POUCH
A WIDE DRAWSTRING MOUTH MAKES THIS A CUTE STORAGE SOLUTION FOR YOUR STUFF!
YOU WILL NEED
■ Exterior fabric: one (1) fat quarter
■ Scale fabric: ½yd
■ Lining fabric: 3/8yd
■ Black felt: two (2) 1¼in squares
■ White felt: two (2) 1in square
■ Fusible webbing four (4)
1¼in squares
FINISHED SIZE ■ 6in x 12in
NOTES
■ All seam allowances are ¼in, unless otherwise instructed
■ Backstitch at beginning and end of all seams
■ RST = right sides together
■ WOF = width of fabric
■ For templates, see p90.
CUTTING OUT
1
From exterior fabric cut:
■ Two (2) 6½in x 4½in pieces (head).
■ Six (6) 6½in x 1½in pieces (body).
■ Two (2) Tail template pieces.
2
From scale fabric cut:
■ Two (2) 7in x 2½in pieces (lips).
■ Three (3) 3½in x WOF strips. Subcut into forty-four (44) 3½in x 2¾in pieces. Pin RST in pairs. Trim using Scale template.
3
From lining fabric cut:
■ Two (2) Lining template pieces.
■ Two (2) 2in x 23in pieces (drawstring).
4
Trace two (2) eye and two (2) pupil pattern pieces onto the paper-backed fusible web. Fuse eye pieces to white felt according to manufacturer’s instructions and cut out. Do the same for pupil pieces and black felt.
MAKE THE POUCH
5
Sew each pair of scale pieces together along the curved edge, leaving the top straight edge open. Trim seam allowance with pinking shears or clip notches into the curve. Turn right side out and press.
6
Baste the straight edge shut using a 1/8in seam allowance. Make a total of twenty-two (22) scales.
7
Take one 7in x 2½in lip piece and press under ¼in at each short edge. Press the edges under ¼in once more to enclose the raw edge. Topstitch in place.
8
Press the lip piece in half lengthwise and baste all the way along the long edge using a 1/8in seam.
9
Repeat steps 7–8 with your second fish lip piece.
10
Fuse one white felt eye pieces in place on each of the 6½in x 4½in head pieces. Position 11/4in from the one short edge, centred horizontally. Secure with a blanket or zigzag stitch.
11 Fuse the black felt pupil pieces in the centre of each eye and stitch in place.
12
Fold all tail and body pieces in half vertically and finger press to find and mark centres.
13
With one tail piece right side up, position two scales on top, aligning the straight raw edges. The scales should each be ½in from the centre crease, and extend beyond the edges of the tail. Pin in place.
14
Lay one body piece on top of the scales, right side down, matching the centres of the tail and body and aligning the long raw edges. Sew along the long raw edge. Press seam towards the body. 15
Fold one scale in half and finger press to mark the centre. Lay the scale on top of the body piece, matching the centres and aligning the raw edges. Pin in place.
16
Place a second scale to the left of the centre scale so that the left edge of the centre scale overlaps by ½in. Pin in place. Place a third scale on the right side so that its left edge overlaps the centre scale by ½in. Pin in place. The left and right scales will extend beyond the sides of the tail.
17
Lay one body piece on top, right side down, as you did in the previous step, matching and pinning at the centre, sandwiching the scales. Sew along the long raw edge as before and press seam towards the top body piece. 18
Repeat steps 15–17 to make a third row of scales.
19
For the fourth row of scales, repeat steps
15–17, this time sewing the head piece to the top instead of a body piece.
20
Baste along the edges of the fish body, using a 1/8in seam allowance, to secure the edges of the scales. Trim away any excess scales from the edge of the body.
21
Repeat steps 13–20 to complete a second fish body. In step 19, make sure when attaching the head that the eye is at the opposite side to the first body.
22
Place the two fish bodies RST so that their eyes are touching and align the
raw edges. Match and pin at the head seam. Pin and sew around the sides and tail, leaving the top edge of the head open.
23
Clip in towards the tail at the valleys but do not clip through stitching. Clip the corners of the tail. Do not turn pouch.
24
Position a lip piece inside of the pouch, aligning the raw edges of one head piece with the basted raw edge of the lip piece. Pin in place and baste with 1/8in seam allowance. Repeat with the second lip piece on the opposite side of the pouch.
25
Place the two lining pieces RST and pin. Sew the along the sides, leaving the top and bottom open. Turn right side out.
26
Place the sewn lining inside fish body with RST. Align raw edges of the top openings, matching and pinning at side seams. Sew around the entire opening.
27
Turn the pouch right side out through the opening in the lining. Press well. Close the opening in the lining with a ladder stitch or by machine. 28
Fold the short ends of one drawstring piece in to the wrong side. Fold the drawstring in half lengthwise, wrong sides together, and press. Unfold and bring the long raw edges in to meet the fold, and press. Press in half again to enclose the raw edges. Stitch along the folded edges with 1/8in seam allowance. Repeat with the second drawstring.
29
Thread one drawstring through the fish’s lips on both sides of the bag and knot the ends.
30
Repeat with the second drawstring at the opposite side of the pouch to finish.