i'm not a kangaroo, but i have a pouch!

i found a new 'pouch' pattern and have been busy making a few. i liked that the zipper was put in by machine and the technique made the seam cleanly fiished inside. the only hand work i have to do was the whipstitch down the binding, super duper easy!

first, i bought the book the pattern was in because it reminded me so much of my friend Jess (who is responsible of getting me 'hooked' on making small pouches years ago- thanks jess). so, naturally, the first one (made verbatim of the pattern) was for her. the weight of the quilted top and binding made it want to collapse, so that needed to be worked on. plus the depth wasn't quite deep enough for my tastes, so that math was adjusted.

she likes blues and greens, so it was easy for me to find scraps to match. i love the dots i use for the lining...i think the linings should be fun! it's like a smile when you open it.

since i had alot of changes to work out, the next one was for me. i tend to keep the 'guinea pig' ones. i didn't piece the top, and i interfaced the sides. much better. getting there. i also thought it needed a zipper tab to hold when opening and closing, but it didn't need them.

i used my favorite fasset print for the outside. the small floral of the binding is one of my favorites also...i wish he would re-release that print again. the selvage was dated 2001....i'm using it to hold my sewing stuff. i love the dot lining! it has happy insides!

then, i made one for kathy as the giveaway prize for lucky's caption winner. she requested a blue one...(if i may point out that the stripes match across the zipper, i'm anal like that)  i'm liking it. i added a carrying handle to the top to make it look kinda like a train case. i omitted the zipper tabs also. the handle is a great 'embellishment' option. wish i had thought of it before i made mine...it shouldn't be to hard to add one now tho...

then i made one for my friend sue! she likes pastel colors...alot!....once again, i tweaked a little something different. i used a heavier interfacing, but thought it was too heavy.  i left off the tabs and the handle....

i'm loving the cotton candy pink lining. she really liked it too! pink is her favorite color....

the only thing i would change after all that, is i wish i could find small dressweight zippers with double pulls...but after all the totes i have made, i think that would be a better-in-concept-than-in-the-actual-tote thing.

speaking of giveaways: if you would like your very own little pouch like this, lucy has an ongoing caption contest....winner annouced on march 31st.  hop on over and check it out! good luck!