Tag: Pouch

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.

Dogwood Pouches

The Dogwood Pouch is another Sew Sweetness pattern.  The pattern has multiple sizes, so it is a good one to buy (no affiliation), if you want to try out making pouches.

Dogwood Pouch size F & J - cut out
Dogwood Pouch size F & J – cut out

I haven’t made any of the sizes yet, but cut a couple of sizes (F & J) over the weekend. These will be more gifts for the angel taking care of my stepdad.

The pieces are mixed up to fit my photo setup. I used the same fabrics for both and I am interested to see how they turn out. If these are easy to make, I might make more.

I measured the leftover zipper pieces from previous projects and have some that will fit and match the color scheme. I just have to find some zipper tabs.

Color Wheel Retreat Pouch

Carrie's Retreat pouch
Carrie’s Retreat pouch

I was very pleased to make this Emmaline Retreat Pouch for Carrie for her birthday.

I decided to make one when I ran out of time to make her a Classmate Bag. The other thing that helped me decide was the several Retreat Bag frames I have stashed in Quilts Illustrated Tool Tote, where I keep my bagmaking hardware.

Retreat Bag for Carrie - top
Retreat Bag for Carrie – top

I used the Color Theory fabric by Carrie Bloomston, which is the fabric I have been using for her gifts.I have some random pieces that are cut from yardage, but still good sized that I was able to use.

Retreat Bag for Carrie - side, frame detail
Retreat Bag for Carrie – side, frame detail

The whole project went really quickly. I made the whole pouch in about 3 hours while I cooked dinner during part of the making. I did finish the pouch later in the evening. It requires a frame so I had to prepare and insert the frame, then sew up the hole.

Retreat Bag for Carrie - interior
Retreat Bag for Carrie – interior

The frame means that this is an Open Wide or Wide Mouth style pouch. It is great for seeing everything you have stashed in the bag.

I am super pleased with the technique they use to veer the zipper. It made that process SO easy and it looks great. I have to remember it and try to use is on other bags. The only other pouch I can think of offhand that veers a zipper is the Cotton Candy pouch and that is a different sort of technique.

I thought it would take me longer, but am glad I was able to get it done quickly. Her birthday was a week after I made it and I had to fill and mail it as well. Carrie is super generous and I could never match her generosity, but I can make pouches and bags.

This is a free pattern, so go and take a look. Make one and tell me what you think.

One More Retreat Pouch

Sugar Skull Retreat Pouch for Gerre
Sugar Skull Retreat Pouch for Gerre

Today is International Women’s Day and I am celebrating by sending the bag to Gerre for her celebrations.

Sugar Skull Retreat Pouch-small - top view
Sugar Skull Retreat Pouch-small – top view

This is the smaller version than I made for Gerre before. They are a matched set now, which I always like.

Sugar Skull Retreat Pouch-small - zipper end
Sugar Skull Retreat Pouch-small – zipper end

I like the way all parts of this came out. The zipper ends came out especially well. I left a little space between the end of the zipper and the end of the fabric, which made it easier to sew.

I am still thinking about how to incorporate the technique used for veering the zipper in other patterns like the Cotton Candy pouch.

Sugar Skull Retreat pouch - interior
Sugar Skull Retreat pouch – interior

I chose a text print for the interior. I haven’t been using this particular print for Old Town, because the text is in pink. I love it as a fabric, though, and am really glad I can use it for this pouch.

This one came out really well and I am pleased, but this is a great project. I still want to try enlarging it and using a border print, as discussed a few months ago. I haven’t had the chance as I am caught up in making gifts.

 

All the Cotton Candy

The other day I was thinking about a hand sewing pouch for my mom. In the course of that thought process, I looked up all the Cotton Candy pouches I have made.

WOW!

I have made a lot.

I think I have only made more Hackneys (14) than Cotton Candy pouches, but not many more. Clearly, I play favorites.

Gift Post: Sue’s I Spy Pouch

Sue's I Spy pouch - front
Sue’s I Spy pouch – front

I had a tough time deciding what to make for Carrie and Sue for Christmas. I don’t want to just make them anything. I want what I make to be useful. Eventually, after considering several Minikins patterns I hadn’t tried, I decided on I Spy pouches.

Is this a cop out?

No.

Sue's I Spy - back
Sue’s I Spy – back

As I have said before, these pouches are like eating potato chips for me. I can make one quickly. I also really enjoy making them. Because they are fast? Maybe. Mostly because they are useful.

Sue gets a color wheel on the back to help her pick out fabric. I also remembered to put a label on the pouch.

Some time ago I made Carrie and Sue Kit Supply Totes. The Hackney pouches I made for them fit nicely into the Kit Supply Totes. I thought the I Spy would fit nicely in it as well.