Let's sew the Open Wide Pouch 2.0 by By Annie Patterns together! This roomy, quilted pouch opens all the way so you can see everything inside, and it folds flat for storage. I'm making the medium size, and I'll share my favorite shortcuts for quilting, binding, and the zipper along the way. This pattern intimidated me for a long time, but it's not as hard as it looks. We did it together!
What You'll Make
A quilted, foam-stabilized pouch with two mesh inner pockets, a handle on one end, a zipper that opens wide, and bound seams. Fold lines on the ends let it collapse flat when you store it.
Skill level: Confident beginner to intermediate. It takes time, but every step is shown in the video.
Note: You'll need the Open Wide Pouch 2.0 pattern from By Annie Patterns for the cutting sizes and diagrams. I don't share those measurements here to protect the designer's pattern.
Supplies
- Open Wide Pouch 2.0 pattern by By Annie Patterns
- Exterior fabric and lining fabric
- Foam stabilizer like Sew Hippie Foam. Scraps work too. Join them with my Franken-foam method and batting tape.
- Mesh and fold-over elastic for the inner pockets
- Zipper: I used a Sew Hungry Hippie nylon zipper and zipper pull
- Double-sided fusible web (Wonder Under or Steam-A-Seam 2)
- Binding: prepackaged double-fold binding or your own
- Optional: 505 basting spray
- Hera marker or chalk, clips, double-sided sticky tape, stiletto, glue stick, rotary cutter, and acrylic rulers
How to Sew the Open Wide Pouch
Step 1: Quilt the fabric sandwich
Layer your lining wrong side up, then foam, then your exterior right side up. A light mist of 505 spray helps if you don't have a walking foot. Press, then mark your quilting lines with a Hera marker. It makes a crease instead of a permanent line. I quilted a crosshatch diamond pattern at a stitch length of 3 to 3.5, sewing my first few lines all in one direction. Little puckers press right out, so don't panic!
Step 2: Trim the pieces and seal the edges
Quilt your pieces bigger than you need, because the fabric draws in as you quilt. Then trim the body and the two end pieces to the size in the pattern. Tip: By Annie patterns list height first, then width. Seal the raw edges with a straight stitch about 1/8" from the edge (or a zigzag) so the foam doesn't lift while you assemble. After all that quilting, it's a good time to clean your machine and change your needle.
Step 3: Prepare the zipper
Cut the zipper to the length for your size and sew across the cut end to make a new stop. With nylon coil zippers you can sew right over the teeth.
Step 4: Make the mesh pockets
Bind the top and bottom of each mesh pocket with fold-over elastic. A bit of double-sided sticky tape holds the elastic in place. Don't stretch or push the elastic as you sew. Let the feed dogs do the work. Regular binding works too if you prefer.
Step 5: Make the end strap and prep the ends
Fold the end strap like double-fold binding and stitch all four sides. On both end pieces, mark the fold lines from the pattern and stitch along them. These are what let the pouch collapse flat. Bind the top edge of each end. My "cheater" method: a strip of double-sided tape, fold the binding over, and catch both sides in one pass. Stitch the strap to end A along its marked lines, backstitching a few times because it gets lots of wear. Round the bottom corners with the pattern template and reseal the edges.
Step 6: Add the border and pockets to the body
Mark the pocket placement on the lining side of the body. Fuse a fabric or ribbon border to the front with fusible web, cut slightly smaller than the border so it doesn't gunk up your iron, then topstitch. A big, chunky stitch is fun here! Sew the pockets down the sides, then across the bottom. You can add a center divider line, but it will show on the outside.
Step 7: Attach the ends and bind
Place each end lining-to-lining with the body, ease it around the curve with clips (flat side down), and sew with a scant 1/4" seam. Then bind the seam: sew the wider side of the binding first, stitching in the ditch, then wrap it over. A glue stick or fine-line glue tip holds the binding in place before you topstitch, and it washes out softly.
Step 8: Sew in the zipper
Place the zipper wrong sides together along the back top edge, open end on the left. Curve and pleat the zipper at the closed end so the pull can't come off. Before sewing the second side, close the zipper to check that the two sides line up. Nobody likes a wonky zipper!
Step 9: Bind the zipper edges and finish
Bind the zipper edges, forming the little handle at the end as you go. Finish the zipper end with a fabric tab and add a pull made from a strip of binding. Trim your threads and check your binding for any spots you missed. It's all fixable.
Jump to a Step in the Video
- 0:50 Materials
- 3:17 Quilting the fabric and foam
- 14:05 Trimming the quilted pieces
- 28:56 Sealing the edges
- 34:28 Preparing the zipper
- 36:38 Mesh pockets with fold-over elastic
- 46:01 End strap
- 48:54 Preparing the ends
- 1:03:15 Front border
- 1:08:27 Attaching the pockets
- 1:13:17 Attaching the ends and binding
- 1:36:33 Sewing in the zipper
- 1:43:08 Binding the zipper and making the handle
- 1:53:20 Zipper tab and pull
- 2:02:43 The finished pouch
Open Wide Pouch FAQ
Where do I get the Open Wide Pouch pattern?
It's the Open Wide Pouch 2.0 by By Annie Patterns. The pattern has the cutting sizes and diagrams for each size.
Can I use foam scraps?
Yes! I Franken-foamed scraps for mine. Butt the edges together and join them with fusible batting tape. See my Franken-foam tutorial.
Do I have to make my own binding?
No. I used prepackaged double-fold binding. It molds nicely around the curves and saves a lot of time.
Why are my quilted pieces smaller than when I started?
Quilting draws the fabric in a little. That's why I quilt pieces larger than needed and trim them to size afterward.
How do I keep fold-over elastic from rippling?
Don't stretch or push it as you sew. Hold it with a little double-sided tape and let the feed dogs pull it through.
How does the pouch fold flat?
The stitched fold lines on the end pieces let it collapse neatly for storage.
More Projects You'll Love
- Beginner Friendly Quilted Pouch Tutorial
- Under Cover Sewing Machine Cover Tutorial
- Patchwork Zipper Pouch Tutorial
- How to Bind Curves
Shop foam and interfacing, zippers, kits, and tools and notions in the Sew Hungry Hippie shop.
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Peace, Love, Sewing,
-Natalie
