Day 15: Treasure Pouch with ikatbag

Hello readers of Home Spun Threads! I'm LiEr from ikatbag and I am excited to be part of Aimee's Summer Soiree today! I have three little girls aged 3, 4 and 6 and a lot of my making is inspired by watching them play. We do most of our making together in the cold winter months and love being outdoors in the summer. And since being outdoors often means bringing home priceless souvenirs like pebbles and dandelions, I am sharing a tutorial on these little fleece pouches to hold all those summer treasures so tiny hands can be free to point, clap and wave in the sunshine.

To get started, download the pattern here and prepare your fabric pieces:

Step 1

Position one ribbon casing right side up on the right side of one of the side pieces.

Step 2

Using the zigzag stitch, sew both long edges to attach. You can choose coordinating or contrasting thread. Remember to backstitch where you began and ended.

Step 3

Mark the middle of the bottom edge (I used a pin for photo visibility).

Step 4

Make 1/4" deep cuts all along this bottom edge, about 1/2" apart. These cuts will be within the seam allowance portion of the fabric.

Step 5

Repeat Steps 1-4 for the other ribbon casing piece and side piece. 

Step 6

Place the right sides of both completed side pieces together, and sew up the side seams to make a squat tube.

Step 7

Make quarter marks (I used pins) around the circumference of the base.

Step 8

Match these marks up with the quarter marks (the two pins and the side seams) of the bottom edge of the tube from Step 6, and pin the base to the bottom of the tube. The wrong side of the base and the wrong side of the tube are facing outwards. 

Notice that the pins are on the tube/walls rather than the base. See next step for why.

Step 9

Lay your project tube/walls side up and base side down, under the presser foot. Stretch the snipped seam allowance of the tube around the curved edge of the base and sew to attach base to tube. 

The snips will help you ease the circular base into the straight tube edge perfectly, without puckers or folds. 

Step 10

Snip off the top corners of the side seam allowance 

so the seam allowance doesn't peek over the top edge of the pouch when turned right side out.

Step 11

Thread one ribbon (I used a safety pin) through one ribbon casing

and into the other, 

so the ribbon goes all around and emerges where you started.

Tie a knot.

Now go to the other gap between the casings

and insert your other ribbon, going all around until it emerges where you started.

Tie a knot.

Pull both ribbon loops to gather the opening shut!

Easy! Now make more so the kids each have one.

And get your hiking shoes on and head out to collect treasures!

Or head back to ikatbag for the Even Easier Version of this little pouch:

All images and text are copyrighted by ikatbag and must not be reproduced on other sites in any form, including translation, without the permission of the author.


Thank you, Aimee, for letting me join in the summer fun!