There’s another birthday for my #birthdayclubhandmade in July, and when I saw the recipient’s inspiration board for the Heather Ross mini swap, which included hexis of a few munki munki prints, just a few photos down my Instagram feed from Aneela Hoey’s new all-in-one box pouch pattern, I knew it was a match made in heaven!
I’m usually good about giving away the things I sew. They’re sewn with a particular person and his or her tastes in mind. This pouch, on the other hand… I had to talk myself into packaging and shipping it. Guess I’ll have to make a second one for myself!
The pattern itself was well-written and easy to follow. I especially liked her method of boxing the corners, where you cut the fabric BEFORE you sew it — that was novel to me!
It’s no secret that I’m not a fan of sewing curved lines OR zippers, so combining the two was a bit of a challenge. (“A curved zipper?! What have I gotten myself into?!!”) But I didn’t even have to rip out the seam. I’d say it’s a project for an enterprising beginner or an intermediate sewer. The only seam I had to rip was the one with the pouch tab at the top. The thick layers caused me to sew a little crooked, and instead of stopping and fixing it right away, I thought I could fudge a little bit. The moral of this story is DON’T DO IT, haha.
I like that there is ample space inside the pouch but also some clear pockets for smaller items you want to be able to find quickly. It’s been a real pain finding my thimble and needle when I take my La Passacaglia quilt with me to a coffee shop. I also like the simple back pockets for storing things as you work. I might keep my mini scissors in the bag when I travel, but it will be nice to have a quick place to tuck it as I spread out my project. I love the pattern, and I think the finished product is a success!
East Dakota Quilter 
June 21, 2015 at 7:41 pm
This is such a cute bag – I just love the pattern and the fact that you used white as the main color, made the other colors really pop. I’m always reluctant to use white in a bag project, but yours turned out so fresh I think I will try it. If it gets dirty – it gets dirty. ha! I’d have a hard time giving this one away too.
June 22, 2015 at 2:17 pm
Thanks for the sweet comment, Joyce! I, too, was afraid to use a light color, but I also wanted to avoid using colors that would overwhelm my hexies. I think I’m going to try more neutrals in the future because it turned out way better than expected! (It helped that I didn’t have to worry about dirt since I was sending it as a gift, haha.) Let me know if you are brave enough to try a white project of your own!
November 9, 2015 at 1:03 pm
Is the zippered pouch in front Sewn to the boxed pouch or can it be removed for like washing purposes? Really cute love the hexies.
November 9, 2015 at 4:04 pm
Thank you! If you’re following the pattern, it’s sewn directly onto the pouch… although a removable front zipper pocket is an intriguing option. Let me know if you go that route!
November 10, 2015 at 3:17 pm
Thank you, I’ll let you know.