Little Pouches Sewing Tutorial

I’ve been making a ton of little pouches lately. I really like my big bags but don’t like having everything jumbled at the bottom. There is a great tutorial here for a boxy type pouch. But the ones I’ve mainly been making have been even simpler. I’ll try to show you:

First – cut out two rectangles of fabric that coordinate – one for the outside and one to be the lining. Any size you want (as long as they are the same size). Just remember the pouch will take about 2/3 of the rectangle and the flap another third. Here you see my rectangle – you can get crazy with strips or just use a simple cut of fabric – I was living on the edge and used strips. lol.

Then fold the fabric in half lengthways and cut off the corners of your flap (on the outside fabric only). Again, I didn’t measure just made the top third or so into a pleasing shape.

Then lay your two pieces of fabric right sides together and pin. Some people don’t like to pin – I do. My projects always turn out nicer that way! Then sew around the edge making sure to leave a small opening for turning.

Then turn clip your corners:

And turn it right side out. Press with an iron. I always press. Sew across the top – just up from the pins in the picture. (sorry no picture – don’t sew it closed – your just finishing this edge). Then fold the bottom third or so up and pin so the edges match up.

Then topstitch around the entire pouch starting at a bottom corner going up and around the top and down to the other corner.

Fold that flap down and add the closure of your choice. Since my machine makes dummy proof button holes I’m leaning towards buttons these days – however I have sewed on snaps and velcro.

And your pouch is done!!

Before you think I’m getting too puffed up just look at this one – it’s different – I added a zipper – doesn’t it look great? It’s for the first aid supplies I like to carry around.

I hand appliquéd the red cross on the front because. . . I put it together wrong! I had machine appliquéd a cross on the fabric before sewing the sides up and I was concentrating so hard on the zipper I forgot to double check the placement of the appliqué! Look at the back!

Oops! Also as a note to myself – don’t run one edge of the pressure foot along the zipper itself – you just don’t get a straight line. Learning, always learning. . .