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Fractured Pouch Project

This fractured foundation pieced pouch project is ideal for scrap busting and makes a beautiful gift.  It's a great size to use as a make up bag, or toiletry bag to take on holiday. Alternatively you could store sewing tools or stationery in it.

You will need

  • Foundation paper
  • A selection of scraps
  • A fat quarter of fabric for the lining and a fat eighth for the back (or you could do a fractured panel on both sides)
  • A 10 inch zip (or larger cut to size which is what I did)
  • Fractured Pouch Project
  • Optional - interfacing, fusible fleece or wadding to give the pouch more body or allow you to quilt it.
  • Sewing clips
  • Finished pouch size - 11 x 8 inches
  • Seam allowance - 1/4 an inch (you may find our add a quarter ruler helpful for getting accurate seam allowances.)

Cutting

  • Back panel - 11.5 inches x 8.5 inches
  • Lining - 11.5 x 8.5 inches
  • Zip tabs - Cut 2 rectangles 2.5 x 2 inches
  • If you are using interfacing or wadding cut 2 pieces 11.5 x 8.5

Foundation Piecing

Use our beginner's guide to foundation piecing and the pattern pieces linked above to piece the front of the pouch. Trim the finished panel to 11.5 x 8.5 and remove the paper from the back.

Assembling the pouch

Fold the zip tabs in half along the 2.5 inch length and press (or finger press) into place.

Place the folded edge about quarter an inch in from the edge of your zip, making sure it's not right on the zip stopper. Sew just inside that folded edge to secure in place.

Put the foundation pieced fractured panel right sides up. Put the zip on top aligning with the top edge with the zip facing right side down. Then place a lining panel on top, aligning with your fractured panel right sides down. Use wonder clips or pins to secure in place and then using a zipper foot sew along the top close to the teeth of the zip.

Fold back the fabrics from the zip so the wrong sides of the fabrics are touching. Press away from the zip (careful not to touch the zip with the iron as it will melt plastic zips) and then top stitch into place.

Now place your back exterior panel right sides up, put the fractured panel on top right sides together and with the other edge of the zip aligning with the top edge of the backing panel. Lastly place the remaining lining panel on top, aligned with the top edge of the zip right sides down.

Clip or pin into place and sew along the top close to the zipper teeth with your zipper foot. Press the fabrics away from the zip and top stitch like you did before.

OPEN YOUR ZIP before the next stage.

Pull both pieces of lining to one side of the zips right sides together, on the other side of the zip you will have your exterior panels right sides together. Use your sewing clips to clip right around the edge, but mark a 4 inch gap in the centre of the lining (I use different coloured clips either side of the gap to remind me to stop sewing.)

Sew right around the outside with a quarter an inch seam, remembering to leave the 4 inch gap in the bottom centre of the lining. Trim the corners by making a diagonal cut just past the edge of the stitching to reduce bulk when you turn through.

Turn the pouch right side out through the gap in the bottom of the lining. Stitch the gap closed by hand or machine then press your pouch to finish.

 

Fractured Pouch Project

General tips and points to remember…

  • The terms jersey, knitted and stretchy fabric can get used interchangeably, not just here but generally as you look around online you’ll see these terms being used to refer to similar things.
  • This fabric can be made from a variety of fibres such as cotton, viscose, modal, polyester, wool and bamboo. Usually they will also have a percentage of a stretchy fibre such as elastane or spandex.
  • The thickness or weight of them can be described in grams per square meter but as this number is hard to put into context and isn’t always available more subjective terms can be used to describe them such as light weight, medium weight etc
  • They can also be referred to with special more technical names such as ponte roma, double knit, single knit, sweatshirting and loop back. I’ll cover the most common ones below in more detail
  • I've tried to keep things are relevant as possible for the home dressmaker. These is lots of other more detailed and technical information out there but I hope this summery helps you understand more about this great fabric and how to sew it into your handmade wardrobe.

How to work out the amount and type of stretch

They stretch in different ways by different amounts. Some fabrics have a two way stretch and will stretch between the selvedges. Some have a 4 way stretch and will stretch lengthwise as well as between the selvedges. Use a swimsuit as a way to remember - it’s a 4 way stretch as it must stretch the length of your body as well as the width of your body.

The percentage of stretch refers to how much the fabric physically stretches, NOT the percentage of stretchy fibre (spandex or elastase) that is in them. Sewing patterns will typically as for a minimum percentage of stretch the fabric must have.

Why is percentage stretch important?

Sewing patterns designed for this type of fabric are typically designed with negative ease. This means that the garment you make will be smaller than your actual body measurement so that it stretches and fits around you. That’s why it's really important to use the right amount of stretch, otherwise you won’t be able to get the garment on/off or move in it!

How to use your Stretch Percentage Measurer

If you’re using a pattern which is designed for jersey fabrics then it will probably tell you the stretch percentage that the fabric you use needs to have. This is different from the stretch content, which is how much elastane or lycra is in the fabric.

Step One

Hold a 10cm section of your fabric, stretch it as far as it will comfortably stretch, without over stretching

Step Two

Every centimetre over 10 will correspond to 10% of stretching. So if your test piece stretches to 14cm, then the fabric has 40% stretch.