Quilted Cottage Core Zippered Pouch
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Zippered pouches are so fun to sew. If you’re new to sewing, they can seem complicated. But I promise you can sew one of these cute little zippered pouches with very little experience.
I wrote an in-depth tutorial on making mini charm pack pouches that outlines all the steps for assembling your bag. If you haven’t read that yet, be sure to check it out for a detailed written guide to making a zippered pouch. The tutorial also teaches you how to do simple patchwork patterns and basic quilting. These are great skills to learn if you’ve ever wanted to try making a quilt!
Today’s post expands on my original tutorial and explains more about choosing fabrics and picking a theme for your pouch. There are so many ways to get creative with zippered pouches. Using the same basic template, you can make tons of cute and unique pouches.
I also wanted to write this post as a companion for my new, in-depth video on making zippered pouches. You can watch the video here!
Choosing Fabric for a Patchwork Pouch
One of the most addictive parts of quilting is looking at fabric. I love browsing through new quilt fabric collections when they’re released. I’m always in awe of the way designers choose colors and patterns that go together so well.
Picking a Theme
You can make patchwork bags with any fabric you like. It’s a wonderful way to show off your favorite fabric that’s too special to use for just anything. These bags work great for using up scraps as well.
This is also a great project for mixing different prints together and seeing how they look. Some of my favorite charm pack pouches have been made from completely random fabrics. I made these bags with fabric from at least 6 different collections!
I’m equally in love with these bags I made from specific collections. The 70s-themed bag uses “Flower Power” by Maureen McCormick for Moda Fabrics. The pink and yellow bag uses mostly “Sunbeam” by Rashida Coleman Hale for Ruby Star Society. This bag is a little bigger so I supplemented with some fabric from “Koi Pond” also by Rashida Coleman Hale.
Cottage Core Fabric Choices
I’ve always loved the cottage core aesthetic but it was only once it became mainstream that I had a name for the style I liked so much. For my cottage core pouch, I used a mini charm pack from “Cottage Linen Closet” by Brenda Riddle Designs for Moda Fabrics.
The pastel color palette and delicate floral patterns remind me of visiting my grandma in the summer and drying sheets on the clothesline outside. It’s hard not to feel nostalgic looking at this fabric. I think it’s amazing that something as simple as fabric can transport you back to a happy time in your past.
I’ve had this mini charm pack in my fabric stash for a while but it seemed too precious to waste on just any project. I also knew I wanted to use all the fabrics together instead of mixing them with other prints like I often do. Once I started making these quilted pouches, I knew it would be the perfect project for my fabric.
I don’t think cottage-inspired prints have ever not been popular. But with the cottage core trend, I feel they’re much easier to find these days. Cottage Linen Closet is just one of many options.
One of the exciting (or disappointing) things about designer quilt fabric is that most of it is a limited release. If you don’t snag it when you can, you might not ever have that chance again unless you find someone selling it on Etsy or Ebay.
If you’re looking for cottage core fabrics, I recommend these:
- Tinyspool & Co Waterlily Pond
- Tinyspool & Co Cottagecore
- Bee Vintage by Lori Holt for Riley Blake Designs
- Cottage Charm by My Sew Quilty Life for Moda Fabrics
- Ellie by Brenda Riddle Designs for Moda Fabrics
- Vintage Rose Floral & Plaid fabric bundle
Some of the items above are other types of precuts. It is easy to cut these down to the correct size for a quilted pouch.
Keep in mind these may or may not be available forever because most fabrics are limited release. I haven’t linked all of them because there can be pretty quick turnover sometimes. However, I have had great experiences buying my quilt fabric from Green Fairy Quilts. I regularly check their website to see what they have.
If you’re not having luck finding fabric, try just typing “vintage” or “cottage” in the search bar on a quilt fabric website. You’ll usually find lots of options that fit the cottage core aesthetic.
If you made a pouch from my tutorial, I’d love to see how it turned out! Tag me @craftingwithclementine on any social media or use #craftingwithclementine. I’m on Instagram, Threads, YouTube, Tik Tok, and Pinterest.
