How to Sew a Pouch ! Hastypearl

How to Sew a Pouch !

Hastypearl

So, in typical Hastypearl form, I got the idea on Mother's Day EVE NIGHT, 

to make a pouch for my sister's Mothers Day gift.

She is the All Time Best Mother and Grandmother, 

so she certainly deserved the attention.

If you are a perfectionist, seeing my style and process may be challenging for you:)

I'm a bit of a "squint and look over the end of my thumb to measure", kind of girl.

If you love using patterns, I'm sure that there are plenty out there to use.

I had done two Eco Dye pots last week, 

so I was anxious to use some of the linen, that I had dyed in Saffron.

Its so soft and very organic, so it lent itself to a bit of a rustic approach. 

I measured/eyeballed out, what I thought would make 

a useful sized pouch and cut the linen in a rectangle.

This pouch could be for useful for holding so many things.

Think...art supplies, make up, pens, or really Anything that's not really small, 

that would work its way out of the open top.

If you wanted something more secure, you could add a zipper. 

I stitched along the outsides of the rectangle, in a contrasting color.

This will keep the edges from fraying Past the stitch line, 

otherwise, I think it will look great, to let the linen fray.

You can see the pouch taking shape.

Its basically just a rectangle folded up and stitched on the bottom, 

with a flap on the top.

Finish all of the edges.

I also ran a couple of extra lines across the front flap, 

just for decoration.

I used a contrasting thread, that I thought was 

really complimentary to the Saffron, 

and I selected three buttons from my Vintage Button stash, 

which Never lets me down!

So, I kind of have this More is More attitude in life 

or better applied to this project...

why would you use One Button when you can use Three?

I'll show you how I worked that out, later!

I cut a little slit in the front flap Just large enough to accommodate the buttons, 

and added a bit of support on the back side,

 by adding a small bit of the same linen fabric. 

Then I did a Very Rustic running stitch along the edges of the button hole.

Yes, I know that this free-styling is like fingernails on a black board for some of you, 

but I wanted the project to look very loose and organic.

*

So, if you want to use more than One Button, its really easy.

You start by sewing two of the buttons together, 

and then sew that pair to the next one.

I had the FANTASTIC Barrel button with one hole, 

and the red button with two holes 

and the Mother of Pearl with four holes, 

so you just have to add them one at a time!

I KNOW...its totally weird to many of you, to use three buttons... 

but its the kind of thing that I'm Just Going To Do...so...

Welcome to My World :)

...isn't that barrel button amazing?!?

 I don't have the matching snap portion, 

but I can just imagine a 1940's suit or coat 

that it once adorned! 

Fantastic! 

So, now, you can see the set of three buttons all combined and ready to sew onto the pouch.

I stitched some little vines and leaves in the corners of the flap.

In and Out. 

In and Out. 

What a relaxing therapy :)

Below, is what the finished pouch looked like!

It was done in the late night and early morning hours...

neither times great for photography, 

but you can see how it looked all finished.

And Below, is a perfect picture of my heavenly Button dilemma.

ANY of these great buttons would have looked great together or alone.

Aren't Vintage Buttons, amazing?!

So, you can see the pouch, in my Mothers Day table, vignette, 

waiting to surprise my sister.

I think that you can see, 

that I'm already completely in love with the colors of her pouch.

My Old Country Roses china, looked great with it.

It doesn't really effect me year to year what Pantone says are the years best colors.

I've probably already been using one or the other of them, 

my whole adult life and you probably have, too!

So, it wasn't really a surprise, 

when the flowers that I selected from my garden for a little table posy, 

ended up matching so well.

So, there you are!

Its a fun and easy little project to make, if you want to try it.

Perfectionists...I'm sure that yours will look totally different...

but it will be made with love, just like mine was.

When You have someone that you love...

its easy to create something special, just for them!

So as always, Thanks for stopping by! 

I'm so glad that you did :)

There are a number of ways that you can follow along with hastypearl.https://www.etsy.com/shop/hastypearl

Just tap any of the boxes on the right column of my blog...

I'd love to hear from you.

Commenting on blogs is fun and easy and its very encouraging to the blogger.

I've made some great friends, just by leaving comments, on the blogs that I read.

Hope you are enjoying your days...

Best to all...Laura

A Promised Reward! Hastypearl

A Promised Reward!

Hastypearl

I posted yesterday, about how everyone seems to be so busy.

Sometimes...too busy!

To take a break, and honor myself, I spent the day today, 

in a kind of Promised Reward Day.

One, where I did things that sometimes you feel like you need to go Away to do.

Instead, I stayed Home, to do them.

A Staycation of sorts :)

One of the things that has been on my to do fun list for too long, 

was to crank up some eco-dye pots.

While its usually better to do this outside, today, I stayed inside.

I have a really great vent over my stove, and I wasn't in any danger, 

so with the rain, it was a great decision.

The amazing end results of eco dyeing is always a definite yes, 

but to me, 

the Process is Also, beautiful to photograph.

I took these pictures both for their beauty and for 

some ideas that you might benefit from.

First, I want to make it Very Clear, that I am a novice dyer.

There are MANY, that know much more than I do.

I think that it just proves, that there are paths for dyers that are very easy, 

and right now, that is great for me.

When Leslie Marsh taught me, we used a water bath in which we dropped, black walnuts, a piece of iron, some vinegar and the collected garden litter, 

rolled up in either paper, or silk, cotton or linen fabric.

Today, I used 140 lb. watercolor paper, and cotton and linen fabric.

While I did a pot with this recipe today, the one that is photographed here, is only using plants wrapped up in cotton or linen and a bath of Spanish Saffron.  

NOTHING in any cabinet or drawer, is safe from me.

I found this beautiful handmade lace round runner, 

to wrap around my leaves and petals from the garden.

I've never used the yarrow before, so it was an experiment.

There are wonderful books to read, I own two of India Flint's, 

that have lists of plants to use in the dye bath, 

but I like to use what I have in my garden, and experiment.

If its a "fail", no problem. I can always use the same fabrics in a different bath, next time. 

This is what the round runner looked like in the bath.

I think that it looks like a sausage!

I walked around the garden, with this mid century plastic pitcher, 

collecting plant clippings.

We have a lot of creatures...like ants and beetles, in Texas, that invariably piggy 

back into the house on the clippings.

So, I placed the pitcher on a water filled cookie sheet, 

so that when the bugs climb over the side, 

they will encounter the water,

 and they wont climb out on my counter top.

I remember seeing in a museum, that the pioneers had to put their table legs 

in little pots of water, to keep the ants from climbing up 

onto the table and spoiling their food.

I guess I could call myself a flower collecting, Pioneer!

I also leave my papers soaking in water, 

so that they better receive the colors from the plants.

I'm being disciplined, This Time, 

and leaving my rolls in the dye bath overnight, 

or maybe even longer, to make sure that 

they soak up as much dye as possible.

It was a wonderful day, relaxing and honoring myself with a few Promised Rewards...

Now, if I can just remember to do it more often :)

I Hope that you treated yourself to something wonderful, today, 

or have plans for it in the near future!

Dear Reader, I will begin listing a number of new items 

over at my hastypearl shop this week.

I hope that you will take a look and see whats going on over there.

There is always something new to see :)

Buying from Etsy is very easy.

All you need is a credit card, and you can do your Gift Buying, 

in the convenience of your own home..:)

Best to all and Ill see you next time...Laura