Hey everyone! Today we're making a handy zip pouch, and I'll show you how an earth-toned hexie batik can turn a simple little bag into something you'll reach for every day.
Here we go.
Meet the fabric
This is the Banyan Earth Hexies Neutral Cotton 44"/45" Fabric Per Yard from Northcott. It's by Banyan Batiks Studio, in the Hexies - New Colors group.
It's cotton, and the width is 44"/45". The colorway here is called Earth, and it's listed as a neutral. That matters for a pouch. Neutrals go with everything, and they don't show every little scuff from being tossed in a tote.
The collection is built around intricate hexagon-inspired motifs, with geometric precision blended with the organic beauty of handcrafted fabric. It looks crisp up close, and soft from across the room. Just like that.
Hexies offers a modern twist on traditional batik. You'll see lines in the design, and that pattern gives you a lot to look at, even on a small cut.
The project: a handy zip pouch
We're making a zip pouch that finishes at about 9" wide by 6" tall. That's a friendly size. Big enough for notions, chargers, or makeup. Small enough to finish in one sitting.
Why does this fabric suit it? A pouch is all outside, all the time. This print already has the pattern, so you don't need piecing to make it interesting. One cut for the front, one for the back, and those hexies do the work. The earth tone also hides travel wear really really well.
Materials
- 1/2 yard of Banyan Earth Hexies Neutral, 44"/45" wide — you'll cut the outside and have fabric left for a second pouch
- 1/4 yard of a coordinating cotton for the lining
- One 12" zipper — we'll trim it down, or a 9" zipper if that's what you have
- Lightweight fusible interfacing, two pieces cut 10" by 7"
- Thread that blends with the earth tone for topstitching
- Zipper foot, rotary cutter, ruler, mat, pins or clips, and an iron
Brief steps
One. Cut two outside pieces at 10" by 7". Cut two lining pieces the same size. Center a nice run of hexies on the front piece before you cut. Look at it from a few steps back. Completely up to you where the pattern lands.
Two. Fuse interfacing to the wrong side of both outside pieces. Press from the center out. This gives the pouch a little body, so it stands up instead of flopping over.
Three. Lay your zipper face down along the top edge of the front piece, right side up underneath it. Add lining on top, right side down, so the zipper is sandwiched in the middle. Sew with your zipper foot, a size 80/12 needle, and a 2.5 mm stitch length, about 10 stitches per inch. Use a 1/4" seam allowance.
Four. Repeat on the other side with the back and second lining pieces. Press away from the zipper, then topstitch 1/8" from the teeth on both sides. Go steady. Slow down or the needle snaps if you hit a zipper tooth, so hand-crank past the stop if you need to.
Five. Open the zipper halfway. That's important, folks. Sew the outside pieces right sides together, and the lining pieces right sides together, all the way around with a 1/2" seam allowance. Leave a 3" opening in the bottom of the lining. Trim the corners, turn it right side out through that opening, then stitch the opening closed.
Full honesty. My first zipper on this style twisted a little at one end. I opened two inches of seam, straightened it, and sewed it again. Nobody could tell. It doesn't have to be perfect, y'all. You're your own worst critic. Take your time. It's not a race. If I can do this, y'all can do it.
Practical tips
Press before you cut, and press after every seam. A print with a lot of geometry will show a wavy seam right away, and five minutes with the iron fixes most of it.
Use clips instead of pins near the zipper. They hold layers flat, and they don't bend on that thick spot.
Want boxed corners? Sew a 1 1/2" box at each bottom corner before you turn it. That gives it a flat base. We're not reinventing the wheel here — same pouch, just with a bottom.
Save your scraps. This earth neutral plays well with almost everything, and a leftover strip makes a great zipper pull tab.
Alrighty. Thanks so much for sewing along with me today. I hope this little pouch earns a spot in your bag. We'll see you next time. Bye.
Shop the Banyan Earth Hexies Neutral Cotton 44"/45" Fabric Per Yard at Linda's Electric Quilters.
