Maccabags!: Easy Peasy Pouches (How-to)

Want a really fast project which uses up smallish bits of left-over fabric or your FQ's? These pouches are lined, can be left plain or embellished a little.

For the basic pouch, you will need the following bits of fabric - the measurements include a 1 cm (.5 inch)seam allowance. The finished pouch is 12 cm wide, 16 cm high and 5 cm deep (5 x 6.5 x 2 inches), but these could be easily adapted to different sizes - just add or subtract the same amount to the width and/or length of exterior and lining, and make the casings & drawstrings longer or shorter (but not wider).

For the pouch exterior: 1 piece, 17 x 45 cm (7 x 18 inches)
For the lining: 1 piece, 17 x 34 cm (7 x 13.5 inches)
For the drawstring casings: 2 pieces, 3.5 x 15 cm (1.5 x 6 inches)
For the drawstrings: 2 pieces, 2.5 x 20 cm (1 x 8 inches)

To embellish the pouch, you could use all sorts of things - here are some ideas but there must be a zillion more:

a patch (purchased, or made from a piece of fabric, mine was about 5 x 4 cm (3 x 2.5 inches)
a button
a yo-yo
a little embroidered something-or-other
a little appliqued something-or-other
a ribbon bow or flower

What to do:

Step 1 - I have used purchased cord in my pouch below, but follow this step if you want to make the drawstrings as you see in the photo above. Fold one of the drawstrings in half, lengthwise. Press. Open out and fold the edges into the centre, so that they meet at the crease you just pressed in. The fold again along the first crease, encasing the edges. Stitch down the middle of the drawstring. Repeat to make a second.

Step 2 - Finish the edges of the casings. Turn under .5 cm (1/4 inch) on all edges and press.

Step 3 - Position the casings. Centre one of the casings on the pouch exterior, parallel to and 5.5 cm (2 and 1/4 inches)from one of the short edges of the pouch exterior. Pin in place. Stitch along both long edges - do not stitch across the short edges, this is where the drawstring will be inserted into the casing. Repeat with the 2nd casing along the other short edge of the pouch. If you are using some embellishment, add it now, and position it no more than about 5 cm (2 inches) from the bottom of one of the casings.

This shows the positioning of the casings and the patch. Sew the casings and the patch as marked, hopefully straighter than my wiggling lines!

Step 4 - Pin the lining to the exterior, right sides facing - short edge of lining to short edge of pouch. Stitch. Repeat with other short end and press seams open.

Here's my pouch/lining seams pressed open.

Step 5 - Make pleats at bottom of pouch and bottom of lining. Place the pouch/lining on a flat surface and carefully line up the seams you have just pressed open, and pin together - just pin at those seams for now. Turn the pouch end towards you and draw a line 2.5 cm (1 inch) up from the bottom fold. Flip the pouch over and do the same on the other side. Turn the pouch around and repeat these markings on the lining end. Open out the pouch and fold, right sides together along one of the markings. Press. Fold and press open along the other 3 lines you drew. Then line up the folded edges at the pouch end, right sides together, and pin. You should have a pleat of the pouch exterior sandwiched in between the folds. Do the same at the lining end.

The pouch/lining seams matched and pinned, the folds made. I have left one edge of the bag with the seam line unmarked so that you can see how the folds have "sandwiched" a pleat of fabric.

See Step 6 below - don't forget to leave that gap for turning - on one side only!

Step 6 - Sew one long edge of the pouch/lining. Sew the other side as well, but this time leave an 8 cm (3 inch) gap in the seam, at the lining end, backstitching securely where you stop the stitching at each end of the gap. Reach through the gap and turn the pouch/lining right side out. Push the lining into the bag. Since the lining was not as long as the pouch, about 2.5 cm (an inch) of the exterior will turn into the interior of the bag. Now poke out the bottoms so that they look like this - that's me pressing everything neatly!

Step 7: Insert the drawstrings as in the photos below - then tie small knots at each of the drawstring ends, like I have here, or tie two ends together and knot as in the beige-and-gingham pouch in the photo at the beginning of this posting.

EP8 drawstring2
Feed one of the drawstrings through the casing on one side and continue on through the casing on the other side. The drawstrings should then look like these photos. Do the same thing with the other drawstring, but start from the opposite side of the pouch.

All done. OH NO - not yet! Go back and sew that little gap in the lining shut!

And now there are four!

I thought three of these, maybe in graduating sizes and mix n' match fabric combos, would make a nice gift.

Another thought: insert a same-size-ish plastic bag containing sand or rice, for a cute doorstop.

And, made out of bridal fabrics, embellished with seed pearls/embroidery and with longer drawstrings for over-the-wrist carrying, this pouch would make a lovely bag for a bride or a bridesmaid to carry.

Make it out of silk dupion and add some sequins or feathers and you have a little evening bag.

Comments

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Excellent Tutorial! Love them, and love the additional ideas for them at the end :)

Posted by: Jo | July 08, 2008 at 09:23 AM

These are real pretty pouches. I like them a lot and guess what dupion silk is one of my favourite fabrics to work with. So I guess this goes on my list of things to make.

Nice Work ;-)

Posted by: oge | July 15, 2008 at 12:13 AM