I love an easy make that doesn’t use much in the way of fabric. This pudgy little pouch certainly fits that bill! It is useful for so many things too – I have lined mine with a waterproof fabric because I want it to carry treats for Daisy when we are out walking (most good dog biscuits have a rather oily finish and this can ruin regular fabric).

I am also going to show you how to make the actual pattern from scratch (I have an AWESOME tip for you on how to draft a circle). It even adds in the seam allowance all in the one step! I know right!

This little purse has a snap closure and they are not difficult to work with either. All good so far! By the way, please bear with me on the detail in this post. It is a beginner pattern so I have put far more into the making instructions than you may need.

So what do we need to make this one….

• two small pieces of fabric for the outer. These need to be at least 7 1/2″ sq.
• two small pieces (same size as the outers) for the lining
• 4 pieces 2 1/4″ wide x 6″ long for the snap casing
• 1x 4″ snap closure
• 1 piece of leather or vegan leather about 2″ wide x 3 1/2″ long
• you will also need a piece of paper 7 1/2″ sq., a ruler, pencil and paper scissors plus your usual sewing requirements.

I have used waterproof fabric for the lining so I have chosen regular quilting cotton fabric for the snap casing. If you are skipping the waterproof fabric, you can use the same cotton fabric for both. You will get what you need from a Fat Eighth.

So firstly, let’s draft the pattern for the round bit. Take your paper square and fold it in half

Now fold it in half again

I am right handed so I am placing the folded point to the bottom left hand side but please feel free to reverse this if you are a south paw. It will still work out. So what we need to do next is to take our ruler and place it on the folded point and make a mark at 3 1/4″

Keeping the end of the ruler on the folded point, come up a bit and make more marks at 3 1/4″

Keep pivoting the ruler on the folded corner and making marks until you reach the top. Make sure that the ruler end stays right on the folded bit though so that your circle will be accurate

And then join the dots

I know this can feel a little tedious but rest assured, the more marks you make, the better the curve and the easier it will be.

Now cut out along the line. The seam allowance is already added. Your circle should be 6 1/2″ across.

Isn’t that the coolest way to get an accurate circle with a seam allowance! You can make a circle of any size at all with this method. I just love it for its simplicity and accuracy.

Almost finished! Measure down 2″ on the top of the circle and draw a line

And cut across. You can discard the smaller top section.

This is your paper template and you can use it to cut two pieces of outer and two pieces of lining (the rest of the measurements are in the list at the beginning).

We will sew the casings first. Now as my regulars will know, I like everything lined and finished beautifully (don’t forget that this pouch is for my dog and she has the best of everything!). That means that we are even going to line these casings so take two pieces and place them right sides together. Sew the ends only

Turn them the right way out and press so that the ends are perfect. Repeat for the other two pieces.

Now fold them in half lengthways and press again. You will have raw edges on the bottom but they will be gone in the next step. You can baste the edges together if they are too difficult to handle – I ALWAYS baste mine.

Find the centre of the casing and the centre of the outer panels and mark them

With the right sides together, attach a casing unit to the outer panel. Repeat for the other casing/outer

With the right sides together, sew the outers up and notch the curve

Notching like this removes about half of the fabric from the curve so that when you turn the pouch the right way out that the end, it sits beautifully without puckering. Just be careful not to nick your stitches. The notches only need to be about 1/8″ in.

Sew the lining together too with the right sides facing but this time, leave a turning gap in the lining.

Now with the outer the right way out and the lining inside out, pull the lining on over the outer and match the side seams. The casing should be down in between the outer and the lining at this point. I like to finger press my seams open so that they meet well and are nice and flat to sew.

Now sew right around the top leaving no gaps.

Turn the pouch out through the gap in the lining and close that

Stuff the lining down into the pouch and topstitch narrowly around the top edge.

The last thing to do is not strictly necessary but I think that it looks nice and it certainly makes the purse easier to open – we need a couple of tabs. You will need your piece of leather or vegan leather. Cut two pieces 1 1/4″ wide x 1 1/2″ long. Find something round to draw around and round one end of the tabs. Cut out

Now topstitch on your machine but leave the short straight end un-topstitched for now. This is the edge that we will use to attach the tab and if we sew it twice, it can look very clunky.

Find the centre of the pouch and mark it and place a tab onto that centre mark. A little bit of glue is the best way to hold it in place. Topstitch it on, backstitching at the beginning and end of the seam

Repeat for the one on the back of the pouch and the pouch is now finished and we are ready to put the snap closure in (the exciting bit!).

My snap is joined one end and has a spare pin to close it on the other end. I think that many are like this but if yours has a variation, check the individual manufacturer’s instructions. Open the snap and feed it equally through both casings at once

On the other end, push the casing well clear, join your snap and put the little pin into the housing and bend the lug over (have a look at yours and you will see what I mean there)

Neaten the casing so that it is slightly and evenly gathered along the snap and you are done!

This is a great gift idea for a dog mom or dad and it is also super useful in the car or your bag. It is great for a mini first-aid kit or for cosmetics. I use one for my watch charger too- the round shape fits the natural coil of a cable perfectly!

Best of all, making these to gift or sell will eat through your scrap stash. You can get quite creative with the outer panels too. Try patching the scraps together if they are small.

Before you go, don’t forget to take a look at the new shop! You can find the button second along on the top menu or access it right here.

‘Till next time, hugs!

Debbie xx