Zipper Pouch to Pillow

In one of my many blog searching and reading I came across a pattern for Boxy Zippered Pouch.
(This is not my photo or the one I made)

 It looked easy enough so I made one for my littlest one. Then I had a thought, why not make a bigger version so that when I was on travel I would have something cute and strong enough to hold my hair things and such.

I cut two pieces of fabric 22 x 14. On one long end of each piece I folded under the edge and pressed them flat.

Then I pined in a zipper under the folded edge and sewed it in to place.

Once the zipper was in, I matched up the bottom long edge of the piece, right sides of fabric together and sewed a seam down the entire length. Now the top part of your pouch is sewed into a zipper and the bottom part of the pouch is sewed shut.

Move back up to the zipper and open it a few inches. DON'T forget this step, if you do and move on to the next step you will not be able to turn your pouch right side out. :)

This step is a little tricky to explain. Center the bottom seam over the zipper (still with right sides facing). You can press this flat with an iron or if your fabric isn't too slippy you can pin in place. Now sew a seam down both short sides of your flattened pouch. Make sure you go over the zipper a few times to give it strength and secure it in place.

Pinch the zipper and bottom seam between your fingers and pull out. This will give you 4 corners. Lay one of the corners on your measuring/cutting mat and measure up 3 inches from the point into the bag. Mark with a pencil or pin in place. Do this for all 4 corners. You will sew on this line and cut off the excess. This creates the 'box' part of this pouch.
 I know you probably got distracted by how gorgeous my Morganite ring is, I do too at times, but please, eyes back on your sewing project ok? ;)

Now you can turn your boxy zippered pouch right side out through the zipper you left open and be left with something like this.

Yeah, not exactly what I thought was going to happen. If I had thought this through I would have realized that the material is too light and the size of it too big to hold it's self up. The reason the small boxy zippered pouch works so well is because it's small. I should have added in interfacing for strength. Instead of this being my accessory bag for travel I decided to stuff it with pillow stuffing.

And ended up with this:

It's not exactly a pretty shaped pillow (the interfacing would have helped that as well) but everyone in the house has ended up loving this pillow, especially the dog. It's a great couch pillow and a wonderful neck pillow. 

I  made two more of these pillows for my mom, (this time with interfacing and a different zipper placement) and they turned out much better. It's going to be hard to give them to her, they both look so great on my bed.

 

I'm linking up:

http://thecreativeitchboutique.blogspot.com/