POUCH

TRIM YOUR BATTING NEATLY TO KEEP THE CORNERS OF YOUR POUCH FROM BUNCHING UP!

CUTTING OUT

1 From your fabric scraps cute forty-eight (48) 1½in squares and two (2) 2in squares.

2 From the exterior fabric cut two (2) 2¼in x 8½in rectangles and two (2) 3¾in x 8½in rectangles.

3 From the lining fabric cut two (2) 8½in squares.$

MAKING THE POUCH

4 Sew twenty-four (24) of the 1½in squares into three rows of eight. Press the seams for the middle row the opposite way to the seams for the bottom rows.$

5 Sew the three rows together and press. The nesting seams should mean your patchwork square is nice and flat.$

6 Sew the 2¼in x 8½in background fabric rectangle to the top edge of your patchwork piece and press the seam towards the background fabric.

7 Sew the 3¾in x 8½in exterior fabric rectangle to the bottom edge of the patchwork piece and press the seam towards the background fabric (Fig L).

8 Repeat steps 1 to 4 to make the second exterior panel.

9 Baste each exterior panel to a square of batting. Quilt as desired and trim away the excess batting. 10 Draw quarter circles on the bottom corners of both exterior panels and both lining panels and then cut around each of them (Fig M).

11 Fold one of the 2in squares in half WST and press, then open out. Press the sides in to meet the centre line. Fold and press along the centre line again to enclose the raw edges. Repeat to make the second tab.

12 Trim your zip to 8in. Slip one of the tabs over the end of the zip and top stitch in place. Repeat with the other tab on the other end of the zip (Fig N).

13 Place the zip face up along the top edge of one of the lining pieces. Your zip should be ¼in shorter than the lining piece on each end. Stitch in place using a seam allowance of slightly less than ¼in (Fig O).

14 Lay the top edge of one of the exterior panels face down on top of the zip and stitch through all three layers as shown (Fig P). Open out and press (Fig Q).

15 Repeat steps J and K for the other side of the zip.$

16 Press the panels away from the zip. Topstitch the top edge of the exterior panels, about 1/8in from the zip (Fig R).

17 Open the zip about half way. Lay the two lining pieces RST and the two exterior pieces RST and pin or clip in place. Stitch all the way around the edge, leaving a 2in gap on the bottom edge of the lining pieces unstitched (Fig S).

18 Turn the pouch right side out through the gap in the lining. Hand stitch the lining closed, then push your lining down into the pouch to finish.$