Big Pocket Baby Pouch Shower Gift {free pattern + tutorial}
Handmade gifts are the best, aren’t they? Here’s something you can whip up quickly when a friend is having a baby. Just toss in a few diapers and wipes and you’ve got the most thoughtful gift at the baby shower!
This blog post has been converted to an optional PDF that’s optimized for printing. Find it here. The blog post below is totally free to read, print, and sew! Just hit CTRL +P on your computer to print. The PDF download for $2 is totally optional.
This project is totally fat quarter friendly too! (although you may need a tiny bit more if your fabric is directional) I used fabrics from the new ‘Snow Day’ collection by Maude Asbury for Blend Fabrics. The sleepy polar bears and seals totally made me think of babies and the penguins are just too cute. Plus I LOVE that tribal print that I put on the pocket above. And I think these would make a darling holiday quilt. 🙂
Big Pocket Baby Clutch Tutorial
{Download the pattern templates here.}
The pattern pieces all include a 3/8” seam allowance.
You will need:
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3-4 fat quarters of fabric (depending on how many different fabrics you want to use)
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1 yd of fusible fleece (I used HeatnBond Fusible Fleece)
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1 button or snap closure
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a 1/2” D-ring for the optional tab
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a fabric pen
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a clear ruler
Tape the pattern pieces together as shown above.
Cutting:
From each pattern piece:
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Cut 2 out of fabric (1 exterior and 1 lining)
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Cut 1 out of fusible fleece
For the optional tab, cut a 2” x 3” rectangle.
Preparation:
Fuse the fusible fleece to one of each of the corresponding fabric pieces. It doesn’t really matter which one.
Make the optional D-ring tab:
I added a small D-ring tab just in case the recipient decided to attach a small strap or something else. My strap is tiny, only 1/2” wide. Feel free to adjust as needed.
Fold the fabric in half lengthwise and press. Open and fold the raw edges to the middle, press. Then fold in half and press again. Stitch close to both long edges.
Set the tab aside.
Sew the button flap:
Place the 2 button flap pieces right sides together and sew along the curved edge (3/8” seam allowance).
Clip notches along the curved edge, turn right side out, and press.
Topstitch 1/8” from the curved edge.
Sew a button hole in the middle of the tab (to fit your chosen button). If you would rather use a snap or magnetic snap closure, install it on the side of the flap with fusible fleece.
Oops – I missed taking this photo on the blue version so I took it when I made the pink version.
Sew the Clutch Piece:
Baste the button flap to the clutch lining piece, centered on the curved edge. (If you are using a snap, the side of the flap with the snap should be against the lining.)
Fold the tab around the D-ring and baste the ends to the clutch lining piece also, 2” from the straight edge on one side (see above).
Place the clutch exterior piece on top, right sides together and pin all the way around. Stitch, leaving a 4” opening along one side for turning.
Clip notches into the curves, clip the corners, and turn right side out.
Press flat and topstitch 1/8” from the edge all the way around.
Sew the Pocket Piece:
If you are using a snap (or magnetic snap) apply the remaining snap half the the center of the pocket piece on the side with fusible fleece (the exterior).
Place the two pocket pieces right sides together and pin. Stitch all the way around, leaving a 3” opening on one side for turning.
Clip notches in the curves, clip the corners, and turn right side out.
Press flat and topstitch along the top edge only, 1/8” from the edge.
The sewn pocket should measure 11” wide.
Lay a ruler over the pocket and ignoring the curved corners, use the fabric pen to make marks along the bottom edge at 3”, 3 1/2”, 7 1/2” and 8”.
Fold the fabric at the marks to make two small outward pleats. Pin or machine baste the pleats.
Take note: I decided to tack the pleats at the top of my pocket too, but I didn’t do it until the end. It would probably be easier to do that step now. See the last two photos in this tutorial for the how-to.
Pin the pocket to the clutch with the straight edge of the pocket along the straight edge of the clutch.
Pin the bottom edge of the pocket flat and pin the sides of the pocket parallel to the edges of the clutch and 1” away. The pocket will gape open at this point.
Stitch the pocket to the clutch close to the edge.
Finishing:
Fold the clutch so that the bottom of the pocket is 1/2” above the fold. Pin along the sides.
Stitch the sides slowly, sewing over the previous topstitching. Backstitch at the top and bottom securely.
If you are not using a large needle already, I would suggest a 90/14 or larger.
Sew a button to the center of the pocket. I love embroidery floss for hand sewing on buttons. Use all of the strands at once and you don’t need to sew the button very many times!
This was when I realized that I needed to tack the pleats at the top of the pocket so it wouldn’t gape open. I suggest doing this step right after you have pleated the bottom of the pocket, but you can do it later too.
Pinch to make 1/2” pleats at the top of the pocket also and create nice vertical lines. Pin. Tack each pleat at the top of the pocket by sewing and backstitching for 2-3 stitches at the top of the pleat. The pocket will still hold lots of stuff, but it won’t pop open.
Now your Big Pocket Baby Clutch is done… Check out my most recent one I sewed as a baby shower gift!
Happy Sewing!
Disclosure: some of my posts contain affiliate links. If you purchase something through one of those links I may receive a small commission, so thank you for supporting SewCanShe when you shop! All of the opinions are my own and I only suggest products that I actually use. 🙂
I can’t read your pattern at all.
I’m sorry about that. Was there a problem with the download? Do you have a .pdf reader to open it? You can get one for free at adobe.com. Good luck!
Thank you for a great tutorial. I have downloaded it and Im starting on it today. FYI I had no problem viewing or downloading it. I am using Chrome.
I’m so glad. Thanks for letting me know! xo
Thanks for the great pattern and tutorial. Had no problem downloading it (using Chrome)
Hello, I downloaded the pattern, thank you, but it won’t print the pattern page properly (it just comes out as a blob). Done it twice! I am using Google Chrome
Panic over – it has printed it perfectly this evening. Thank you so much for sharing it
Yay! So glad. 🙂
I can´t find the patterns only the tutorial 🙁
Love this, can’t wait to make this! When I print, do I fit to page? Thanks
I love this!!! I just bought a bunch of fabric that I was planning on using in the nursery. I think I will make a couple of these instead. 🙂
Thank you for sharing. This is just what I was after
Just made one for my daughter and she wants another one!! Love the simplicity of this pattern.
I just finished one! Super cute and easy! I just so happen to have friends having babies in the next two weeks…perfect timing! 🙂
Hello i just made two of the diaper clutches out of denim. I upcycled from a pair of my fathers old overalls. Cute cute cute!
This looks like it would be the perfect "wet bag" for carrying mama pads in, buy putting the used ones in a vinyl cover pouch and carrying the fresh pads in the other.
I love the pattern! Thank you!
Hello,
This is a great pattern. Do you allow people to sell the items made from your patterns?
Yes. Please share where you got the pattern or tutorial in your listing.
Thanks for asking!
found your tutorial on pinterest this morning and just finished sewing it 🙂 i’m so pleased with it!! so easy to follow, came out really great! thank you
Hello,Thank you for all your wonderful tutorials and friendly Blog.
The little D ring/tab would be great for hanging a little hand sanitizer.
Just made two of these for a pair of baby show gift baskets. It was late and I didn’t have enough fusible fleece for the pockets, so I just fused some ShapeFlex (woven iron on interfacing) to both pieces of the pocket, and then followed the instructions. It worked great and I think if I make more I’ll do it again. The pocket pleats were crisp and the pocket is a little less bulky but still sturdy. Made a matching wrist strap with a swivel hook. I filled them with diapers, wipes, and small items from the travel-size aisle. They hold a lot!
Great ideas! Thanks for letting us know how it turned out. xoxo
Thank you for sharing this free baby clutch pattern. Having a baby shower coming up and this will do nicely for a present.
I have directional fabric. How do I cut that to not be upside down?
Hi Patricia!
There’s no way to change that. If it bothers you – I suggest that you use non-directional fabric.
Hi Caroline. I was just thinking that depending on the fabric that you use, this could also be a cute clutch bag.
Hi, thanks for the cute pattern. Guess what – it perfectly fits my iPad! I did a couple of things to make it a little more streamlined. For the front pocket, I just interfaced it rather than using the fusible fleece. I could see from your photos that those pleats got pretty bulky, and they lie much flatter if you don’t use the fleece. Also, I pressed down the pleats on the top of the pocket piece and then just top stitched all the way across. Looks very neat that way. Also, I didn’t top stitch around the main piece when I turned it right side out, I just stitched once, when I stitched the whole thing together. I started at the bottom corner, and just stitched up the side, around the flap and down the other side without stopping, and that looks much neater, too. I did go back and forth at the corner edges where it’s joined in order to reinforce it. Again, it’s a cute pattern, thank you for sharing!
Not able to locate the PDF file
Thank you so much