Patchwork Pencil Pouch Tutorial

 Keep your favorite pens and pencils organized in this pretty patchwork pouch! It was made using both pieced designer cottons and simple unbleached cotton for the outer pouch and a coordinating fabric for the lining. Also lightly padded with fleece for a soft feel. This zipper pouch is a great size for make up brushes as well.

 It's a basic zipper pouch with some patchwork detailing on the front. Making this pouch is a great way to use up some of those awesome little scraps you have laying around.

What you will need:

- Unbleached cotton (Osnaburg) or linen
- 4 small scraps of cotton print fabric (large enough for 2.5 x 2.5 squares)
- larger pieces of cotton print for lining
- heavyweight fusible fleece
- 8 inch or longer nylon zipper (the longer the easier to work with!)
- small length of ribbon (optional)
- sewing machine
- thread (I prefer a thread that blends in with the unbleached cotton but go with whatever floats your boat)
- iron
- rotary cutter and mat (you can make paper templates and cut with scissors as well)

Seam allowance will vary throughout the project. Make sure to double check before stitching.


Step 1: Cutting

You'll also need to cut [2] pieces 4.25 x 8.5 inches for the lining of the pouch. I forgot to include those in the photo. And you won't need two zippers - I just couldn't make up my mind which color I wanted to use!

Step 2: Patchwork

1. Pin together the [4] 2.5 x 2.5 squares in whatever order you choose and stitch together using a 1/4 inch seam allowance. Press seams open, flip over and press again to smooth everything out.

2. Next, you will sew the [2] long pieces of unbleached cotton to the patchwork. The 1.75 x 8.5 piece will be the top of the pouch and the 1.25 x 8.5 piece will be the bottom. Use a 1/4 inch seam allowance here as well. Press seams open.

Step 3: Fusing the fleece to outer pouch pieces

*If you prefer to sew your zipper another way, don't fold over the tops of the pieces and skip Step 3.

Fold over and press 1/4 inches on the top long edge of both outer pouch pieces. Place the fusible fleece under the 1/4 inch fold and center on each pouch piece. This will decrease the bulk in the seams when you sew. Fuse the fleece according to the manufacturer's instructions. Once the fleece is fused to your pieces, you can add decorative stitching to the patchwork piece if you like.

Step 3: Attaching the zipper

Place your zipper along the left edge of one of your lining pieces and pin to the right of the zipper teeth. Make sure the zipper pull is at the top. If you use an 8 inch zipper like I did, you'll need to also make sure to center it so that you won't sew over any of the metal bits when stitching the seams of the pouch (you'll be using the edge of your presser foot or 3/8 inches as your seam allowance to sew the pouch together-use that as a guideline). Or, you can remove the metal bits with a plier. If you use a longer zipper, those pieces will most likely hang off the edges of the lining fabric so it won't be an issue. 

Next, take your patchwork piece and place folded edge against the left side of zipper teeth. Pin in place. Once everything is pinned together, you'll need to open the zipper a bit to get the zipper pull out of the way. Stitch fairly close to the zipper teeth. Continue to open the zipper as you sew until you get close to the bottom. At that point, leave your needle down, lift the presser foot, and move the zipper pull up and out of the way. Finish stitching. I use my walking foot to attach zippers so just use whatever foot you like best! Once you've stitched the zipper, flip the lining piece towards the outer piece (wrong sides will touch) and press.

Now we'll add the other side of the pouch! Take the pouch half you just sewed and place it on top of the other lining piece (the right sides of the lining fabric will touch). Make sure the zipper pull is at the top and that the short sides of the pieces match up. Pin in place. Refer to the photo below for clarification.

Flip your pinned pieces around and  add the back  piece of the pouch now. As you did with the patchwork piece, you'll place the folded edge of the back piece against the left side of the zipper teeth (zipper pull will be on the bottom). Pin in place and stitch.

Press the lining pieces flat. Trim of most of the zipper overhang. Flip the pouch around to get lining pieces on one side and outer pieces on the other.


Step 4: Sewing the pouch

Pin all away around the pouch. Use the edge of your presser foot or a 3/8 inch seam allowance to stitch the pouch together. Leave a small opening along one of the short sides of the lining to turn your pouch. Don't forget to unzip the zipper a bit before sewing everything together!!!!! 

Trim all 4 corners and turn the pouch through the opening. Slip stitch the opening shut and press. Tuck lining into pouch, zip shut and press. Add a bit of ribbon as a zipper pull if you like. I run the ends of the ribbon through a lighter flame to seal them and stop fraying. All done!!!