Hip Pouch Tutorial

Materials List:

1/2 yard focal fabric

1/2 yard lining fabric

Fusible fleece or batting

Shape Flex

2 zippers-7" or larger (larger than 7" will be a bit easier, I'll explain below**)

3" piece of velcro (both hook and loop side)

From the focal fabric cut:

1 - 3"x7"

1 - 6"x7"

1 - 12.5" x 7"

1 - 5.5" x 7"

1 - 2" x WOF (width of fabric)-not pictured

From the lining fabric cut:

1- 18" x 7"

1 - 9" x 7"

2- 11" x 7"

4 - 3" x width of zipper

From the Shape Flex cut*:

1 - 3"x7"
1 - 6"x7"
1 - 12.5" x 7"
1 - 5.5" x 7"
1- 18" x 7"
1 - 9" x 7"

*note-I like to cut my interfacing 1/2" shorter all around so that it's easier to fuse to my fabric pieces as I don't have to worry about the interfacing being larger and accidentally getting the fusible on my iron. If you do this, just center the interfacing on your fabric piece so that it leaves a 1/4" of non-fused fabric all the way around. Doing this also helps reduce bulk in the seams.

From the Fusible Fleece or Batting cut:

1- 17.5" x 6.5"
1 - 8.5" x 6.5"


Prepare your pieces

Following the manufacturer's instructions, fuse the pieces of shape flex to their corresponding fabric pieces.

Fuse the two pieces of fusible fleece to the 18" x 7" lining piece and the 9" x 7" lining piece. Be sure to center the fleece onto the fabric before fusing so it will leave 1/4" of un-fused fabric all the way around. Doing this helps reduce bulk in the seams.

Prepare the zippers

Cut your zippers down to 7". Be careful not to cut the pull tab off when you do this.

**This is where having a larger than 7" zipper will be beneficial. A zipper's measurement goes from zipper stop to zipper stop, not from end to end. If you have a 7" zipper you will only be cutting off the end pieces, trimming it right up to the stops. When it comes time to sew the pouch together, the zipper stop can get in the way of the seam and your needle can hit it. If you have a longer zipper, you will be cutting the stop off and won't have to worry about damaging anything if the needle hits it.

Take the four 3" x width of zipper pieces and fold in the short ends by 1/4". Press.

Fold this piece of fabric in half, lining up the short ends again, and then insert the zipper so that the zipper is sandwiched inside the fabric. 

Repeat for the other end and pin the fabrics in place.

Stitch the fabric in place along the short edge using a 1/8" seam allowance. Repeat for the other zipper. 

Prepare the inside pocket/pouch

To begin, grab the following pieces: 3" x 7" and 6" x 7" from the focal fabric, the 9" x 7" and one of the 11" x 7" pieces from the lining fabric and one zipper. 

Note that my 6" x 7" piece does not currently show a monkey applique here, but will in future pictures. Just so you don't get confused and think I pulled the ol' switcheroo ;)

Fold the 6" x 7" piece of fabric in half along the bottom edge to find the center point. Set a ruler on the fabric, lining up one of the markings with the center point, in my example I lined the 3" mark along the center. Using that marking, place your velcro 1" up from the bottom edge and centered with that center point. If you line the edges of the velcro 1 1/2" on either side of that center mark it will insure that it's centered. 

Stitch the velcro into place.

Line the zipper up along the top edge of the 6" x 7" piece.

Flip the zipper down so that it's right sides together with the fabric. 

Now take the 11" x 7" lining piece and lay it, face down and upside down if you're using a printed fabric, on top of the zipper piece. I offset the fabric in the picture so you can see how it should be layered. 

Stitch these together using a 1/4" seam allowance. 

Flip the fabrics so that they are wrong sides together and the zipper is sticking up above them. Pin along the top edge of the fabric, just below the zipper, to hold those fabrics together away from the zipper and then stitch an 1/8" seam along that edge. 

Now pay attention, this part is a little tricky to explain. That 11" x 7" lining piece is longer than your zippered part. Pictured here is the backside of the zippered piece you just made. Lay your piece out as pictured below, then take that top edge and bring it down so that it lines up with the edge of the zipper. You're basically folding that lining piece in half and matching up those edges. See next photo.

I offset the lining so you can see how they line up, you want to line the edge of that lining piece up with the edge of the zipper.

Now take the 3" x 7" piece of focal fabric and lay this, face down, on top of the zipper, lining up those edges. You should now have a little sandwich of focal fabric right side down, zipper right side up, and lining piece with right side facing the back of the zipper. Pin these layers in place.

Stitch these layers together using a 1/4" seam allowance.  

Flip that 3" x 7" piece up, but only that piece (leave the lining alone, out of the way). As you did before, sew a seam along the edge of the zipper using a 1/8" seam allowance. 

Now you have a completed pocket piece, and the 9" x 7" lining piece (with fusible fleece attached)

Lay the pocket piece down on top of the lining piece, right sides together. In the photo below, I have offset the pieces so you can see where I matched the top edge of the pocket piece with the top edge of the lining piece. Match those edges, pin and then sew together using a 1/4" seam allowance.  

After sewing these two pieces together, open them up and press this seam. Then fold the lining piece down so that it's behind the pocket piece and those two pieces are now wrong sides together. The folded pocket that you made earlier will be sandwiched between these two pieces. 

Top stitch the pocket using an 1/8" seam allowance. You now have a completed pocket piece!

Grab the long 18" x 7" lining piece that you set aside earlier. Attach the other piece of velcro to it using the exact same steps and measurements that you used earlier to attach one to the pocket piece. (Please scroll up to view those photos if you need a refresher)

After you have the velcro attached, lay the pocket piece on top of the lining as pictured below, matching the bottom and side edges. 

Sew these two pieces together as pictured below, using an 1/8" seam allowance and a basting stitch if desired. These stitches will not be seen later. If you used a 7" zipper, be careful of the zipper stop, this is where it can get in the way. 

Set this piece aside for now, we're going to make the outer pocket next.

Make the Outer Pocket

This step is done very much like the pocket above. You'll need the second zipper, the 5.5" x 7" and  12.5" x 7" pieces from the focal fabric and the other 11" x 7" lining piece. 

Lay the zipper, face down, on top of the 5.5" x 7" focal piece. 

Lay the lining piece, right sides together and upside down if using a printed fabric, on top of the zipper. You now have a sandwich of focal fabric right side up, zipper right side down, and lining fabric right side down. Pin and sew these pieces together using a 1/4" seam allowance. 

As you did in the earlier step, open these pieces up, fold the lining piece back so that it is wrong sides together with the focal fabric and the zipper is sticking up above the two pieces, and then topstitch along the edge of the zipper using a 1/8" seam allowance. 

Also, like in the earlier step, fold that lining piece in half, bringing that bottom edge up to meet the back of the zipper. I have offset the fabric below so you can see what I mean. You will line that top edge showing below up with the top edge of the zipper. 

Now put the 12.5" x 7" piece of focal fabric, right side down, on top of the zipper, matching those top edges. I offset the fabric below so you can see what I mean. You now have a sandwich of the lining fabric, right side up, zipper right side up, and focal fabric right side down. 

Pin and sew these together using a 1/4" seam allowance 

Flip the focal piece up and topstitch using a 1/8" seam allowance. 

Make the Strap

Here's where it started getting late and I lost my light. I apologize in advance for the poor quality of some of these photos.

Grab that 2" x WOF strip that you cut from your focal fabric. Fold the edges of the strip towards the middle and iron them into place. To make this easier you can fold the strip in half and iron it first, and then use the crease in the middle of the strip as a guide. Or, if you have a bias tape maker like I do, use the 1" tip that came with the machine.

Now fold the strip in half so the raw edges are tucked safely inside. 

Sew a seam down the length of the strip on the open side, 1/8" from the edge. Feel free to sew one on the other side to for aesthetic purposes. 

Making sure the strap isn't twisted, pin the ends in place as pictured below, lining them up with the top edge of the pocket. As you can see, I opened the zipper pocket and tucked the rest of the strap into it to keep it out of the way. It will become a nuisance later when you sew the pouch together so feel free to do the same with yours. 

Stitch the straps into place, using a 1/8" or less seam allowance. 

Sew the Pouch Together

Take your two pouch halves and lay them down as pictured. Pay special attention to the direction they are laying, you don't want to sew them together the wrong way. 

Flip one piece over onto the other so that they are right sides together. Pin these together around all four sides. 

If you want the pouch to have rounded edges, now is the time to make those marks. I used the lid to my spray starch, but you can use anything that is curved to make these marks. Go ahead and trim the fabric on that mark. 

Sew the pieces together using a 1/4" seam allowance. Leave an opening along the top so that you can turn it right side out. It will be a bit bulky to pull through, so leave the opening big enough for that, about 4" should be good enough. Make sure you back stitch at the beginning and end of this opening because you will have to wrestle the fabric through and you don't want it coming undone. 

After sewing, go ahead and turn it right side out through that opening. Use a turning tool and carefully push out the corners. If you chose curved corners these will be easy to turn, just make sure you get them turned all the way and pushed out neatly. After you're done pushing out the edges, give the pouch a good press. 

Hand sew the opening closed, I like to use a ladder stitch so you won't see the stitches. 

Top stitch the top flap to give the pouch a nice finished look. I open the flap and fit it under the sewing machine foot as pictured. Use a 1/8" seam allowance and stitch around the top to the other side. Take your time and follow the edge carefully. Be sure to go slowly over the zippered parts. 

That's it, you're done! Enjoy your new pouch!

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You can also download it here for free from Craftsy

Hip Pouch tutorial on Craftsy