I’m excited to finally share a pouch pattern and tutorial with you! I figure all good sewing blogs generally have a free pouch tutorial and here’s mine. It’s high time after 2 1/2 years! My sponsor Double Decker Fabric supplied the fabrics for this project. Aren’t they gorgeous?! They are listed below if you’d like to get some with the discount she’s graciously offering as well. (Find it below!)

This pouch has been in my “ideas” envelope for a good long time now. The front curves form a unique area that frames your favorite fussy-cut fabric. There are so many possiblities for it! My husband says the shape looks like a Cat’s Eye – and that’s how it got its name.

The finished pouch is 8″ wide and 5 1/2″ deep. Perfect for those miscellaneous things you need to carry around. Pretty things like nail polish, jewellery and makeup, or useful things for jotting down ideas on-the-go! It would be a unique entry for one of those handmade #pouchswaps I see all the time on Instagram too. We’ve used ours already to hold markers and paper for the kids on a trip out for dinner.

* Update: Don’t feel like sewing a pouch yourself? Buy one from a licensed Cat-Eye Zippered Pouch seller! Check out the sellers list. Are you a shop owner? You can buy a Cat-Eye Zippered Pouch seller’s license as an instant download. *

I love the little leather tassel. It adds a bit of extra oomph to the design, I think! It’s easy, and you can add it to any zipper you like – not just this pouch. I’ve included a little trick for how to get the thick leather through the itty-bitty hole in the zipper pull at the bottom of the tutorial!

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You can now purchase a 10 page instant PDF download of the Cat-Eye Zipper Pouch Pattern!

Cat-Eye Zipper Pouch Pattern Sample Page This PDF includes: Granny’s Sewing Basket – notes and tips to make sewing this pouch easier! (intro to Granny)

7 tidy instruction pages with 41 high quality photos and 3 pattern pages

Check boxes for each instruction & the materials listing, for those of you who love lists! Aside from these great features, purchasing this PDF supports Thread Riding Hood. Thank you very much! *NOTE: This link purchases the Cat-Eye Zippper Pouch PATTERN. If you are looking for the Seller’s License please find it in the shop.* CAT-EYE ZIPPER POUCH PRINTABLE PDF PATTERN: available for any donation!





Don’t feel like sewing a pouch yourself? Check out these Licensed Cat-Eye Zippered Pouch Sellers.

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HERE WE SEW!

As usual, please feel free to use my patterns/tutorials for your personal projects and gifts and for charitable fundraising events. Please do not sell anything made with this pattern. If you are interested in making them for sale , please contact me and I will set up a license for it in the shop . * Update: The Cat-Eye Zippered Pouch Seller’s License is now available!

Materials:

1 fat quarter outer fabric

large scraps of fabric for pleat & lining

9″ zipper

medium weight fusible interfacing

scraps of 1/4″ ribbon or about 3″ x 1/2″ of leather for zipper pull (if desired)

PATTERN PIECES: Free download, click here.

Printing the Pattern:

Download the Pattern Pieces using the link in the Materials listing. Print out all 3 pages of the pdf on letter size (8.5″ x 11″) or A4 paper. Important: Do not select “fit to page” when printing, make sure you print at the original size. Once you have printed the pages, measure the 1″ test square to ensure the pattern is the correct size.

Cutting: Pre-wash and press your fabric if desired. Cut all fabric and interfacing (except the Front-Inside Pleat) according to the pattern piece instructions. Fussy Cutting the Front-Inside Pleat: Fold the fussy cutting template in half along the dashed line. Cut out the marked area.

Unfold the template and place it over the fabric as desired.

Use the Front-Inside Pleat pattern piece to ensure the entire pattern piece will fit.

Trace around the template and mark the centre fold from the template as well.



Trace around the template and mark the centre fold from the template as well. Use the centre line to fold the fabric in half.

Use the centre line to fold the fabric in half. Cut according to the Font-Inside Pleat pattern piece, lining it up against the fold line from the Fussy Cut Template.



Leave the side lines marked on the fabric – you will need these to fold the pleat later.

Prep: Trim and discard 3/8″ from the bottom of the Zipper Side INTERFACING (NOT the fabric!), to reduce bulk in the seam allowance. Fuse to each Zipper Side.

Adhere 1 piece of Outer Back interfacing to wrong side of the Outer Back fabric. Set second interfacing piece aside. Helpful Notes:

If a more structured pouch is desired, you can add interfacing to the Front Inside Pleat, Lining and Outer Sides . Be sure to trim ALL SEAM ALLOWANCES (3/8″) off the interfacing before adhering. The added thickness makes it hard to stitch and the front does not lie flat where the layers come together.

Note that you can top stitch both outer and lining together along the zipper side, but the top corners of the pouch will not lie as flat. I have made one pouch each way. I like only top-stitching the lining to the zipper tape best – it is cleaner and has nicer corners. This is what I have instructed in this tutorial.

There is a 3/8″ seam allowance allowed throughout unless otherwise noted. Here we sew!

Pouch Front:

Place Front-Inside Pleat right side up. Match outer curve of both Outer Front Sides right sides together (RST) with the Pleat fabric. Stitch curves with a 3/8″ seam. Trim/clip seam allowance along the curve. Turn, press well & top stitch starting about 3/4″ from the ends of the curves. I like to leave a little bit of the Pleat fabric showing along the curve edge. It acts a bit like faux piping. Fold the Pleat fabric RST along the two marked lines. These were the side markings from the fussy-cut template. Lay the front sides and pleat over the Outer Back interfacing piece you set aside. With the Pleat folded, match the Outer Front Sides to the shape of the interfacing. Fuse interfacing as per manufacturer’s instructions. Press well. Cross the Pleat ends as desired (see photograph). Baste into place with a 1/4″ seam.

Finish Pouch Front/Back:

Match bottom (un-interfaced) edge of a Zipper Side to the top edge of the Front Pleat & Sides RST. Match the edge of the second Zipper Side to the top edge of the Outer Back RST. Stitch with a 3/8″ seam. Press seam towards Zipper Side. Top stitch as shown. These pieces are now called BACK and FRONT.

Zipper Ends:

Fold Zipper End in half. Top stitch the folded edge. Cut it in half to make 2 pieces that are 1″ square. Lay the zipper along the top of the Front or Back for easy measuring. Glue (use this trick!) or baste one Zipper End at each end of the zipper according to the length of the outer. Install the Zipper: Lay the Front right side up, align the zipper along the top edge. Make sure the zipper pull is down and on the left. Match the Lining RST with the Front and Zipper along the top edge. Stitch with a 1/4″ seam. Press the lining open. Top stitch the edge of the zipper to the lining ONLY. Open the Front so it is wrong sides together (WST) with the lining. Match second edge of the zipper to the top of the BACK Lining. The zipper pull is up and to the left. Match the Back Outer RST with the Back Lining. (The Front & Front Lining will be sandwiched in between the two.) Stitch with a 1/4″ seam. Press the lining open. Top stitch the edge of the zipper to the lining ONLY. Open the Back so it is WST with the lining. Important! Open the zipper 1/2 way! If you forget this step it will be hard to turn the pouch later. Stitch the Pouch:

Fold the pouch pieces in half temporarily along the zipper edge. The Outer pieces should be RST. Match the Zipper Side edges and pin to prepare to sew the pouch sides. Unfold, refold and pin all edges so the Outers are RST and the Lining pieces are RST. The pins from the last step should hold the zipper teeth down on the lining side. Stitch the outer edges of the pouch with a 3/8″ seam, leaving a 4″ opening along the bottom of the lining. Take extra care and stitch slowly through the zipper tape and teeth. Once I am sure my stitching is straight I like to double-stitch over this area to make sure it is held securely. Clip or Trim the curved corners of the Outer and Lining with pinking shears. Grade or Trim the excess zipper length. Use Fray Check on the zipper tape if desired. Press the lining seam allowance up to prepare for turning. Turn the pouch inside out through the opening. Push out all corners/edges and press. Match the edges of the Lining opening. Stitch across close to the edge or slip-stitch by hand to close. Push the lining into the pouch.

Attach the Tassel:

Cut a 3″ long piece of leather into 1/8″ strips, or gather two 3″ long pieces of 1/8″ ribbon. Thread an extra 6″ excess piece of ribbon or string through the hole in the zipper pull. Place the leather or ribbon strips through the loop in the excess ribbon. Gently tug and wiggle the leather/ribbon through the hole in the zipper pull using the excess ribbon. Remove the excess ribbon and thread the ends of the leather/ribbon through the loop on the right side of the pull. Tug the ends of the leather/ribbon until they are tight against the zipper pull.

Press the pouch again neatly and VOILA, You are finished, Enjoy!

I’d love to see your creations! You can share your projects on Twitter and Instagram @sherrisylvester with the hashtag #alongforthreadride or #threadridinghood, or post them on the Thread Riding Hood Facebook page

Thanks for reading! Follow along to get more great tutorials and posts:

As usual, please feel free to use my patterns/tutorials for your personal projects and gifts and for charitable fundraising events. Please do not sell anything made with this pattern. Thanks! Don’t feel like sewing a pouch yourself? Check out these Licensed Cat-Eye Zippered Pouch Sellers. Are you a seller that would like to buy a Licence to Sew and Sell the Cat-Eye Zippered Pouch? You can buy a license in the shop and receive an instant pdf download!