Puffy Pouch Tutorial

Here comes the tutorial for the puffy pouch ;)
As I promised, I am introducing two ways to make this pouch, one made with a 5" flex frame which may not be very accessible and the other made with velcro which is fairly easily found at any craft stores.

I love this pouch either way. This pouch is like the fabric basket tute and the patchwork drawstring tute combined into one with a little twist, so yeah, it's quick and easy again!!

As always, seam allowances are 1/4" unless otherwise noted.

First off, pick out linen (or medium to heavy fabric) and three different print cotton fabrics that contrast each other for the external shell.

Cut out fabrics into pieces:
Eight 1.75" x 5.5" pieces and
Two 2" x 6" from linen
Two 1.75" x 5.5" from each cotton fabrics.

From the fabric for lining, cut out two 5.5" x 5.5" pieces.

Let's start making the outer shell.
Sew the 1.75" width fabrics like this to make..

Two patchwork panels like these.

Then press seams open.

To make a peek-a-boo, grab the cotton fabric like this at one edge.

Pin and sew very close to the edge to secure the fold.

Do that for each short edge of the cotton fabric.
Here is how it looks like after you are done with three edges on one side, and...

Here is how it looks like when all the edges are sewn up.
Repeat the same process for the other panel.

Now let's make the top part of the pouch.
Fold short edges twice, 0.25" and 0.25", of the two 2" width linen pieces.

Sew very close to the fold line like this.

Fold in half and press.
If you are using a flex frame, jump to the step with this little heart→heart.
If you are using velcro, please bare with me and follow all the steps ;)

If the pouch is to be made with velcro, we want to make sure the top part of the pouch is firm and steady, so we add thick batting.
Cut out batting into two 4 1/2" x 5/8" pieces, and place each piece in each linen piece, one long edge aligning the fold line. (Here, applying fabric glue to one side of the batting will prevent it from moving when you sew, which is the next step.)

Sew very close to the edges with wrong sides together...

like this so that one long edge is left raw.

Now, place a strip of velcro measuring 4" x 5/8" on each of the linen piece, aligning center, very close to the long folded edge.

Repeat it for the other piece of linen so that you have two top parts complement to each other.

Machine-baste the piece onto the main patchwork panel, very close to the edges.

                 

 Welcome back, the flex-frame takers! Sew the casing onto the patchwork panel.

So now you have two panels with this thingie attached.

Absolutely optional, but it might be fun to add a little ribbon.

I totally forgot to take a picture of this critical step, but here we sew the two patchwork panels with right sides together, all the edges except the top edge where the casing is attached. 
And this is optional, but if you box corner, your pouch will turn out quite puffy with roundish corners.
(I sewed in the way that from the pointy end to the needle was about 3/4".) Trim excess at the corners.

Just like you sewed the outer bag, you are now making lining by sewing the fabric with right sides together; this time, make sure to leave an opening at the bottom.

If you boxed the corners, you may want to repeat the same process for the lining too.

Then trim excess.

Turn the lining right side out and place it inside the outer bag so that right sides are facing each other. (Sorry for the different fabric for the lining - I was taking photos while making two pouches with different fabrics.. I hope I'm not confusing you here..!)

Now sew all the way around the top edge.
Here, the lining and the exterior bag are sewn right sides together, and the casing is sandwiched in-between so that when you sew, you don't see the casing just like the picture above.

Turn the pouch right side out through lining opening, and hand-stitch opening closed. 
If you made it with velcro, you are done! Yay!
If you didn't, then now insert the 5" length flex frame through casing.

 Hooray! Your pouch is finished!! 
The left one is made with velcro and the right one is made with a flex frame. Both of them turned out really cute and practical ;)