Tutorial: Emergency Zippered Pouch

Thanks for all the lovely comments on our Emergency Zippered Pouch. We had a number of requests for a tutorial so you can make your own. They really are a handy size and perfect to put a few first aid supplies in your handbag.

Best of all, they only take an hour to make! They would make a nice gift with a gift card, cash or some other emergency supply inside!

Finished pouch is: 2 3/4 x 4 1/2 inches (7 x 11.5 cm)

Materials:

• 4 charm squares (5 x 5 inches), two each for pouch outer and lining
• small piece of flannel for wadding
• scrap of white linen
• scrap of red homespun
• scrap of ribbon
• split ring
• 4 inch zipper

Materials

Cut fabrics:


White Linen - cut four squares, 1 x 1 inch
Red Homespun - cut 2 squares, 1 x 1 inch; cut rectangle 1 x 2 inch.
Outer fabric - cut 2 rectangles, 5 x 3 inches.
Lining fabric - cut 2 rectangles, 5 x 3 inches
Flannel - cut 2 rectangles, 5 x 3 inches
Ribbon - cut one piece, 2 inches in length.


Sew Red Cross Patch:

Red Cross Patch Pieces

Referring to the photograph for placement, stitch a white square onto opposite sides of a red square. Press seams towards the red square.

Stitch a red/white unit to either side of the red rectangle. Press.

Cut a piece of cardboard that is 1 1/2 inches square. Lightly spray the red cross patch with spray starch. Place the patch wrong side up on your ironing board. Centre the cardboard square on the patch. Using the cardboard as a guide, press the seams inwards. Allow to cool, and them remove the piece of cardboard. Your patch is now ready to stitch onto the pouch.

Press under seams

Install Zipper

Layer a piece of the outside fabric onto a piece of flannel. Layer the zip on top with the right sides together and the long edge aligned, and stitch in place. Press, and then top stitch. Repeat for other side of the zip.

Pin the red cross to the middle of the pouch front and stitch in place. Fold the ribbon over the split ring and baste in place - referring to the photograph for placement.

I wanted a rounded bottom to my pouch so marked in some curved corners with a water erasable pen (I used a cotton reel as a template). With the zip open, and the wrong side of the pouch facing, pin in half. Stitch along sides and bottom of the pouch. Trim and clip corners. 

With the right sides of the lining piece facing, pin together and mark the rounded corners. Stitch the lining sides and bottom together. Trim and clip corners. Press under 1/4 inch along the top edge.

Turn the pouch out the right way and press. Position the lining inside the pouch and attach in place by hand using a slip stitch. (For smaller pouches, I find hand stitching the lining gives a better result).

For more photographs of the Emergency Pouch - check out What's Your Emergency?

You can find more of our free tutorials here, and we also have a range of  pdf sewing and quilting patterns in our etsy store.