This is both a crafty tutorial and an introduction to a new craft subscription box. I was sent September’s Makerly Stitch-Up Box* (£12pm from Makerly) and when I opened it, I was so impressed. Each month you get  selection of sewing supplies, fabrics and embellishments to create a specific project (for which you receive instructions and templates).

September’s box contained everything I needed to create some cute fabric zip pouches. There was enough supplies in this box to make several pouches, which I thought was great value for money. The box contained 5 different fabrics, matching threads, pom pom trims and ribbons, zips, felt, fabric lining, incredibly cute scissors and a selection of beads, buttons and sequins. 

I selected the bits I wanted to use to make a little ‘sleep’ pouch to keep next to my bed to keep my favourite relaxing pillow spray in, and I added in some iron-on letters that I had in my own crafting stash. Although I love the contents of this Makerly box, the instructions that came with it on how to make a fabric zip pouch weren’t that great – the illustrations were very hard to follow and the text wasn’t detailed enough. I decided just to make a pouch my own way, to my own design, and that’s what I’m going to share with you today.

I chose to line my pouch with felt to make it thicker and sturdier. Lay out your chosen patterned fabric face down with your felt lining on top. The width of your pouch should be around half a centimetre longer than the length of zip that you have, so mark out the sides of your pouch with a pen and ruler to ensure you cut straight edges. The height of your pouch can be whatever you want it to be, but make sure that you mark off a straight line along the bottom when you have decided this. Also remember that you are going to be folding the area you have marked off in half when you cut it out, so the height will eventually be half of what you have drawn out here. Pin along the lines, attaching your felt and fabric together, and then cut the area you have drawn out.

Next, fold your pouch in half, keeping it inside out, and sew up one of the sides. Pin one side of your zip along one side of the top of your pouch to keep it in place, then sew that one side of it on. Sew up the other side of your pouch then turn it inside out.

Now it’s time to sew the trim to the top of the pouch on the edge that you have sewn the zip on to. This will hide any bad sewing or jagged fabric edges. Then sew the other side of your zip to the other side of your pouch to complete it, and add the trim along this edge as well.

I decided to add a little felt cloud to my pouch. I drew the shape onto the felt with a pen and folded the felt in half so that when I cut round the shape, I would have two clouds to sew together. Once you have sewn the two clouds together around their outline, sew it onto a top corner of your pouch.

Finally, iron-on the word ‘sleep’ with some iron-on letters and you have your finished pouch. You, of course, can choose any word you want to fit the use of your pouch. Maybe you’ll use yours for makeup or pencils.

This post contains press samples, but all opinions are my own.

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