Make It, Take It needlecase – open, outside

I am also pleased because the exterior looks really good.  There is ton of scope for creativity with the outside, as I mentioned. This might be a great project to work on in a group.

Sewing with Tim.. Again

Open Wide Pouches - cut
Open Wide Pouches – cut

The other day I went over to Tim’s to sew. He planned to longarm and I planned to work on my flock of pouches. I was very well prepared and got some new pouches sewn so I could give Mom an even 10.

I was able to get them done except for the zipper tabs. I forgot to bring extra fabric for that.

After making good progress on the Open Wide Pouches, I switched to the Zeppelin pouch, which I had cut out the day before.

I was able to do the prep with the interfacing and foam and get started on sewing the pouch. I had some trouble understanding the zipper tab sewing. Good thing Continue reading “Sewing with Tim.. Again”

Zeppelin Start

Zeppelin cut out
Zeppelin cut out

Somehow the Zeppelin pattern from Minikins Season 1 got lodged in my mind. I decided to make it as a birthday gift. July is a birthday extravaganza! There is one almost every day.

Once I decided to make it, I got a little nervous, because I could remember what the pouch looked like, but not how many pieces it had or how difficult it would be to make. 

Zeppelin: Crazy pattern shapes
Zeppelin: Crazy pattern shapes

I went looking for templates, thinking that I had some. When I couldn’t find them I looked at the pattern and realized there was no way an acrylic template could be made in that shape, which was weird!

I couldn’t imagine how the pouch would go together from looking at the pieces, but I did once I went through the pattern and was impressed with the design. I cut everything out so I could take it to a Sew Day I was having with Tim. There weren’t very many pieces, so this might be a good pattern to have as a quick make when I need a project.

Retreat Pouch Started and Finished

Tim's Retreat pouch - open
Tim’s Retreat pouch – open

I was pleased that I was able to start and finish this pouch very quickly. This was destined for Tim’s birthday and I wanted to take over to him before he left on his trip.

This is another Retreat Pouch, which is pretty easy to make and comes out very well. I have made both sizes, which come in the pattern. I still want to make the handbag version I talked about last summer, mostly to use the border print. In general, I prefer the small size. The large size is hard to carry.

I also like it that it has a frame (not free). I like the open wide aspect that frames create. They sometimes have the required type of frame on Amazon, but I don’t see it today. 

Tim's Retreat pouch - interior
Tim’s Retreat pouch – interior

The interior fabric was printed by Sonja about a million years ago and gifted to me. I thought Tim would really appreciate her artistry and he did. 

The high quality of the greige goods she used is another pleasure. 

Tim's Retreat pouch - interior
Tim’s Retreat pouch – interior

I consulted with Lynette to confirm my anchoring of the lining to the exterior. I am working on that technique and trying to do it with every bag. It worked well with this one using the same technique as I used on the Open Wide pouches. It is a difficult technique to explain in a pattern, which I why I want to do it over and over with different pouches and bags so it becomes second nature. You can see a little bit that the seams are tight against the bottom of the pouch. 

Tim's Retreat pouch - top
Tim’s Retreat pouch – top

Tim said he would probably use it for travel. I thought he might and would have added Odicoat** to the pouch if I had planned ahead. He is going on a trip so I said I would do it after, if he wanted. He wasn’t sure how he would use it for traveling, but pouches are super useful for organizing stuff in your suitcase, so I am sure he will find a use.

Anyway, the pouch was a success!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

**N. B. : Obviously, you should shop at local quilt shops and small businesses. However, if you are too busy or can’t find what you need there, I use Amazon affiliate links and may be paid for your purchase of an item when you click on an item’s link in my post. There is no additional cost to you for clicking or purchasing items I recommend. I appreciate your clicks and purchases as it helps support this website.

A Flock of Zipper Pouches

Flock of Open Wide pouches for Mom
Flock of Open Wide pouches for Mom

As mentioned the other day, I worked on my Open Wide Pouches at Sew Day. They went from flat to 3D.

They are not yet finished, but I have only a few steps left: finishing the zipper tabs and sewing up the lining where I turned the pouches. I’ll definitely be able to finish these to take to my mom next week.

Reviewing a Zipper Tab Technique

The other day, I talked about making some Open Wide Zipper pouches for my mom to give to friends who have been helping her. I also talked about using the Sweet Cinnamon Roses technique to make the Zipper tabs. After my chores and stuff were done, I set about the pouch task. One of the steps was making Zipper tabs.

Zipper tab finished
Zipper tab finished

I followed the Sweet Cinnamon Roses IG “tutorial” and had mixed results.  I was making 4 at once. Two were ok and I could use them. The other two needed unsewing. I sewed too close to the zipper tape and couldn’t turn them right side out. After unsewing and sewing the two again, everything was fine. Once I gave the zipper tape some space, the technique worked pretty well. 

What I learned is that you don’t need to sew right next to the zipper tape. It is actually better to sew farther away so there is less bulk to sew over when inserting the zipper into the pouch later.

I suspect that I don’t even need to sew up the sides next to the zipper. I suspect that is just for convenience, or because it looks better/ easier on the video. I haven’t tried that, so stay tuned for further results.

Definitely watch the Sweet Cinnamon Roses IG “tutorial”. Below are the steps I took:

1. Find and lay out the zippers you want to use

2. Cut some squares or rectangles of fabric about 2.5 in. by 3.5 in. I made sure I had at least .75 in. on each side of the zipper tape. This is not exact and you’ll be cutting off much of it anyway, so use scraps. These will be your zipper tabs. The longer you make your zipper tabs the more options you will have for positioning the head of the zipper. I found that a solid would have worked better for the pizza print. Having part of the print show just looked a bit weird to me. YMMV.

3. Lay two zipper tab squares / rectangles on top of and under your zipper. You will be able to see the end of the zipper and the stop after you lay them out. The squares will have the zipper sandwiched in between. The zipper stop and  1- 1.5 ish in. of zipper tape will be sticking out. You are going to cut off the zipper stop, so make sure you have enough space so your needle does not hit the stops. 

Sew in a U shape
Sew in a U shape

4. Move the zipper pull out of the way

5. Sew in a U shape from the side where the zipper pull lives towards the zipper stops and back towards the pull. Make sure the top of the zipper tab fabric, by the zipper stops, is sewn a quarter inch away from the top. Sew far enough away from the zipper tape (on the uprights of the U) so you don’t catch it in the stitches

6. Make sure you haven’t caught any zipper tape in your stitching

7. Cut off the stops at the top. Use the edge of the fabric as a guide

Zipper tab finished
Zipper tab finished

8. Turn the zipper tab right side out. 

9. Press

Zipper with zipper tab inserted into pouch pieces
Zipper with zipper tab inserted into pouch pieces

10. Insert your zipper into your pouch or bag. In the photo of the stingray view of the pouch, you can see that I have at least 1.5 inches of extra zipper tab. I could have lined the end of the zipper tab up with the edge of the exterior pouch pieces in order to lengthen the zipper. This is a good way to eek out a little more space if your zipper is not quite long enough. 

In my case, I positioned the zipper head where I wanted it and sewed it into the pouch pieces. 

Zipper tab finished
Zipper tab finished

Once I turned the zip pouches  right side out, I was happy and unhappy with the results. 

I think the technique looks good. It is a useful finish for a zipper end. It came out as expected.

What I don’t like about it is that it isn’t great for an Open Wide pouch like the Noodlehead Open Wide Pouch. It doesn’t allow the part by the zipper to open wide. 

Lynette gave me some tips for finishing the zipper ends, so I’ll try those and see what happens. For certain types of pouches, like the Triple Zipper pouch I sewed awhile ago.

Open Wide Pouch

Noodlehead Open Wide Pouch #1
Noodlehead Open Wide Pouch #1

This pouch serves several purposes. First, I have wanted to try the Noodlehead Open Wide Pouch pattern for awhile. This is a very popular and free pattern. It is nice to have a go-to, simple yet straightforward pouch pattern that I can make up quickly. I still haven’t found one, which is why this was on my list to try. The instructions are basic, but complete. I found it useful to have some experience with other pouch pattterns. Don’t you think it looks like a stingray? 

Second, I told my Mom I would make her some pouches that she could give out as thank yous. This is an easy pattern to follow and I know that I will be able to make a few of them relatively quickly. It also doesn’t require any hardware, such as a frame, which makes the pouch more cost effective.

Finally, I want to learn how to anchor the lining of bags to the exterior. Yes, Lynette showed me once and I did it on the Hildegarde Trunk after Lynette gave a mini-workshop at Bag Club. Then, I didn’t use the technique again and forgot how to do it. I think if I can cut out two or three of the Open Wide pouches and get them to the boxing corners point, I will be able to practice anchoring the lining a few times. That should get the process stuck in my head. 

Open Wide- ready to box
Open Wide- ready to box

The pouch is now at the point where I need to box the corners. I arranged with Lynette to do the boxing of the corners at Sew Day. I hope I can, again, learn to anchor the lining to the exterior.

I was surprised to find that the directions are similar (a shortened version?) of the Emmaline Retreat bag. Then I realized that both are very simple zipper pouch patterns and they are all made the same way. I referred to the Retreat Bag directions, because I wasn’t sure what to do when I was sewing around the edge of the pouch and got to the top of the zipper.

For the next pouch, I plan to use a technique from Sweet Cinnamon Roses (IG) for creating zipper tabs on the top end of the zipper. I have wanted to try it as it looks like it will reduce bulk a bit and make the corner of the zipper pouch actually close.

 

Aneela Hoey Projects

Saturday’s trunk show inspired me to look at the (photos of) the Aneela Hoey patterns I have made. I have a tag for them, but realized I hadn’t tagged all the posts correctly. 

In looking at this list, I realize I have only made 1 project from Aneela’s book, Stitched Sewing Organizers. Most of the others were sewn from stand-alone patterns. I know my friend MaryM has made more. I’ll see about getting the book out again and making another project from it. There is one big organizer that I keep looking at. 

Gift Pouch

Vinyl pouch
Vinyl pouch

I went out to lunch with Sue and Carrie before the guild meeting last week and came home with a great pouch that now keeps a lot of random things in my handbag organized.

One of the things I love about Carrie’s adventures in bagmaking is the discussions we have about the process. This time we discussed installing the zipper for a long time. Carrie brought a Dollar Store pouch to show as an example of how she would like to do the zipper in the future and we were able to compare the two pouches.

Butterfly Sent Off

Butterfly Superbloom and Dogwood pouches set
Butterfly Superbloom and Dogwood pouches set

I sent off the Butterfly set to its new home. One of my fabulous readers made a very generous donation to an organization of women helping women. I sent the check straight to them. This happened after I mentioned the organization for whom I originally made the set declined to include it in their auction. Their loss.

I don’t normally make bags to sell. The organization to whom I gave the money is very dear to my heart. They help women with scholarships for academic degrees. I received a scholarship for my undergraduate and graduate degrees from them. The organization made a huge difference in my life. I hope that this small effort on my part makes a difference in another woman’s life.

More Dogwood Pouches

Dogwood Pouches F & J
Dogwood Pouches F & J

I finished the latest two Dogwood pouches the other evening. I really like the way they came out.

I was much more careful this time about fussy cutting, so the butterflies are whole. I did a good job on the Hindsight Dogwoods, but the print was much larger, so it was harder to select a part of the print.

Dogwood Pouches F & J - open
Dogwood Pouches F & J – open

The lining is the same as the Butterfly Superbloom, which makes these part of a set.

I like the way the zipper is handled in this pouch. I might have to talk about that in the future.

These are the same sizes I made before. I wanted to make them again to cement the process in my mind. My printer is also acting like a jerk, so printing is iffy at best.

When I make pouches I always think about how I would use them. Pouch F is the larger one and would be great for chargers and other small electronics. I have several pouches in my work bag so I can keep things organized and think I would use this pouch for cords and chargers.

Pouch J is the small pouch and would be great for hand sanitizer and lip balm. I didn’t make these with vinyl on the inside so I have to think about keeping them clean. However, the pouches are washable, so that is a bonus.

 

I wash the pouch and bags I make in a lingerie bag to keep the handles and other pieces from getting into the workings of the washer. I have already washed all the fabric in hot water, so any temperature is ok. I recommend cold, but you can also wash them in hot.

More Dogwood Pouches

Dogwood - F & J
Dogwood – F & J

I cut out some more Dogwood pouches the other day. I am using the same sizes (F & J), mostly because I didn’t want to take the time to print more templates. The organization to whom I wanted to donate the set is having their luncheon soon and I wanted to make as many bags as possible. I have only the Superbloom and the Cotton Candy so far.

I need to get busy sewing.

Finished: Hindsight Dogwood Pouches

Finished: Dogwood Pouch-F
Finished: Dogwood Pouch-F

I finished the two Dogwood pouches at the Retreat. This is a worthwhile pattern as there are multiple sizes, but also a couple of new techniques to use in making your pouches.

Pouch F is the larger one and would be great for chargers and other small electronics. It went together very quickly.

The zipper instructions were a little tricky, but I watched the video (glad I brought my tablet to the Retreat!) and it was clear. I was actually kind of excited about the zipper instructions. They make a very cool finish to the zipper ends.

Finished: Dogwood Pouch-J
Finished: Dogwood Pouch-J

Pouch J is the smaller one. It would be good to corral small items in your handbag.

I found that the boxing of the corners was a different technique as well. I had to watch the video (Yay tablet, again!), which made the technique clear.

These are already off to their new home. I haven’t had a clear answer as to whether the Angel Mama likes her set of bags, but I feel good having made an effort to thank her somehow.