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| A mini accordion pouch... |
Today's project was one of those where I saw it and more or less instantly thought: I need to make this. Why? Two reasons: 1) it's just too cute to pass up, and 2) it's a quickie project that can be done in a couple of hours (at the most).
Since the quilted accordion pouch that I made from a Sew4Home pattern this past April was quite a popular pinned item, maybe this little pouch will have a similar appeal. (Although — to be clear — whether or not something might be popular never enters into any decision I make about what to make or post.)
This is a creation of Shabby Fabrics's Jennifer Bosworth. I came across the video tutorial while making another project of hers that will be featured in an upcoming post. Even though the content is heavy on quilting, the variety of tutorials and free patterns from Shabby Fabrics is sure to catch your attention if you're looking for a quick and easy sewing project. It's a YouTube channel that's worth your time. (And no, I have no affiliation.)
Recall my newspaper print linen fabric purchase from Dollarama? (It became this exploding box a few weeks ago.) Well, days later, I went to a different store location and found this print:
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| Linen fat quarter from Dollarama... |
Isn't it lovely? (And yes, it was also $1.50 for the fat quarter; I bought two of them.) I like how it looks naturally patchwork-y.
When I decided to make this little pouch, I knew it would be with this fabric, but since it had a directional print, I carefully avoided the area that was the most obvious (the "Delgrange" part). Fortuitously enough — without sacrificing any fabric via overt fussy cutting — that part of the print does not appear anywhere on this pouch.
For the lining, I went back to the white and grey Jysk pillowcases that were last used on my quilted hanging file organizer project.
My pouch finished out at about 5.5" wide at its base, 4.5" across the top and 3.5" high. (Note that the position of the fastener will affect the height of the pouch.) In short, kind of tiny and just fits in the palm of my hand.
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| Definitely mini but will hold more than you might expect... |
Here are some views of the inside of the pouch.
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| View of interior... |
This is one of those projects that you can easily impress someone with... it looks harder to make than it actually is.
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| Opposite view... |
The pattern consists of two pieces, each cut twice. A rectangular piece is used to create the inside middle compartment. (In the spirit of passing along a suggestion for those of you who might want to make this, of course you would want to leave the turning gap along one of the longer edges of this rectangular piece rather than a short edge as she indicates in the video.)
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| View of the first pocket... |
While the pattern template lists a need for four (!) fat quarters to make this, that is definitely not the case. Two will more than suffice if you use them like I did here.
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| View of the centre pocket... |
Using both fabrics for the inside rectangular piece creates a centre compartment that coordinates with the exterior of the pouch, while the two end pockets match the lining.
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| A snap fastener that can be installed upon completion of sewing is the easiest option... |
I used a snap fastener as my closure since that is the easiest to apply after all the sewing is done. (Jennifer actually has a separate tutorial for making a ric rac rosette that she placed on top of her snap fastener.)
Here is the view of the back.
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| Back view... |
The original project was quilted also, but I chose to quilt only the exterior fabric, after applying the fusible fleece. (I eye-balled the vertical lines.)
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| My approximate 7/8" quilting lines... |
Here is the side view of the accordion folds.
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| Side view... |
My cell phone actually fits in one of the end pockets, so I can see myself using this as a small wallet. (If you enlarge the pattern, you'll probably be able to sew up a bigger version quite easily if size is an issue.)
Here is another tip if you're going to make this for a specific purpose. Add the contents before you finalize the placement of the snap fastener. Obviously, the lower down the flap is, the less the pouch will hold.
For what other purpose might you use this? How about a first aid kit for travelling?
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| See how much it can hold? |
I actually managed to get all of the above into the pouch.
The original pouch was used by the creator for carrying small sewing supplies. I don't make hexis myself, but this would be perfect for toting around small hand sewing projects for on the go crafting.
This would also make a super special stocking stuffer when filled with the right "stuff".
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| This can be filled with all kinds of surprises for a Christmas stocking... |
For example, I recently saw a small zippered case at the local discount shop labelled "Hair Emergency Kit". Inside was an assortment of elastic bands, head bands, bobby pins, and clips. If you have a young fashionista in your life who is hair obsessed, you could create a custom emergency kit by filling this pouch with hair essentials.
Or how about an emergency kit filled with nail polish, clippers, file, glue, swabs, and remover pads for one who is nail obsessed? Or maybe use it to gift some massage oils? Or how about a winter warm up kit with a couple packs of gourmet hot chocolate or instant coffee, a mini bottle of flavoured liqueur, and some hand warmers?
Okay, that's enough from me. I would love to get your ideas on what to do with this. If you'd like to make one for yourself, here is the video tutorial link and here is the link to the PDF pattern templates.
I think I see another ‘must make’ in my future. Thanks for sharing. Yours is really cute!
ReplyDeleteI'm crushing on this cutie! I need an emergency hearing aid kit with my charger, extra batteries, the dryer, and the streaming device, because getting caught in a Florida downpour means getting my hearing aids dried ASAP, and if I need a charge, I'll have that, too! Plus, I like having a mini manicure fix, too, and a mini medication kit, or an earring pouch! I can think of lots of things that would love to have a place to call home! So cute, too! Thank you!
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