We're back with more stash-busting fun! 🎉 This week, we're sharing one of our favourite quick projects — a zippered pouch that's perfect for using up those beautiful fabric scraps you've been saving.
We've been working with the Sew Sweetness Persimmon Dumpling Pouch — a gorgeous free pattern — and of course, we couldn't resist adding a little Indigo Niche twist!
This is such a wonderful way to give those precious last pieces of your favourite fabrics a beautiful new life. We just love how every pouch turns out completely unique!
We made the largest size in the pattern. I had some continuous zipper tape in my stash and added 2 zipper pulls — but please use whatever you have on hand in your sewing supplies, that's the whole spirit of stash busting!
Start by tracing the pattern shape onto your 2 boro base fabric pieces, but hold off on cutting them out just yet. Layer your boro fabrics so they extend about 1" outside the drawn line, then stitch them in place. That extra overlap is really important — the stitched section can pull in a little, so you want that buffer!
Once your boro work is done, use the pattern to trim everything to size and shape, then follow the pattern instructions to finish your pouch. I used a fusible foam stabilizer in mine and honestly, I'm obsessed with the lovely structure it gives the finished bag.
I got so excited that I decided to stitch another version! This time, I'll be adding a solid fabric panel along the lower edge of the bag. To do this, I traced the pattern outline onto the boro base fabric and drew a line about 1" above the corner cutouts — this becomes the stitching line for attaching the fabric panel.
Here you can see the boro fabrics pinned in place and ready to stitch. I'll machine stitch the plain fabric panel along the drawn line, press it nicely, then cut the bag panels to size and stitch everything together following the pattern. So satisfying!
These pouches are so quick and enjoyable to make that I just had to try a smaller version too! This one uses a plain fabric with our beautiful sashiko stencils — and it turned out so pretty.
This is a fantastic way to enjoy your sashiko stitching without committing to a big project — perfect if you want a lovely result in a quick to stitch project!
To make the sashiko stitching easier, I printed extra copies of the pattern piece and taped them together, removing the seam allowance at the base of the bag. I then traced the complete outer bag shape onto my base fabric and marked the horizontal and vertical centre of the pattern piece — these markings made it so easy to centre the sashiko design perfectly.
Marking the sashiko design was a breeze on the cream fabric using our newly redesigned templates and a water soluble marker — they really do make the whole process so much smoother!
This is also a brilliant way to use up those solid coloured fabrics sitting in your stash. Try coordinating your thread colour with the zipper for a polished look, or use this as a chance to finish off threads left over from other projects. Happy stitching! 🧵
It's time to start stitching that stash of fabric hiding in your cupboards. The SSS (Simply Sashiko and Squares) Quilt is the perfect place to start. Simple construction with accents of beautiful but easily stitched blocks of sashiko.
Perfect for all skill levels.
Hana fukin (花ふきん), translates to "flower cloth" or "kitchen cloth" in Japanese. There isn't a comparable word in english for a generic "useful household cloth".
