I use a little zippered pouch to
carry around my earbuds since they are the fancy microphone ones and I
don’t want them to break or get tangled. Some of you have commented that
you are looking for some small, simple gift ideas. This is definitely
simple to make, and a little more fun than the typical rectangular
zippered pouch! I can see these as the perfect gift for teenage cousins
or nieces or girlfriends or even teacher gifts. Fun, quick, and cute! It
doesn’t take very much fabric so you could even use scraps! Sometimes I
have the perfect fabric for something but I only have a fat quarter, or
I want to make something extra with the leftovers from another project.
This is perfect for that. You could even use 5″ charm squares! You can
enlarge any of the photos by clicking on them, if you need to. This is a
very basic zippered pouch, so hopefully some of you beginners will try
making one!
UPDATE: I have completely
re-written this tutorial with twice as many bright, clear photos and
more detailed instructions and it is available as a pattern in my pattern shop. The free tutorial is still available below!
First, download the pattern template HERE.
Cut from main fabric:
1 circle
2 half circles
1 tab
Cut from lining fabric:
1 circle
2 half circles
Cut from batting (or medium weight interfacing, if you prefer): 1 circle
2 half circles
You will also need a 1″ wide nylon 5″ or longer zipper.
Place one lining half circle right side up and place the zipper right side up on top. Align top edges.
Place a main fabric half circle wrong side up (right side together with the zipper). Place batting on top.
Sew with a 1/4″ seam allowance. It’s important to use a 1/4″ SA here
because the zipper is 1″ wide, and if we use two 1/4″ seam allowances we
are subtracting 1/4″ from each half circle but adding 1/2″ in the
middle of the zipper. Perfect!
Fold back and repeat with the other side. Then trim the batting as best you can without cutting into the fabric.
Fold everything back and press well.
Make sure the back side is away from the zip as well.
Topstitch 1/8″ away from the edge with a longer stitch length.
Now make the tab for the side. Fold the tab in fourths – Fold the edges to the center and then fold in half and topstitch.
Now unzip the zipper part way and “tack” the zipper closed at the edge of the circle.
Fold the tab in half and place it with the raw edges towards the
outside of the circle, folded edge in, right over the zipper and sew it
at the same spot where you tacked the zip.
Now you need to place the circle pieces wrong sides together with the
batting in the middle. Place the lining circle wrong side up. (I’m
using solids so it doesn’t matter, but if you are using a print, place
it right side DOWN, wrong side up.) Place the cotton batting on
top. Place the main fabric circle on top of that. Like a quilt sandwich.
It’s so small you don’t really need to pin. If you used fusible
interfacing in place of batting, just place the two fabrics wrong sides
together.
You should now have these two pieces. Make sure the zipper pull is IN THE MIDDLE of the circle. You don’t want to end up cutting it off!
Flip the full circle piece over on top of
the piece with the zipper, right sides together. (Now, if I was showing
you how to do this the “right” way, I would tell you to baste with a
1/8″ seam allowance around the outsides first. But this is a small
pouch, and it will be fine if you don’t baste. Plus, it’s just for fun.
Not basting also makes it easier to trim the batting after sewing!)
Time to sew! Start anywhere on the circle and sew all the way around with a 3/8″ seam allowance.
Since we didn’t use interfacing AND we are
sewing in a circle, you might get some puckering (fusible interfacing
helps keep the fabric stiffer so it doesn’t pucker as much.) It’s OK.
Just lift up the presser foot every few stitches, pivot, smooth out the
pucker and keep sewing.
Since
there won’t be a ton of reinforcement at those zipper edges, I like to
stitch across them a couple times. Just hit your backstitch button a
couple times, taking a few stitches across them back and forth.
Now cut off the zipper ends. Just don’t use your good fabric
scissors! I keep an extra pair of scissors around of opening packages,
cutting paper and cutting off ends of zippers.
Now pull back the fabric and try to trim as much batting out as you
can without slicing fabric. I use sharp, tiny scissors for this. It’s
not imperative but I think it helps reduce bulk.
Trim the seam allowances a bit less than 1/4″. I used pinking shears
but it will be fine if you don’t – just clip the curves. Turn the pouch
right side out. Topstitch around the outside with a 1/4″ seam allowance
to enclose the raw edges.
When
I topstitched, I didn’t stitch over the open end of the zipper so that I
could still close it all the way. Backstitch at the beginning and end
or pull your threads to the back and tie them off. I always use a longer
stitch length when I topstitch. It looks nicer and is less likely to
pucker when you have so many layers. Somewhere between 3.5-4mm.
Add a split ring and your earbuds and you are done!
suzee says: 
