Thursday, July 26, 2012

What a Difference a Gusset Makes - A Quick Tutorial

So you know I love zippered pouches, and I'll take any excuse to make another one right?  I thought it was high time I branch out into something a little different, so I added a gusset.  Super simple and it makes such a difference!  The pouches you see here are all currently available in my Etsy shop.

Once you've gotten the zipper placed, then sewn (or serged) all around the edges and you're just about ready to turn that puppy inside out, you can create a gusset. 


Carefully unfold one corner until you can match the seams front and back, then lay it flat.  I use a pencil to mark a straight line across the corner, one inch in from the tip of the triangle that you've created.


Sew across this line, remembering to back stitch at the beginning and the end. 


Then snip off the tip, leaving less than a 1/4 inch seam.  Do the same to the other corner of the lining, and then both corners of the exterior fabric as well.  Turn it inside out, and admire your work! 


This pouch has a ball of yarn in it, along with knitting needles.  It just seems nicer to have that extra width along the base of the pouch, if you know you'll be stashing something with some dimension to it.

Here's the same ball of yarn & needles in a flat pouch.  All lumpy & bumpy in the middle.  It works, but its not as nicely packaged.

Have you tried adding a gusset to a bag or pouch?  I think ruffles are next on my list of pouch embellishments!

3 comments:

  1. I do gussets in mine too, I agree they give the pouch some dimension and look nice! I usually cut a square out of the bottom corner of each bag & lining piece, makes it really easy to straighten out and line them up... I didn't describe that very well! LOL Yours are really cute

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  2. I always add one to my pouches, too. It makes them so much bigger!

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  3. Love the bags and I will add to my list to try! Thank you for the tutorial:) Have a fantastic weekend!
    Hugs,
    Norma

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