Crazy about Zippered Pouches

Once you've mastered the pattern basics for the zippered pouches - the sky is the limit. You'll be crazy about zippered pouches too!

While showed you how to make the zippered pouch yesterday, today I'll show the different fabrics you can make them. 

Change the size of the zippered pouch, choose a novelty print that highlights a favorite hobby for friends and family, embellish the pouches using some of the decorative stitches that can be found on the Husqvarna Viking Opal 690Q.  

Here are a few more ideas for customizing your zippered pouch.

Leftovers again?

You just finished the most amazing quilt ever and now you have scraps. What to do with them??   Why not piece them together and make a zippered pouch. If the quilt is a gift for someone - then you can always give them the pouch to match their quilt, or keep the pouch for yourself. 

A friend of mine made this zippered pouch for me. While we were at a quilting retreat, I was working on a paper pieced project. She took some of my scraps and made this cute pouch which was lightly quilted instead of interfaced. A scrap of fabric was used as a zipper pull. It now holds the letters for my magnetic Scrabble board which goes on retreat with us!

Another friend of mine made a bargello quilt. When she finished she was going to toss out the leftovers. Oh my! That won't do! I took the scraps and rejigged them as necessary and made THREE zippered pouches from the leftovers. When I was done - there truly was nothing left. Even though the entire bag had seams - I still made the bottom gusset and there was no problem with the extra seams.

Orphans in the closet?

Everyone has them - orphan blocks.  What are you going to do with one or two orphan blocks? Why not add some fabric to the sides to make the blocks into a size that will work for a zippered pouch. 

A friend of mine gave me a huge bag of orphan blocks which I added to my orphan blocks. I dug through the bag and came up with this pair of blocks that would be perfect for a zippered pouch.

I added a large piece to two sides of the block and a smaller piece to the top and bottom. I trimmed both pieces so they were the same size. You can have fun with coloured zippers and use up leftover fabric for the inside or a coordinating fabric.

Samples?

Why not use up some of those upholstery samples.  I seem to always have some of them on hand and I grabbed one to make my next zippered pouch. 

A sample of upholstery fabric

Isn't this a gorgeous bag. I cut off the top part of the bag where the grommets were and used a section of that cut-off for the ends of the zipper.

Size Matters!

Once you make your first zippered pouch, you will get an idea of how the dimensions work out. Then you will be able to make a bag that is custom fit for what you would like to put in it.  

Think toiletries, school supplies, small electronic devices and their accessories. toys, travel bags for the car - there are limitless possibilities as to what and who you can make a zippered pouch for. And let's face it - the zippered pouches are way more attractive than a Ziploc bag. 

Here is the original bag that I made. I started with a 10 inch square.

I decided that pouch was a bit too tall for the width. So I used an 8 by 10 inch piece and got this size.

Here you can see the difference in size between the two zippered pouches.

These zippered pouches are a breeze to make with the Husqvarna Viking Opal 690Q. Make your customized ribbon tag using one of the decorative stitches. The zipper foot makes the installation of the zipper a breeze. But if you want to take it further - why not decorate the outside of the bag with some of the decorative stitches, try some crazy fabrics like denim or leather. All you have to remember is use the Exclusive Sewing Adviser to make the necessary changes to stitch length and tension so you don't have to worry about that. 

 

While I love making quilts, I find making these small projects way more fun. They don't take long, they use up scraps and you get to try out new techniques that you may never try on a quilt. Plus you get to use more of the features on the sewing machine!!!!   If only there were more time in the day - I have a lot more ideas and no more time! 

I am crazy about zippered pouches! I hope you enjoyed some of the variations of the zippered pouch. Don't forget to send pictures. I would love to see what you have created using this basic pattern. 

Have a good day!

Ciao!