Piccadilly Pouch Tutorial...
Everyone needs a few useful zipped pouches in their bag, especially when they're sightseeing. Need a handy place to keep tickets? Always searching in vain for tissues or hand sanitiser? Or your phone!
The Piccadilly Pouch is just the right size, is simple to make with scraps of fabric and looks rather wonderful adorned with our London Town badge...
To make a 7" x 4½" zipped pouch you will need...
2 8½" x 6" pieces of fabric for the outer
2 8½" x 6½" pieces of fabric for the lining/piping
2 8½" x 6" pieces of fusible fleece of cotton batting scrap*
1 8" nylon zip (I chose to match my zip to the lining fabric)
London Town badge (optional)
* I used some batting scraps and spray baste
Please read through the pattern before you begin. Fabric is always placed right-sides-together and joined with a ¼” seam allowance unless otherwise noted.
Preparing the quilted panels...
1. Fuse an 8½" x 6" piece of fleece/batting to an 8½" x 6" piece of outer fabric, then place a 8½" x 6½" piece of lining fabric on top - right sides together - matching up the top edge. And don't be alarmed, it should be slightly longer than the outer.
Stitch a scant** ¼” seam along that edge, press the lining away from the outer then fold it over the top to the wrong side of the panel and pin or glue baste in place. The top edge will now have a neat 'piped' edge.
** that is, slightly less than ¼”
2. Machine or hand quilt the panel, avoiding the piped edge, then trim the sides and bottom only to make the panel 8" x 5½".
MAKE 2 PANELS
Preparing the zip...
3. Fold each of the four ends of the zip away from the zip teeth at right angles and secure with a few stitches, either by machine or by hand. I've used light thread on my red zip for illustration, but this will obviously look nicer if you colour-match your thread.
Assembling the pouch...
4. If you are using the London Town badge, glue baste it in position on the front panel and stitch in place.
5. Centre the front panel on the zip, matching the the top of the piping to the centre of the zip, and pin in place (a).
Starting ½" in from the edge (about level with the zip stop) with a few backstitches, sew along the the bottom of the piping, and stop ½" away from the end, securing with backstitches (b).
6. Attach the back panel to the other side of the zip in the same way (c & d).
9. Grab all of those bits & bobs rattling around in the bottom of your bag and start organising. If you're anything like me, you might need more than one...
Nicola xx
7. The front and back panels are joined with a French Seam: Stitch around the perimeter of the pouch - right sides out - with a 1/8” seam (e). Clip the corners (there won't be much to trim) then turn inside out, gently pressing out the corners, using a knitting needle or something similar.
Then sew around the perimeter again (f), this time with a ¼” seam to encase the raw edges, backstitching at the beginning and end of the seam to strengthen it.
8. Turn right sides out and press lightly (g & h).
