so many pouches

recently ashbash came over for a day of crafting.  this may sound like a straight forward act but really it was the work of a small miracle.  We had come up with a long list of crafts to do this summer but due to my traveling, both of our jobs, and some random disasters like my apartment flooding (wtf?) we made slow progress on that list.

when we did finally gather for take 523 million of crafting day we set out to make some pouches.
Ashley had requested that we make headphone pouches: pouches to hold our headphones while not in use.  Brilliant, obvi. So we did.  Loving stripes as we do, ashley picked a blue seersucker and i a green and pink number.  (unfortunately we were so distracted by the fact that we were actually crafting that no action pictures were taken.) The process to make these is pretty straightforward:

Headphone Pouch
     Ingredients:
Pretty fabric, 6 x 11 inches (approximately)
Fusible Interfacing, lightweight
Iron
Thread in matching theme
Button in matching theme
Sewing Machine

     Directions:
1. Pick your fabric, cut a 6 x 11 inches piece
2. Cut a piece of interfacing a bit smaller than 3 x 11 inches so it fits over half of the fabric lengthwise.  3. Press interfacing to the inside (or wrong side) of your fabric, following the manufacturer's directions.
4. Fold fabric lengthwise so right sides are touching each other -- aka you see the wrong side of your fabric only.  Press the edge.  You should be looking at a piece of fabric ~3 x 11 with one side being interfacing and the other the reverse of your fabric. Pin closed.
5. Sew around two sides of your fabric: the other long side and one short side.
6. You should now have a pouch that is 3 x 11 with one short side open.  Fold right-side out and press edges. Fold in the raw edges of the open side and sew closed.
7. Next decide how much of a lip you want on your pouch.  As you can see by the finish project Ashley wanted hers to fold over completely, while I went with a mostly covered look.
8. Sew a button hole to what will be the top of your pouch.  Use the attachment on your sewing machine for this, it's amazing.
9. Fold up the bottom flap and mark through the buttonhole where the button should go.  Sew on the button. 
10.  Fold up the bottom and pin sides. Sew closed.

Ta-da! you are done and ready to store those headphones when on the go!

We were so pleased with ourselves we made one more project: the very simple Lewis bag.
What is a Lewis bag? Well clearly it is a bag in which you crush ice for cocktails. duh!

How do you make such a bag? So simple:

Lewis Bag
     Ingredients:
Thick thick fabric, like canvas.
Pretty Thread in a bright color
Sewing Machine
Iron
     Directions:
1. Take a piece of heavy duty fabric and cut to ~14 x 24 inches
2. Pin the two short edges and and sew down.  You should fold them in opposite directions so that when flat you see pin heads on one edge but not the other.

 

3. Fold up one side about two-thirds up (see above pic). You should fold up the side so that the short edge you see is the wrong side.  Sew side edges. Flip right-side out and press edges. 

4. Um, yeah you are kind of done. I said it was easy.  Now fill with ice, take a wooden mallet and get out your stress.  Pour into glass and make a drink!

 

xoxo.