This is a scrappy, patchy, pleaty, little gift that is fun to make because you get to play with your little scraps of fabric…and I mean little! The biggest needs to be no larger than 6 1/2″ x 1″ or 2″ !
Moreover, and I’m a lot-a-bit afraid to admit, it was really fun doing the patchwork for the outside of this little bag! Still not ready to commit to a larger project – q-u-i-l-t. SCARY!
But it’s true, I have a thing for little zippered bags. I have no idea why. We even have a Pinterest board devoted to just little zippered bags!
We have several patterns for sale in the shop too.
(pictured clockwise: Lucky Charm Jiffy Zipper Bags, Cute Pleats! Pencil Case, Straight Stitch Society’s feed the animals coin purses, and Amy Butler’s Stash & Dash Bags)
Little bags are also satisfying to make because they are quick and you can be so creative with them! Embroider them…patchwork them…gusset them…make them round or square or boxy…or with faces…or with pockets…etc.
And who doesn’t LOVE using them? …toothpaste, pencils, zip drives, your Heinen’s card, lady business stuff, cell phones, mints…
Also because my 10-year-old is always looking for a pencil in the car to finish his homework on the way to school, I thought he could either pop this in his backpack (now there’s an idea!) or keep it in the seat or door pocket in the car.
I decided to give the “Cute Pleats! Pencil Case” a test drive.
I had some birch fabric scraps lying around the shop so I used those for this project.
Here it is all cut out – it took two seconds!
The pattern called for fusible fleece batting. We don’t carry that and I don’t even know what it is, to be honest, so I used horsehair lining. Worked perfectly!
The directions were straightforward and well-written with nice drawings.
I really liked the zipper directions, and how beautifully it gets finished on the inside,
as well as the outside!
I must have goofed on the zipper stop end when I layered my ends together to be stitched, as it came out pretty float on the other end (of course I’m showing you the pretty side!)
I would definitely make this pattern again. I’ve made other zipper pouch patterns before and this one has the best zipper finishing.
Once you make a few, the possibilities for modification are endless! Have fun with this one!