Jewelry Pouch

A lady must protect her bling. I think Eleanor Roosevelt said that (I may be wrong). February was exciting because I had two trips to take. One to New York City - it had been too many months, and one to Baltimore - to which I'd never been! It is also an exciting month because I've had more time to make things.

I got one of these when I was younger; one that used to belong to my Aunt. I don't see them around these days, but I think they are great. You get small pockets to place earrings and necklaces so that they do not tangle and a center area for whatever else - I fit quite a lot. I lined the inside with a velvety-ish fabric; I love the contrast with the linen. Full tutorial after the jump.

Materials:

• At least two 15" squares of your outside fabric (I used linen)
• At least two 9" squares of your inside fabric (I used one square linen, one velvety)
• Draw-string cord
• Disappearing ink marker
• Compass
• Scrap of fusible interfacing
• A sewing machine that can make button holes
• Pins, scissors and the like...

CUT FABRIC

I used a compass to make a template from trace paper. Your large, outside circle has a radius of 6.75". Your inside circle has a radius of 4". Make templates and cut your fabric.

BUTTON HOLE

On the right side of one of your large circles, mark the place for your button hole. This will also be where your draw string tubing is in a couple of steps. Make the bottom of the hole 5.25" from the center and the top of the hole a 1/4" from that at 5.5" from center. Once you've marked your spot, iron a small piece of fusible interfacing to the reverse, this will strengthen your button hole. Use your sewing machine to create the hole. My new machine has an automatic button-holer, it wasn't one of the "must have" elements when I was looking to buy a new machine but I've already found it very, very handy. Finally, cut the hole.


STITCH & SNIP

Sew your two larger circles together, right sides together, with a 1/4" seam allowance. Leave a small portion open so that you can turn it right side out. Before you turn it inside out snip out triangles along the edges so that your seam folds in nicely.

Slip stich the opening closed.

MAKE DRAW-STRING TUBING

Get fancy. Tape your large circle to a flat surface. Adhere your disappearing ink pen to side of compass and draw an outline for your tubing. Draw one circle with a 5.5" radius and one with a 5.25" radius - or at the top and bottom of your button hole. Note, if you're using a larger cord than I am, you may want to make a slightly larger tube.

Stitch where you marked, then dab a Q-tip in a bit of water and watch them go away!

INSIDE CIRCLE

Just as you created the large circle, create the smaller circle. When it is complete, center it onto your larger circle and pin in place.

Divide the circle into wedges. I did two quarter sizes and four 1/8th size wedges. I used the disappearing ink marker for this as well. Stitch (both circles together) from the center to just outside the inner circle and back stitch a few times for strength.

Then create an outline for a circle with a 1.5" radius from the center. Stitch this and continue to stitch smaller and smaller rings. This makes your bag's base - this got a little wonky for me.

Use a small safety pin to feed your draw-string cord through your tubing. Pull it out the other end and tighten.

Hurray!

Let's go somewhere!