Zip pouch mania

Dear friends,

In my real life I suffer from mania (self diagnosed). I use the term suffer loosely because I don't actually suffer. The people who live with me probably do. I get ridiculously happy and energized and this usually ends with a low. It's the lows that's the problem. I've never really considered it an issue as I always thoroughly enjoy the highs. But lately I've given it a lot of thought and decided it's not a very responsible way to live. After all, I can stop myself from feeling too happy. I'm sure the people who live with me will be quite grateful.

You know I do the same thing with food. If I enjoy a particular food, I will eat it every single day - to enjoy the "taste of heaven" until I get sick and tired of it. I would not space it out over weeks so I could enjoy it longer. The desire to just enjoy it while I can is always too strong. Not too long ago, I ate a slice of pineapple and I had the "taste of heaven". Of course I had to ruin it by eating one slice every day. Then one time I had two slices in a day and that's what killed it for me. It was too much. Now I can't look at a slice of pineapple again.

It's no different for sewing. I go through periods where I can't sew anything with much enthusiasm. Then suddenly I get hit by the mania and it's ka-boom bling blang. This whole week I did nothing but make zip pouches because I got zapped by the zip pouch mania.

I will be selling these zip pouches at my next craft market at VivoCity, Singapore from 25th to 26th May. Go here for more details. I have calculated that if I somehow have the capability to sell all these zip pouches at the craft market, it will be enough to pay for rent and supplies and my meals and if my kids come along, their meals as well.

I am quite the hoarder when it comes to fabric and fabric scraps. I had saved these small strips of Echino turquoise panther fabric forever. Echino fabric is very expensive especially when you live in Singapore so there was no way I was throwing them away. Finally I saw a chance to use them. 

It started with this zipper that I had bought, also many months ago and I just wanted to use it. See the teeth? It's different from dress zippers. I would have liked to buy more of these but the shop that I bought it from? I really dislike being inside the shop. They put up these smelly thick plastic curtains at the door and every time I'm inside the shop, I feel like fainting.

I paired up the usable Echino strips with black cotton twill.

I even managed to make the wrist handle out of some of it. It was quite challenging making this pouch. In layman terms, I cursed a lot. A lot. A lot lot.

If you've ever wondered if I free motion quilt (FMQ), here's your answer. Yes, I do but not very well. The front and back of this pouch is about the same. I am not a huge fan of FMQ. Maybe it's because I can't do it well? I have considered taking up a class.

I finally got round to turning my sequin beaded Pegasus into a zip pouch. I got a little nervous ironing near the sequins because it's really easy to destroy them with heat.

I had the perfect lining for this little indigo Pegasus zip pouch. Indigo really shows up lint, doesn't it? I'm going to have to remove the lint before I put it up for sale.

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I made 2 checkerboard zip pouches. Tell me if you find them a little weird? I'm quite intrigued by them. They're big. Lately I've enjoyed making larger zip pouches.

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Front

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These two patchwork zip pouches are more "regular size". Hope these two will satisfy the people who say, your zip pouches are too big!

I finally found the fabric my friend, Mandy @Mandy Pan Millinery had given me at Christmas last year when we were at Vivocity. She gave me a lot. A lot. A lot lot. The poor thing had to lug them to VivoCity from her home.  I had put them in different plastic bags and well, I couldn't find them for a long time.

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Front

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I made two zip pouches with the Paris fabric. The one with the blue zipper is for Mandy. I hope it fits all her barang-barang. I will also be making a passport cover with the same fabric. I'm just wondering if I should use interfacing.

Here you can see the difference in the sizes.

I made a big-assed sexy zippy pouch using a quilted patchwork method. Well, first, I patched strips of scrap fabric together. Then I quit the patchwork to a piece of batting. This way of patching allows me to control the look of the patchwork.

It is meant to be hand carried. I thought about making it a shoulder bag but in the end I felt a shorter handle makes it look better. Some Singapore women are so small that it's quite possible they could use this bag as a shoulder bag.

Would you believe this bag started with a zipper as well? I have this longer red zipper with the huge plastic teeth. It is an odd size and I didn't want it to stay in my zipper box forever. So I drafted a bigger sexy zippy pouch pattern to fit the zipper. After I had completed the pouch, I realised I should have included a pocket inside but I totally forgot. This pouch took like forever to make. I made different portions of it over different days as I didn't want to feel fatigue.

How big is this patchwork sexy zippy pouch? Thought this photo might help you out. The yellow-green sexy zippy pouch is the regular size. And oh yes, the patchwork zip pouch is big enough to fit my head, a scarf, a thin sweater, an umbrella, magazines, books, wallets, phone, keys and make-up. I don't know, what else do women put in their bags?

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Much to my delight, after I had completed the super sized sexy zippy pouch, I had 2 pieces of patchwork left - just enough to make another small zip pouch! I wish I had planned it this way but it was all luck.

Which zip pouch do you like best? My favourite is the big-assed sexy zippy patchwork pouch. Have a great weekend!

Linked to: Sew Many Ways