The pouches I had planned to make in April are finally finished! I’m happy with how they turned out and I’m excited that the only new material and notions I used was a bit of batting, some interfacing, and zippers. All of the fabric came from 2 thrifted men’s shirt, a thrifted dress, and a shirt I’ve had in my closet for over a decade (that I never really wore).

I’ve been visiting the thrift store often this year, and when I see the amount of clothing, I can help but to wonder, what if all the clothing and fabric I need already exists? As in, I don’t need to buy new clothing and I don’t need to buy new fabric for my sewing and quilting projects. There are a few things that don’t mesh with this idea. It’s hard finding the exact piece of clothing you’re looking for in your size (and in good condition!). Also, if using clothing for sewing, the fiber may not be what you want. I purposely stuck to natural fibers. I didn’t want polyester. But, I think it’s a good goal to keep in mind, or at least to make it a goal to always start your shopping with a secondhand retailer. This is especially true for clothing. With online secondhand retailers, you can filter by size, brand, color, and more. So, if you don’t have time to go through the racks at a thrift store, online is a good option with the same outcome.

I digress! Let’s take a look at these pouches I made.

I loved using the chest pockets to create larger pouches. I added some handstitching and a wrist strap to one. I just love the idea of using that chest pocket for pens and pencils, note flags, needle books, maybe a dollar or two.

I tried my hand at the quilt-as-you-go technique. I was pretty loose with my fabric selection and didn’t cut with a ruler. This is probably the closest I’ve come to improv ever. Because it’s quilted, this pouch is thick and stable.

Using the Essential Pouch pattern from Sotak Patterns, I paired the chambray with the green floral fabric from that shirt I’ve had forever. It was a wrap-style top, so I cut off the ties and used one as a zipper pull.

Finally, I made a pencil-size pouch with the floral top. The lining (which you can’t see here) is the lining from the shirt. I love it!

At some point, I’ll get these listed on Etsy. I had so much fun making them, they deserve to be enjoyed. Plus, who couldn’t use another pouch. I love having one in my purse. I keep to-go sewing supplies in another. Give me a pouch and I’ll find a use for it! Surely there are other pouch enthusiasts out there!