If you ever have scraps of fabric you want to use up, this is a great little simple project. What I love about these drawstring pouches is that they are so practical and useful. I have been playing around with some fabric designs at spoonflower and you need to order proofs of your fabric before making them available for sale. The samples came on 8 x 8 squares so that is what I will be using to make my pouch.
Cut two pieces of 8 x 8 fabric squares.
You can cut two of the same fabric or coordinate two different fabrics, like in the example below:
Take your two squares and face them right sides together (the nice sides facing each other and the blurry sides facing out. You will be turning this inside out after sewing it.)
See? Blurry sides facing out. Now I get a ruler and mark my sides two inches down from the top.
Do this on both the top left hand side and the top right hand side.
Now I sew around all three sides from notch to notch, leaving the top open. I used 1/4 inch seam allowance.
See the mark/notch on the right? I start there and work my way around to the other mark, making sure to backstitch at the start and at the end (Backstitching is when you reverse the machine to lock the stitches.)
When you have finished sewing the three sides, next you fold out the top corners about 3/4 of an inch. I ironed mine down.
Now you want to trim around the edge about 1/4 inch being careful not the cut the stitching. Trim the corners so that they will lay flat when you turn it right side out.
The next step is to sew across the corners.
I opened one of the sides and will be sewing across the top of the two corners I just ironed out.
Sew right across the top of both of these sides as shown in the above picture.
Should have trimmed some of the strings so it didn't look like a hairy mess but here is the corner sewn straight across.
Now fold down the top to meet where you made the notch (one inch) and iron.
Here is what it looks like with the top folded down on both sides and ironed. Now sew around the entire top close to the folded down edge. (You are making casing where your string will go through.)
Start anywhere and just sew around the entire perimeter until you make a full circle ending at your starting point.
Here it is, all sewn up. Now turn it inside out. You can use a chopstick or the end of a paintbrush to push out the corners. I like to smooth mine out with the iron.
Now pick a ribbon to coordinate as your pouch string. Measure out 3 lengths plus about 2 inches. Cut two matching pieces this size. Attach a safety pin to the end of one of the ribbons and guide it through the casing. Start on one side, guide it all the way through, then go around to the back side and guide it back out to the side you came from.
Attach your safety pin.
I started on the right side and guided my pin to the left.
Now I guide the pin back though the other side to the right again. Tie those ends together.
Tie the ribbon together making a knot.
Now do the same thing with the other piece of ribbon you cut. This time start at the left side and work your way all the way back around and tie those two pieces of ribbon together.
There you have it. Once the ribbon on either side is tied, now you can pull and the pouch cinches shut like magic!
These are both cute and very practical! Great for your purse, for gift giving, as re-usable treat bags, whatever you can think up!
Hope you enjoyed! In case you want to use this particular fabric, it can be found here.
Very Warmly,
Pam