High Park Farm snap pouch

The only thing more fun than snapping this pouch open is creating it!  During these "homebound" days I've been trying my best to keep my mind occupied with fun, hopeful and pleasant thoughts and pursuits. Sorting and arranging my fabric stash was part of the fun in designing this new project.  I knew I wanted to make as many kits as I could with what I had on hand.  It led to this scrappy pouch and I'm tickled with how it turned out!  Plus I've made lots of room on my shelves for more fabric!
High Park Farm pattern - HERE (within US)
 PDF pattern for International sales available HERE

The first step is to trace the applique shapes onto fusible web.  My favorite lightweight fusible is Flexi Fuse.  I can draw on the paper side with any type of tool, it holds my fabric pieces in place really well, and it's easy to stitch through.

Adhere the fusible web to the back of the fabrics you are going to use and then cut out the shapes.

These KAI miro-serrated scissors make cutting out applique shapes a snap!  Those tiny little teeth grip the fabric and I can easily cut out small circles.  

There is minimal embroidery on this project.  The initial stitching will be a few of the main stems and it's easy to follow the diagram in the pattern.  Once those stems are stitched, the placement of the applique pieces is pretty straight forward.  Then it's a bit of quick stitching.  Most of the pieces are stitched using a running stitch with the berries sewn on using a whip stitch and a French knot. 

When the stitching complete, press the piece well and trim it to size.

Sew on the accent strip to the bottom

Sew the strips together that will make up the rest of the pouch.  

Then sew this to the bottom of the accent strip and the outside of the pouch is ready to quilt.

I marked my quilting lines using a Pilot FriXion pen.  I love these pens for tracing my embroidery designs and quilting lines.  The only caution I would share is if you use it on dark fabrics, it might leave a white line once it is ironed.  Test your fabrics before you commit!

These lines are a diamond cross-hatch 1/2" apart

On the top part of the pouch, I used an ecru sewing thread to quilt.

For the rest of the pouch, I used the Valdani 12wt pearl cotton that I also used for the embroidery.

Originally I had sewn in this cute piece of ribbon, but I found out that it doesn't like a hot iron, oh well!  I took it out and replaced it with some black grosgrain ribbon and a red wooden bead.  I like this better anyway!

The lining is sewn on at the two ends.  Because it is longer than the outside of the pouch, it will fold over to the front to form the casing.

This gets pressed and then topstitched to form the casing.

This pouch measures 8" x 8 1/2" so it's just the right size to store a small stitching project.

Do you have a tape measure in a drawer somewhere in the garage?  Would anyone really miss 16"?

High Park Farm pattern is available HERE (US)
International PDF pattern is available HERE

If you are wondering about the name of this pattern, it is a nod to the Beatles song Blackbird.  I read somewhere that Paul McCartney wrote it on a farm in Scotland.  The name of the farm was High Park Farm.

Happy Stitching!

Kathy