I’ve been making a ton of purse pockets for gifts this month and they’re a quick and easy way to give a cute little something to nearly anybody you know. All it takes is one or two layer cake squares and there’s a million ways to customize them and make ‘em all a little different. If you’re like me, sometimes you don’t want a big bulky wallet – you just need the bare essentials–debit card, drivers license, insurance card, and of course my coffee punch card. (Who can survive without their morning espresso?) The purse pocket looks just like a pocket, fits the essentials and I can quickly throw it in my purse or pocket. If it’s brightly colored, it’s even easier to find! If I’m really traveling light, these little wallets can even squeeze a few other items in there like chapstick or your car key.
You’ll need:
- Two 5” x 10” pieces of fabric in different colors/patterns (In my opinion, they look better if you choose a larger-scale print for the outer fabric and a complimenting fabric for the inner. Small- scale on the outside is less dynamic.)
- One 5” x 10” piece of fusible web (the heavier the fusible, the stiffer it will be.)
Here’s how you do it:
- Iron on the fusible web to the wrong side of one of your pieces.
- Place your two pieces together, right sides together, and pin in a few places.
- Sew with a ¼” seam allowance all the way around, leaving a 2” hole. Beginner’s tip: make sure you sew all the way around the corners. It’s impossible to slip stitch a corner at the end. It’s best if you make your hole in the middle of the long edge.
- Turn inside out and press. Slip stitch your hole.
- Top stitch across one end of your pocket (the part that isn’t going to be the flap) about ⅛” from the edge.
- Fold your pocket in thirds. You can play around with size here — You can decide how long you want the pocket, how far down you want the flap to go, etc. I made mine come almost all the way down to the crease so it looks very similar to a wallet. Once you’ve figured out your proportions, press your creases.
- It may be easier to attach a closure of your choosing before you do the final top stitching. It can also be added on at the end.
- Top stitch around the edge of the rest of the pocket. This is what holds the pocket in place. Annnd you’re finished!
I used the heavy-weight fabric from the Oz line.
It fits all my "cards"
Variations:
- Use batting to make the pocket a little fatter and squishier. You could even quilt it-but then you’ll need to bind the edges.
- Instead of making the flap of the pocket square, round it out or make it a triangle for something different. A rounded flap really makes it look like a pocket.
- There are a million ways to make the closure. My first “mock up” pocket I made a button hole and used a button. It’s a little slower to get it open, but looks cute. You can sew on some velcro and still sew a button on the top flap for decoration. I prefer a snap. Fastest way to fling it open and whip out the cash! Just be careful not to use magnetic snaps — they will destroy your credit cards.
- Use home dec or mid-weight fabric to make the exterior a little tougher.
- Make the body of the pocket a little bigger and attach a strap. Now you’ve got a wristlet!
Here's my mock up with a button hole.
GIVEAWAY!! We will be giving away a total of SIX fat quarters to one lucky individual. Each pair of fat quarters are perfect complimentary colors and patterns so you can make three pockets of your own. How can you win? Make a comment to this blog entry with your first name and email address and you will be entered to win. Our winner will be chosen on December 13th so don’t delay. Invite your friends to enter, too. Maybe they’ll win and make you a purse pocket for you out of the prize fabrics!
Three different colorways to please all your friends!
– Posted by Stacy
