Bag #34: Craft Pouch

 

                

This week’s bag is a versatile pouch for craft tools. I made it for my 7"/18 cm knitting needles, but you could make it slightly shorter for crochet hooks, longer for full size knitting needles or any size to suit your pens, pencils, brushes, etc. if you are an artist. It has space for my knitting needles and a pen/pencil, a small pocket (not sure what for yet!) and a zip pocket for scissors, knitters’ sewing needle, row counter, etc.  The only thing there isn’t room for is yarn.

I made this bag in these colours because I wanted to take part in gentleman crafter’s August 2016 colour challenge.  I’m not very good at combining colours and this forced me to use a selection that I wouldn’t normally have put together.

I used 3 fat quarters to make the patchwork version of the bag and just 1 to make the all-in-one-fabric version. 

The finished size is 8” x 3½” (20 cm x 9 cm) and it is about ½” (1.2 cm) deep.

Difficulty level: Intermediate, even without the patchwork, because you will be working with lots of layers/pockets.

I used my normal stitch length (2.5) throughout but increased it to 3 for top stitching and used ¼”/6 mm seams.

I have included metric and imperial measurements but they are not exactly interchangeable, so you should stick to either one or the other.

Skills used in this project:

• Combining colours

• Working with multiple layers on a small project

Step 1: Cutting out

If using directional fabrics, the width is 4”/10 cm and the longer measurement is for the length.

To create the rounded corners at the bottom, draw round a coin.

All pieces can be cut from one fabric or using 3 fabrics (as I did).

Cut out the following:

8” x 4” (20 cm x 10 cm) Pocket (cut 1 fabric A - brown) – cut round all corners, top and bottom.

14” x 4” (35.5 cm x 10 cm) Front (cut 1 fabric B - green) – cut round all corners, top and bottom.

17” x 4” (43 cm x 10 cm) Front Flap (cut 1 fabric C - yellow, 1 medium weight interfacing) - if you are not making the patchwork version, cut another fabric piece for the Back Flap which includes the back – cut round all corners, top and bottom.

7½” x 4” (19 cm x 10 cm) Back (cut 1 fabric A - brown) – cut round bottom corners only.

1”/2.5 cm strips of all 3 fabrics to create a 9½” x 4” (24 cm x 10 cm) Back Flap

6” x 3¼” (15 cm x 8 cm) Lining for zip pocket (cut 2 fabric B - green)

3” x 2” (7.5 cm x 5 cm)  Zip tabs (cut 2 fabric B - green)

6”/15 cm Zip (I cut my green zip down to 5½”/14 cm)

4½” x 4” (11.5 cm x 10 cm) Flap Loop (cut 1 fabric C - yellow)

Step 2: Preparing the pocket and front

Fold the pocket in half, wrong sides together so that the shorter raw edges meet. Press. Top stitch just below the fold to create a firm edge.

Do the same for the front fabric.

Step 3: Making the flap loop

Fold the fabric in half, wrong sides together, so that the slightly longer edges meet.  Press.  

 

Fold the longer edges in towards the fold so that it looks like bias binding.  Press.  Fold in half along the existing centre fold so that you have a 1” strip.  Press.  Top stitch along both long edges.

Step 4: Assembling the bag front

Decide how you want to divide up the pockets.  I chose to have 4 needle slots and didn’t divide up the small pocket at all. Don’t forget that the outer slots will end up being narrower because of the seam allowance.  I measured 1¼” from each outside edge and drew a vertical line down the front and then drew another line half way between those 2 lines.  They ended up looking fairly equal. I used a Frixion pen and then ironed the fabric after it was sewn to make the pen marks disappear.

Pin the front to the bottom of the inside flap and sew down the vertical lines you have just drawn.

Pin the pocket to the bottom of the inside flap.  If, for example, you want to divide this in half, now is the time to do it.  Sew over the vertical line down the centre of the front. I didn’t have any dividing stitches in my pocket, so I didn’t bother with this.

Pin one side of the flap loop on top of the pocket so that the one raw edge of the loop matches the raw edges at the sides of the other fabric.  Do this on the side where the zip will go.  Leave the other side loose as that doesn’t get sewn until the final stage. 

Sew very close to the edge down the sides of the front, pocket and one side of the loop to hold them together.  These stitches need to be within the seam allowance as you don’t want to see them when the pouch is finished. 

Step 5: Making the patchwork front (optional)

Sew the 1” strips of fabric together using ¼”/6 mm seam allowance.  Press each seam open as you go.  I used 17 strips, the widest being about 5½”/14 cm inches.

Cut the strips at a 45º angle, either by eye or by using a quilter’s ruler.  It doesn’t matter if they aren’t exact.  You want to end up with a 9½” x 4” (24 cm x 10 cm)  piece of patchwork fabric.

Round off the corners at one end of the patchwork.

Sew the other end to the back (the edge with the square corners).  Press.  Attach the interfacing.

Step 6: Making the zip tabs

Fold the zip tabs in half, wrong sides together, so that the shorter edges meet.  Press.

Take the edges furthest from the fold and turn them inwards by about ¼”/6 mm.  Press.

Place a tab over each end of the zip, overlapping by no more than ½”/12 mm. Most of the tab needs to be beyond the zip or it will be too bulky. Top stitch across to secure the tabs to the zip.

Trim the edges of the tabs so that they are the same width as the zip.

Step 7: Inserting the zip

The zip can go on either side of the front.  I chose to put mine on the right. It is easiest to sew the back to the zip first as it is less bulky and sew the front to the zip afterwards.

As my zip was on the right side of the pouch, that meant sewing it first to the left side of the Back. 

Pin the correct side of the Back fabric to the edge of the zip with the slider facing the fabric.  

Then sew one of the lining pieces to the underside of the same edge of the zip (right side of fabric towards the zip), following the previous stitch line.

Tip: rather than sewing straight along the edge of the zip tabs, I got a better final result if I sewed diagonally towards the middle of tab end.  In the photo, you can see that I have curved the zip so that the end of the tabs will be mostly in the seam.

Follow the same procedure next when sewing the Front and other lining fabric to the zip. Press.

Top stitch along each side of the zip to hold outer and lining pieces in place, prevent them being caught up in the zip and give a professional finish.  

Step 8: Assembling the bag

With right sides together, sew all round the outer edges of the pouch and lining, leaving a gap of about 3”/7.5 cm at the bottom of the lining for turning.  Make sure that the zip is open or you won’t be able to pull the fabric through.  (Sorry, forgot to take photo of this stage).

Sew in the loose end of the flap loop when you get to it.

Clip the rounded corners so that they lay flat.  I just trimmed close to the seam line with pinking shears. 

Turn right side out. 

Sew up the gap in the pocket.  Press.

Top stitch around the patchwork flap to give a neat finish.

                                                                                                       

In this project I learnt:

• Combining colour can be quite effective.  I enjoyed doing the machine patchwork and having it at a 45º angle made it more interesting than straightforward horizontal or vertical strips.  The only problem was which colour thread to use.  When assembling the bag, I ended up alternating between the different colours because I wanted the top stitching to match the fabric. This was a bit of a chore but I’m pleased with the end result.  These aren’t colours I would have thought of combining but they remind me of the garden in late summer/early autumn and work well together.

• I’m used to working with lots of layers but not on something so small.  Usually when I make a bag for this blog, what you see is my one and only attempt at that design.  I had trouble getting my head round this – I couldn’t work out what order to sew it together in and I didn’t want to spend ages doing the patchwork and ruin it, so I used some cheap material to try it out.  My first attempt was a disaster in so many ways.  I used interfacing for each part and it was far too bulky.  I also had to keep unpicking seams because I had sewn them in the wrong order.  However, by the end, I knew what was wrong with my design and how to put it right.  To test it, I made another one – the red hearts.  That went perfectly and I knew I had got the pattern right.  Finally, I made the patchwork version.  I feel a real sense of achievement because it took so long to get this one right... but I got there in the end. I tried the zip on the left side for the heart pouch and on the right side in the patchwork pouch and they both work well. It just shows how versatile this bag is.

Bag #23: Handy Scrap Bag

I really needed a bag to carry all my sewing essentials around the house.  The problem is that I don't have a sewing room.  My sewing machine is in the bedroom, the iron is on the landing and I cut out my fabrics downstairs in the lounge.  That means I am constantly carrying scissors, tape measure, marking pen, etc. up and downstairs from room to room.  This bag is just the right size to carry these and it has a comfortable strap which hangs across the body like a messenger bag.

Like most sewists, I never throw scrap fabric away because I know it will come in useful at some point in the future.  However, my scrap bag was becoming really full and it was time to start using it up.  What's nice about this bag is the fact that it's a constant reminder of other pleasurable projects; when I see the blue fabric I remember my patchwork quilt, the red fabric was used in a craft bag. It's also good to know that no one will have a bag the same as mine.  My fabrics were mostly quilting cotton but it would look great in a mix of fabrics to add texture.

It took ages to sew all the scraps together although I enjoyed doing it.  Crazy patchwork involves sewing around an uneven five sided shape.  There wasn't a centre shape here which was why I called it 'insane patchwork'.  It's just random fabrics joined together in any way that they would fit. The bag itself was quick to assemble.  It could have many uses, one of which would be as a money bag at craft fairs.   

I've done paper piecing once before and really enjoyed it, although it took a while to get my head round the fact that everything is back to front.

I used my normal stitch length of 2.5 but increased it to 3 when assembling the bag.

I have included metric and imperial measurements but they are not exactly interchangeable, so you should stick to either one or the other.

Skills used in this project:

• Insane patchwork
• Paper piecing

Step 1: Assembling the resources

You will need the following:

9½" x 8½" (24cm x 21.5 cm) bag back (create 2 pieces of insane patchwork from scraps and cut 1 double sided fusible wadding)

7" x 8½" (18cm x 21.5cm) middle pocket (create 2 pieces of insane patchwork from scraps and cut 1 double sided fusible wadding)

4¾" x 4½" (12cm x 11.5cm) front pocket (create 2 paper pieced sections, cut 2 or create 2 for the backing and cut 1 double sided fusible wadding)

You will also need:

2" x 79" (5cm x 160cm) fabric for binding 

(if buying readymade binding, you will need 1" (2.5cm) width.  This does not need to be cut on the bias as all the edges are straight.

1" x 49"  (2.5cm x 125cm) webbing for strap (although check how long you would like the cross body strap to be)

Paper pattern for the paper piecing

Step 2: Making the insane patchwork fabric

The insane patchwork is created by joining lots of small pieces of fabric together in a random pattern.  Do this for both sides of the middle pocket and both sides of the back.

Take your first two fabric scraps, place them right sides together and sew along one side.  Press the seam open.  Trim the edge where you intend to join the next piece of fabric so that it forms a straight line.  Sew the next piece of fabric to one of the edges of your work, right sides together.  Keep adding more and more fabric until you have created a large enough piece of fabric.  Trim to size. 

As the piece of fabric grows larger, you will need larger pieces of fabric to sew along a whole edge.  To do this, join several pieces to make one larger piece, then join that to your existing patchwork.

Trim to size.

Step 3: Paper piecing

Paper piecing pattern

Using your paper pattern, sew scraps of fabric to the reverse side of the paper with wrong sides of the fabric against the paper. When all the sewing has been completed, gently tear the paper away from the wrong side of the fabric and you will be left with your pieced fabric image. The technique is the same for the tree and the house, or design your own pattern - anything with straight edges will work.

Sew the fabric to the paper in number order.

  

First of all, sew the tree trunk (piece 1) to one of the plain side pieces (piece 2).  Place the fabric right sides together on the back of the pattern and sew along the line of the side of the trunk through the paper and fabric.  Trim the seam so that it is no more than ¼"/6mm and press both fabrics flat with right sides facing away from the paper.Next, lay the other plain side piece over the tree trunk, right sides together and sew along the other side of the tree trunk.  Trim the seam and press.

    

Continue to add fabric in the order stated on the pattern until the image is complete, then tear the paper away (the stitches perforate the paper so it should come away fairly easily).

  

After sewing the paper pieced house, draw 4 windows and a door and sew around them either by hand or machine.  I used embroidery thread and sewed them by hand using backstitch. 

Trim them to size so that they measure 4¾ high" x 4½ (12cm x 11.5cm) across".  Join them together to create the front pocket by sewing them, right sides together down one of the slightly longer sides.

Step 4: Attaching the wadding

Place the wadding between the 2 front pocket pieces of fabric so that the right sides of the fabric are facing outwards.  Press.  If you do not have double-sided fusible wadding, you could use a fabric adhesive spray such as Stick and Stay with any low loft (thin) wadding or fleece.

Do the same for the middle pocket and also for the back.

Step 5: Making the binding

Using 2"/5cm strips of fabric, fold them in half lengthways to find the centre.  Fold the edges in so that it looks like bias binding and press.

Attach the binding to the top edge of the front pocket.

Do this by sewing the binding with the right side of the binding against the front of your pocket.  Match the raw edges and sew along the fold.  

     

Fold the binding over the edge of the fabric/wadding and hand sew it down on the other side so that it just covers the stitch line.

Do the same for the top edge of the middle pocket.

Trim any excess binding from the side edges.

Step 6: Assembling the pockets

Match the bottom raw edge of the front and middle pocket and sew down the centre to create 2 small pockets.

Sew around the side and bottom edges, very close to the edge to hold all the pieces firmly in place.

Step 7:  Attaching the binding around the outside edges

Pin the pockets to the back so that the bottom and sides meet.

Pin the binding to the front all the way round.  Fold the initial raw edge over so that it will be hidden when sewn in place. 

       

The corners can be mitred for a neat finish when sewing with one long strip of binding, or alternatively, 4 separate strips of binding can be sewn, one along each edge with ends turned under.  To achieve a mitred corner, stop sewing about ¼"/6mm before the end.  Turn the fabric slightly so that you finish stitching diagonally towards the corner.  Remove the fabric from the machine and re-position it so that you are ready to sew the next edge but start about ¼"/6mm in from the edge. The binding should be turned so that it forms a fold which runs parallel to the edge which has just been sewn. Do this for each corner. Turn the binding over the raw edge and hand sew it in place on the reverse as you did for the pockets.

Step 6: Attaching the strap

To attach the webbing, fold the end under by about 1"/2.5cm and place the webbing on the back of the bag so that the raw edge is hidden under the webbing.  Sew a 1"/2.5cm square to secure the strap.  Do the same for the other side, making sure that the webbing isn't twisted.

You now have a unique bag which cost virtually nothing to make!

In this project I learnt:

• I had fun building my insane patchwork fabric.  I had to keep trimming the shapes to ensure that I was working with straight lines.  Having a rotary cutter made this job so much quicker.  If I was making a quilt, I would sew the scraps to a piece of foundation fabric which would stabilise the individual pieces and prevent any twisting or puckering which can often happen when many of the edges are on the bias.  However, that wasn't really necessary for this bag as I wasn't after a particularly neat effect.

• I love the look of paper piecing.  It looks so complicated and clever and yet it's so easy to do.  I forgot to embroider the windows and door on the house and didn't remember until after I had attached the wadding.  This means that the back of the embroidery is visible in the pocket.  That wasn't what I wanted but no one's going to see it so it doesn't matter too much.