Yayyyy! I finished my oldest daughter’s college quilt and gifted it to her! It was such a fun one to put together and she loves her college quilt.
I don’t typically buy kits, but sometimes things just have to happen! I bought this Then Came JuneColor Chaos quilt kit about a year ago or so. I had asked my daughter if she liked it, and she said yes, so it was good to know that she would like it before I even started it!
The Process
I felt like I spent SO many smaller chunks of time on this quilt! At times I really wasn’t sure if I could finish it in any reasonable amount of time. Trimming and more trimming really got to be a lot at times, but breaking it up into smaller chunks really did help.
Taking it home to work on also helped move things along. I don’t have a sewing machine set up at home, so a few times when I knew I’d have a few hours in a week, I’d bring home my machine and cutting mat, etc. and got to work. It was fun putting the rows and quilt top together, that part was quick!!
Quilting
And as soon as I finished the top I zipped right over to Olive Juice Quilts to have it quilted. I did not get creative at all on the quilting and chose the same pantograph that Meaghan (Then Came June) used for the same quilt. Why change anything when it’s already so beautiful?!
So when I got the phone call to pick it up, I dashed over and got straight to binding! I’m so happy with how it turned out. My daughter loves it. We put it in the wash and straight into the dryer after taking pictures – and now it’s in full snuggle mode.
This is the Medium sized Plover that I sew in the video that comes with the pattern. I’ll mention it here again, the video is linked within the pattern (look for the red YouTube logo on page 3). I really enjoy pulling fabrics for the Plover, it’s a great way to use your favorite fabrics or even a fun opportunity to turn the main panels into patchwork (or use up a quilt block!).
When I grabbed these fabrics I thought they’d make the cutest toiletry bag, so of course I had to get some pictures of it in action! Of course you can use the pouches for anything, but it does work really nicely for toiletries.
Make a fabric interior pocket instead!
If you’re not into mesh and fold over elastic, or don’t want to buy some, you can absolutely make your own fabric pocket. I’d recommend going this route:
using two pieces of fabric, fuse fusible woven interfacing on one of those pieces
cut the pocket height 1/2″ taller than the dotted line on the Main Panel pattern piece
sew them right sides together at the top edge using the 1/2″ seam allowance you added
position them wrong sides together and press along the top edge
topstitch!
After that, you can follow along with the instructions in the pattern.
Fixed-length zipper vs. Zipper by the yard
As always, be sure to read through the supplies list and instructions before sewing! Make sure to note your zipper measurements depending if you’re using a fixed-length zipper OR zipper by the yard (they’re different because those zipper types are NOT the same)! I have handbag zips (fixed-length) for the main zipper in my shop:
lining is Kitchen Window Wovens by Elizabeth Hartman for Robert Kaufman Fabrics (this is the Lingerie colorway in the smaller scale, here’s a google search link)
mesh is the byAnnie’s brand (in Natural, my personal favorite since it seems to go well with just about any fabric I’m using) check at your local quilt shop or Etsy, fold over elastic from this etsy shop (Cream)
The Small size is such a cute little handheld pouch. I love how little fabric it takes, plus how irresistably cute it is! Great for inside a purse or larger bag!
The Medium size is a perfect toiletry or everyday size pouch
The Large size is big! Think of someone who likes to pack in a lot of stuff, this is for them! I think this size would also make a cute knitting project pouch (think socks,hats, or mittens)!
I hope you’ll love this new pouch pattern! I’ve been BUSY sewing up so many samples. My main inspiration for this pouch was my daughters. They’re both into skincare and are zippered pouch fans!
The best part about these pouches is that you can use all quilting cotton! The layering of interfacing is what gives it a really nice structure. So have fun digging through your stash to come up with all those irresistable fabric combinations you’ve been waiting to use! The interior features a mesh slip pocket that you can divide up to your heart’s desire. So cute for all those little items to keep them organized! Plus –easy to see! The Medium and Large sizes also have a interior zippered pocket for items you want to keep more secure!
Curious about the name? Plover is a type of bird, found in Wisconsin (and other states, too, of course!)
featuring Canyon Springs fabric by Fableism Supply Co.
The Plover Pouch features a fun construction method, a fun zippered top with a snaps! Don’t worry, snaps will be your best friend. Here are my photo instructions for setting snaps as well as a bunch of shopping links! As an alternate, instructions are given for regular buttons, too! The metal snaps and/or buttons do NOT need to be opened/unsnapped to use the pouch. Buttonholes do NOT need to be sewn. See? It’ll be fun I promise. Lucky for us, I’ve already recorded the full video sew-along and it’s included as a link within the pattern (check out page 3 of the PDF for the link – look for the YouTube icon)!!!
Fabric Notes
This pattern is really a fabric lover’s dream! Grab your beautiful quilting cottons and get to work! The layered interfacing gives the pouch its structure.
Interfacing Options
Okay, I know sometimes people newer to bag making get super curious about layering interfacing. For this one, I’ve got the layered combination dialed in and I think you’ll love it, too! The instructions go over the process of what pieces to cut from which interfacing and then how to layer it. As with many pouch or bag projects, the cutting and interfacing take the most time! It’s worth it!!! I would recommend breaking up your making sessions into two parts: one for cutting and interfacing and another for sewing!
Zippers Used
Lastly, this pattern is written for fixed-length size handbag zippers OR zipper by the yard (many of which come in nylon finished that look like metal!). I have a bunch of colors of fixed-length handbag zippers in my shop in all lengths (for the Small, Medium, and Large sizes)! If you’re going for the continuous zipper route, I’ve been using #5 zips on all of my samples.
As always, be sure to read through all the supplies list and instructions before sewing! Make sure to note your zipper measurements depending if you’re using a fixed-length zipper OR zipper by the yard (they’re different because those zipper types are different)!
And….
I am very excited to show you more samples! I’ll be diving into the details of each of the samples that I’ve made with in-depth blog posts – so be sure to stop by my blog in the coming weeks for those!
For those of you who prefer paper patterns, I’m hoping to have those ready in a month or so. Thank you for your enthusiasm & patience!
Hope that covers everything! I’ll be blogging more about all the samples I’ve made! A huge thank you for being here! I’m SO excited to see what you make using this new Plover Pouch pattern!
