When it comes to picking your next favorite project, sometimes you need to try all the angles. The go-everywhere design of this sporty mini pack features curved corners, straight line quilting, a diagonal zipper, and a narrow wraparound sidewall. The finished pouch is not just a standard oval; it has a subtle point at the center bottom, giving it a unique arrowhead shape.

Our gorgeous model showcases the pack in workout mode, but the size and style would be just as perfect as a hands-free carryall, a mini school tote or a craft fair supply pouch. It’s a sleek design that works for men or women – young or old. The strap is fully adjustable so you can wear it around your waist or crossbody, and we used reflective webbing as a little safety-first addition.

There are a number of pieces that come together to create the final structure, but don’t let that put you off. As always, the S4H Team put our heads together to come up with the easiest construction methods. Even if you are new to sewing or bag making, you can have success!

One of the constants behind the professional finish of all our S4H projects are the Janome machines that provide power and precision. Our thanks to Janome America for putting their sponsorship stamp on this mini pack. We include a number of details within the instructions showing specialty Janome presser feet we used, stitches that make a difference, and when/how we engaged the amazing Janome AcuFeed™ Flex built-in fabric feeding system to keep multiple layers moving smoothly under the needle.

We can all be guilty of “going with the flow” when using our machines. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it — right? Well… not so much when it comes to the functions on your sewing machine, especially if you’re a Janome owner. Every feature is engineered to help make your sewing, quilting, and embroidery easier, more flexible, and definitely more fun. If it’s something you’ve not tried, that’s what scraps and practice time are for. Play with a number of stitches, switch out presser feet, adjust your needle position. By experimenting, you can discover what works best for you and will give your project the most professional finish.

As you can see from our sample photos, we chose to overlay both the top zipper as well as front diagonal zipper. It makes the installation a bit easier, and we’ve made sure to come up with a way that provides a clean finish at the back of the zippers as well as perfect, cannot-shift-at-all positioning.

Our exterior is a thin faux leather, which is a great option that lets the quilting lines really pop. You could go this same route or try a similar substrate like a lightweight canvas, denim or thin wool. The application of the piping and the zipper overlays are best done with a substantial yet flexible fabric. And, you will be layering panels and folding raw edges, so avoid anything super thick. We don’t recommend quilting cotton for the exterior.

The lining is ripstop, which is wonderfully thin, water resistant, and unlikely to fray. Stabilization of the ripstop is needed for the lining pocket as well as the belting flanges, but rather than trying to use a mid-weight fusible for this step (ripstop is not a fan of the heat required to properly fuse – sometimes even with a pressing cloth), we made our own sew-in interfacing from two layers of lightweight fusible. Of course, if you already have some mid-weight sew-in in your stash, you could use that as well.

As always with multi-step project instructions, read through everything a couple times to “make it in your head,” and as we mentioned above, take the time to practice techniques that are new to you. There is a complete pattern set you can download for free below, insuring your elements fit together correctly.

Join us in thanking Janome America for their support of this project and many of the other most popular projects across the S4H site. It’s what helps us continue to bring free content to you! To understand first-hand why we are a Janome Exclusive Studio, we invite you to visit a local Janome dealer for an in-person test stitch on the machines we consider to be the best in the industry. To find out more before you go, visit the Janome website and follow them on social media.

Our Sporty Waist or Crossbody Mini Pack finishes at approximately 9” wide x 6” high x 2” deep with a strap that adjusts from about 25” to 38”. That cool front diagonal zippered pocket opens to just over 6” to fit today’s larger mobile phones.

Sewing Tools You Need

• Sewing Machine and standard presser foot
• Even Feed or Walking foot; or engage your machine’s built-in fabric feeding system, such as the Janome AcuFeed™ Flex system, which is what we used throughout. This is optional – you could certainly attempt this project with a standard presser foot and regular feed dogs, but if you choose a faux leather, as we did, the slippery nature of that plus the ripstop is much easier to manage with some sort of dual feed set-up for your machine.
• Zipper foot; we used the AcuFeed™ Flex Single Holder Attachment which accommodates the narrow VD foot as well as the ED Zipper foot, click here for details
• Open Toe Satin Stitch foot; optional – we recommend an open-toe foot for the stitching on the lining lanyard and front zipper pull

Fabric and Other Supplies

• ½ yard of 44”+ lightweight faux leather or similar for the exterior;  we used a soft, garment faux leather in an off-white
• ½ yard of 44”+ ripstop for the lining and webbing flanges;  we used black
• ¾  yard of 20” + lightweight fusible interfacing; we used Pellon Shape-Flex non-woven interfacing
  NOTE: We created our own sew-in interfacing pieces from doubled layers of the Shape-Flex fusible and so have accounted for that extra here. If you have an apx. 10 – 12” square of mid-weight sew-in interfacing, you could use that and reduce the amount of fusible to ½ yard.
• ½ yard of 45” + fusible fleece; we used Pellon One-Sided Fusible Fleece
• 1½ yards of 1½” wide webbing; we used polyester webbing with a woven-in reflective strip
• 2½ yards of standard packaged piping in a color to match the zippers; we used Wrights ½” Maxi Piping in black
• ONE 16” plastic sport zipper for the top opening; we used black
• ONE 9” all-purpose zipper for the front opening; we used black
• NOTE: The color of the two zippers should match.
• ONE 1½” side-release buckle + a matching 1½” tri-glide slider; we used black plastic to coordinate with our zippers and piping
• ½ yard of thin paracord or similar for the top zipper pull; we used orange paracord
• ¾ yard of ⅜” grosgrain ribbon or similar for the front zipper pull and the lining lanyard; we used orange grosgrain
• ONE small carabiner for the lining lanyard; we used a nickel
• Scrap of tearaway stabilizer; we found this super handy for stitching the grosgrain ribbon
• All-purpose thread to match fabric, webbing, and zippers
• See-through ruler
• Fabric pen or pencil; we used a regular pencil to mark on our faux leather; this tends to be a great choice for faux leather and other vinyls because it so easily washes away
• Scissors or rotary cutter and mat
• Iron and ironing board
• Pressing cloth; optional but a good idea when working with faux leather and ripstop
  NOTE: Neither vinyl nor the rip stop nylon like the heat of an iron, so we highly recommend testing the settings on your iron to make sure the iron does not damage the fabrics. As noted above, we recommend a pressing cloth for the faux leather; it’s also good for the ripstop, but finger pressing is often the best option for it.
• Seam gauge
• Seam ripper
• Hand sewing needle
• Straight pins; remember, pins leave permanent holes in faux leather so make sure you use them within the seam allowance only – or go with fabric clips instead
• Cellophane tape to hold zippers in place during construction
• Seam sealant; optional but helpful for finishing the ends of the grosgrain ribbon and the paracord

Getting Started and Pattern Download

1. Download and print the pattern pieces for this project: MAIN BODY, ZIPPER PANEL SIDEWALL, MAIN SIDEWALL, AND THE TWO BELTING FLANGES — we do recommend printing in color if possible in order to best see the cutting and  placement lines.
   
   NOTE: This download consists of FOUR 8½” x 11″sheets containing pieces for all the patterns. You must print the PDF file at 100%. DO NOT SCALE to fit the page. There is a guide rule on each sheet to confirm your printout is to scale. Print horizontally (landscape).
2. Cut out each pattern piece along its solid outer line.
3. For the Zipper Panel Sidewall pattern, aligning the printed arrows, assemble Part 1 and Part 2 into the complete Zipper Panel Sidewall pattern.
4. For the Main Sidewall pattern, aligning the printed arrows, assemble Part A and Part B into the complete Sidewall pattern.
5. The Belting Flanges are individual pieces but there is one Left and one Right pattern to make cutting these elements easier and more precise.
   NOTE: All the interfacing pieces will be cut on the seam line. You can certainly use the same paper patterns for the fabric and the interfacing, cutting the fabric first and then trimming along the dotted seam allowance line to create the patterns from which to cut your interfacing. However, we recommend printing TWO sets of patterns, keeping one set as-is and trimming the second set along the seam lines. This way, you can cut in any sequence and, when finished, can save both sets to use again.

Main Body lining panels and lining pocket

1. Using the Main Body pattern, cut TWO from lining fabric.
2. Cut ONE 9½” wide x 9” high rectangle from the lining fabric for the pocket.
3. From the lightweight fusible interfacing cut ONE 9½” wide x 8¼” high rectangle.
4. Fold the lightweight interfacing fusible sides together so it is now 9½” wide x 4⅛” high. Following manufacturer’s instructions, fuse the folded layers together to create a panel of sew-in interfacing.
   NOTE: If you have a mid-weight sew-in interfacing on hand, simply cut one 9½” wide x 4⅛” high rectangle.

Cutting and fusing the Main Body front and back panels

1. Using the Main Body pattern, cut TWO from the exterior fabric.
   
2. Trim the Main Body pattern along the seam allowance line and use this trimmed pattern to cut the following:
   ONE from the lightweight fusible interfacing
   TWO from the fusible fleece
   
   NOTE: There is fusible fleece on both the front and back panels, but the lightweight  interfacing layer is only applied to the front panel where it becomes the inside of the front pocket, covering the “fuzzy” surface of the fleece. On the back panel there is no pocket so no additional layer is needed.
3. Center the fusible fleece on the wrong side of the both the front and back panels so there is ½” of fabric showing beyond the interfacing all around. To fuse without damaging the vinyl, cover the two layers with a damp pressing cloth. Then, with your iron set to steam, press and lift repeatedly across the panel until the pressing cloth is dry and the fleece is fused in place.
4. The back panel is done.
5. To complete the front panel, find the panel of lightweight fusible interfacing. Place this interfacing layer on top of the fleece, aligning the raw edges of both stabilizers. Repeat the damp pressing cloth method to fuse this final layer in place.

Cutting and fusing the Zipper Panel Sidewall and Main Sidewall

1. Using the assembled Zipper Panel Sidewall pattern, cut the following:
   ONE from the exterior fabric
   ONE from lining fabric
2. Using the assembled Main Sidewall pattern, cut the following:
   ONE from the exterior fabric
   ONE from lining fabric
3. Trim the Zipper Panel Sidewall pattern along the seam allowance line and use the trimmed pattern to cut ONE from the fusible fleece.
4. Trim the Main Sidewall pattern along the seam allowance line and use the trimmed pattern to cut ONE from the fusible fleece.
5. Set aside the lining panels.
6. Center the fusible fleece on the wrong side of the both sidewall exterior panels so there is ½” of fabric showing beyond the interfacing all around. Overlay a damp pressing cloth and repeat the same steam, press, and lift sequence you used above until the pressing cloth is dry and the fleece is fused in place.

Belting flanges

1. Fold the lining fabric right sides together, and using the Left Flange pattern, cut TWO. Repeat to cut TWO with the Right Flange pattern.
2. Fold the lightweight interfacing fusible sides together, and using the Left Flange pattern, cut TWO. Repeat to cut TWO with the Right Flange pattern. You are not trimming the pattern along the seam allowance first; cut the interfacing using the full Flange patterns.
3. Following manufacturer’s instructions, fuse together the two layers of both pairs of  interfacing. As above with the lining pocket interfacing, this creates single pieces of sew-in interfacing.
   NOTE: If you have a mid-weight sew-in interfacing on hand, simply cut ONE from both the Left Flange pattern and the Right Flange pattern.

From the 1½” webbing, cut the following:

1. ONE 7” length for the female side of the side release buckle
2. ONE 38” length for the male side of the side release buckle

From the thin paracord, cut the following:

1. ONE 12” length for the top zipper pull

From the grosgrain ribbon cut the following:

1. ONE 8” length for the front zipper pull
2. ONE 12” length for the lining lanyard

The piping will be cut to size during construction.

At Your Sewing Machine & Ironing Board

Quilting the Main Body Panels

1. Find your original Main Body paper pattern. Fold it along the red angled line. Place this folded pattern on the right side on the Front Main Body exterior panel. The paper pattern should be flush all around with the fabric.
2. Align your ruler along the fold and draw in an angled line on the exterior fabric panel.
   
3. Using this first line as your guide, mark parallel diagonal lines spaced 1″ apart to the left and right of this first line.
   
4. Thread the machine with thread to best match the exterior fabric in the top and bobbin. Attach an Even Feed/Walking foot or engage your machine’s built-in fabric feeding system. Slightly lengthen the stitch.
5. Stitch along each drawn line. We recommend starting your stitching at the center, working outward to the right and then to the left.
   
6. When the stitching is complete, remove the original marks. As mentioned above, we used a standard pencil as our marking tool, which wiped away beautifully with just a damp cloth.
   
7. Repeat to add matching lines of quilting to the Back Main Body exterior panel, however, on this back panel, the diagonal lines should run in the opposite direction from the front panel.

Add the diagonal zipper to the front panel

1. Find the 9″ zipper and the quilted Front Main Body exterior panel. Place the Front panel right side up and flat on your work surface.
2. Referring to the paper pattern, align the zipper, right side up, with the quilt line that corresponds to the red line on the paper pattern. The zipper should be closed and the zipper pull should be at the upper edge of the panel. Also make sure the zipper is perfectly centered between the lines of quilting. Tape the zipper in position..
   
3. Thread the machine with thread to best match the zipper tape in the top and bobbin. Continue with an Even Feed/Walking foot or engage your machine’s built-in fabric feeding system. Re-set the stitch length to default.
4. Edgestitch along both sides of the zipper. It’s okay to stitch right through the tape; simply tear away the tape once your stitching is complete.
   
5. Flip over the panel and cut between the lines of edgestitching, which should be right along the original quilting line behind the zipper’s teeth.
   
6. Tuck under the raw edges of your cut line, revealing the zipper teeth completely. Pin the folded edges in place.
   
7. Re-set your machine for a center zig zag stitch.
8. Stitch along each the folded edge through all the layers, removing the pins as you go. Your stitching should run close to but not over the folded edge.
   
9. This creates a decorative overlay zipper on the front of the panel with a clean finished edge on what will be the inside of the front pocket.
   

Create the lining pocket

1. Find the 9½“ x 9″ lining pocket panel and the 9½“ x 8⅛“ interfacing panel (either a DIY fused panel or your own smaller mid-weight sew-in cut).
2. Place the main lining panel wrong side up and flat on your work surface.
   NOTE: Ripstop doesn’t really have a right side or wrong side, but if using a different substrate that does, you are working on the wrong side.
3. Place the interfacing so its upper edge sits at the midline of the pocket panel. The sides of the interfacing and lining should be flush, and there should be about ⅜” of fabric showing below the bottom edge of the interfacing. Pin along the sides.
   
4. Fold the panel in half so it is now 9½“ x 4½” . Pin along the bottom raw edge.
   
5. If necessary, re-thread with thread to best match the lining in the top and bobbin. Re-set for a standard straight stitch.
6. Using a ½” seam allowance, stitch across the 9½” bottom edge, forming a tube. The line of stitching should just catch the edge of the interfacing, securing it in place.
   
7. Press the seam allowance open, using low heat and/or a pressing cloth.
   
8. Turn the pocket right side out through the open sides. Finger press along the bottom seam as well as along the upper folded edge of the pocket.
9. Find the Back Main Body lining panel. Place it right side up and flat on your work surface.
10. Using the original paper pattern as your guide, place the finished pocket on the panel. The upper edge (the folded edge of the pocket) should sit approximately 1¼” down the upper raw edge of the Body panel. The raw side edges of the pocket should be flush with the raw side edges of the Body panel. Pin the pocket in place along both sides.
    
11. To secure the pocket, start the top of one side, stitch down the side staying within the seam allowance (about ¼” is good).
    
12. Pivot at the bottom corner and edgestitch along the bottom of the pocket (the seamed edge of the pocket).
    
13. Pivot at the opposite corner and stitch back up the opposite side edge.
14. Set aside the back lining panel with its spiffy pocket.

Make and place the Belting Flanges

1. Find the two pairs of lining fabric for the belting flanges as well as the matching interfacing pieces. As above with the pocket interfacing, this interfacing may be the “DIY sew-in” or your own mid-weight sew-in.
2. Trim ½“ from the narrow ends of the interfacing pieces.
   
3. Place each pair of lining flanges right sides together, then place a layer of interfacing on top, aligning the sides and lower edge. Fold back ½“ at the narrow end; the upper layer will fold over the interfacing, the back layer will be folded back to match. The image below shows you just the front layer folded forward and pinned. Underneath it is the back of the flange with its narrow end folded. What you are creating is an opening with folded edges along this narrow end of the flange. This opening is where you’ll insert the webbing later in the construction process.
   
4. Using a ½” seam allowance, stitch along just the sides of each flange, leaving the upper edge and the lower edge unstitched.
   
5. Trim back the interfacing close to the lines of stitching and press open the seam allowances.
   
6. Turn right side out through the open bottom to reveal your two finished flanges, each with the interfacing sandwiched between. Press on low heat with a pressing cloth.
7. Find the original Main Body paper pattern and the quilted Back Main Body exterior panel. The paper pattern shows you where to place the flanges.
   
8. Place the Back Main Body exterior panel right side up and flat on your work surface and pin the flanges into position.
   
9. Machine baste the flanges in place. You can then trim the bottom of the side seam allowances of the flanges flush with the Main panel.
   

Create and place the Lining Lanyard

1. Find the 12″ length of grosgrain ribbon and a small piece of tear away stabilizer. Fold the ribbon in half, carefully aligning the side edges of the ribbon. With a hand sewing needle and thread, baste the ribbon together
   
2. Center the basted ribbon on the tear away stabilizer.
3. Change to an open-toe foot; we chose the Janome F2 Open Toe Satin Stitch foot. Your machine should be threaded with a color of thread in the top and bobbin that contrasts with the ribbon. We used black thread to both contrast as well as to match the other black highlights on the bag.
4. Select a triple straight stitch or a similar dense straight stitch. On Janome models, this common stitch can be found within the Utility stitch selection on nearly all models.
5. Starting about 1” in from the cut ends, run a line of stitching down the center of the ribbon. Stop stitching ½“ from the fold. This stop point creates a small loop into which the carabiner will be hooked.
   
6. Re-set for a standard straight stitch.
7. With the needle in the down position, raise the presser foot and pivot 180˚, then stitch back over the original line of triple stitching for about ½” and lock your stitch.
   
   NOTE: If possible, use a lock stitch to complete this stitching for the cleanest finish. If you do not have a lock stitch feature on your machine, you could use a very precise back stitch.
8. When the stitching is complete, remove the tear away stabilizer and basting stitches.
9. Trim the lanyard to measure 5”. Trim the excess from the un-stitched cut end; do not cut the folded/loop end and do not cut into your stitch line.
10. Find the Back Main Body lining panel, which should have the pocket in place.
11. Position the ribbon along the top of the lining panel, about 1½“ in from the right side. The raw end of the ribbon should be flush with the top raw edge of the lining panel, which means the looped end of the ribbon is hanging down over the pocket. Baste the ribbon  in place.
    
    NOTE: The carabiner will be hooked into the lanyard after the pouch is completed. To keep the lanyard out of the way during the remainder of construction, tuck it into the pocket.

Layer the lining panels with the exterior panels and add piping

1. Find the Front Main Body exterior panel, which should have the diagonal zipper in position. Open the zipper a few inches. Find the Front Main Body lining panel, which is plain. Place the two layers wrong sides together. The layers should be flush around the entire perimeter. Pin together.
   
2. Machine baste the layers together, staying within seam allowance – about ¼” is a good seam width. When the basting is complete, trim the ends of the zipper flush with the exterior panel.
3. Find the Back Main Body exterior panel, which should have the flanges basted into position and the Back Main Body lining panel, which should have its pocket in position and the lanyard basted in position. Place these two layers wrong sides together. The layers should be flush around the entire perimeter.
4. As above, machine baste the layers together, staying within seam allowance.
5. Find the packaged piping and cut a length to fit around each panel, adding an extra 2″ to each length for overlapping the ends to finish.
6. We started our piping application with the back panel; you can start with either panel.
7. Pin the piping on the right side of the Back Main Body exterior panel, starting at the lower center point of the panel but making sure to leave about 1” of the piping free. Position the piping so the line of stitching on the piping’s insertion tape is ½“ in from the raw edge of the exterior panel. This is to insure the final seaming of the panel to the sidewall will allow a perfect reveal of the piping with a ½” seam allowance. Pin all the way around the perimeter, leaving an approximate 1” tail when you return to your starting point.
8. Attach a Zipper foot and make sure your machine is threaded with thread to match the piping in both the top and bobbin. We are still using the fabulous Janome AcuFeed™ Flex feeding system but did change to the system’s Narrow holder and its specialty Zipper foot: the AcuFeed ED foot.
9. The next step is to machine baste the piping in position. Start stitching 1″ from the lower point of the panel, leaving that 1” end loose. Your Zipper foot should do a great job of guiding the basting right along the piping cord, but you can also adjust your needle position to get even closer to the cording. Stitch around the entire perimeter in this manner.
10. As you approach each corner, clip into the piping about every ¼“ to allow the piping to more smoothly follow the curve of the corner.
    
11. End your stitching when you are about 1″ from the lower point of the panel. The loose ends of the piping should overlap at the point.
    
12. With a seam ripper, peal back the fabric at the tail to expose the cording. Fold the fabric back until it matches the lower center point of the panel. Trim away excess fabric if necessary. On the head end of the piping, clip into the seam allowance at the point. Tuck the folded end around the starting end, trimming the exposed cording so it butts up to the starting end.
    
13. Complete the stitching, pivoting at the point.
    
14. Repeat to attach piping to the remaining exterior panel.
    
    NOTE: If you are brand new to working with piping, we have a full tutorial you can review prior to starting.

Create the Zipper Panel

1. The application of the overlaid top zipper follows the same steps as the front diagonal zipper you completed above.
2. Find the Sidewall Zipper Panel exterior, which should have its layer of fleece fused in place, and the Sidewall Zipper Panel lining. Place the two layers wrong sides together, aligning the raw edges all around.
3. Pin together within the seam allowance.
   
4. Machine baste along the sides within the seam allowance, approximately ¼“ in from the edge, removing the pins as you go.
   
5. Find the 16″ Sport zipper and center it over the Sidewall Zipper Panel exterior layer. There will be excess zipper at either end; this is correct. Tape the zipper in place.
   
6. Edgestitch along both sides of the zipper. As with the diagonal zipper above, these lines of stitching should be very close to the each outer edge of the zipper tape. It’s okay to stitch right through the tape; simply tear away the tape once your stitching is complete.
   
7. The excess zipper still extends beyond the panel on both ends, this is correct.
   
8. Flip over the panel and cut between the lines of edgestitching.
   
9. Tuck under the raw edges of your cut line, revealing the zipper teeth completely. Pin the edges in place.
   
10. Re-set your machine for a center zig zag stitch, and again, just as you did above with the diagonal zipper, stitch along each the folded edge through all the layers, removing the pins as you go. Your stitching should run close to but not over the folded edge.

Complete the Sidewall

1. Find the Sidewall Main Panel exterior and the Sidewall Main Panel lining. Sandwich the lower end of the Sidewall Zipper Panel between the Sidewall Main Panel exterior and  lining. In this “sandwich,” you  are layering exterior to exterior and lining to lining. Pin in place through all four layers.
   
2. Using a ½” seam allowance, stitch across the end through all the layers, including the zipper. Because you are stitching through the zipper teeth, go slowly. The zipper teeth are softer plastic, but the needle still needs to land between the teeth – so you may need to turn the hand wheel manually. When the seam is complete, trim away the excess zipper.
   
3. To secure the opposite end, first unzip the zipper about half way, then sandwich the layers of this opposite end in the same manner: exterior to exterior and lining to lining. Double check that the sidewall loop is not twisted anywhere along its length. Pin in place through all the layers and stitch across, using a ½” seam allowance.
   
4. Trim away the excess zipper at the top end and turn the sidewall loop right side out. The Sidewall Main Panels are wrong sides together, just like the Sidewall Zipper Panel.
   
5. We recommend machine basting the raw edges of the Sidewall Main Panel exterior and lining at this point, matching what you did with the Sidewall Zipper Panel. If your machine has a free arm, now it a great time to use it.

Insert the front and back panels into the sidewall

1. Find the back panel. Fold it in half and place a pin at each edge of the fold (you could also use small snips as your marking points instead of pins). Fold it in half in the opposite direction and place two additional pins. You now have pins at the quarter points of the panel, like the 12:00, 3:00, 6:00, and 9:00 points on the face of a clock. Your 6:00 point is especially easy to find since the bottom of our panel has that cool center point.
2. Repeat this process with the front panel.
3. Then repeat the process once more with the sidewall itself to mark quarter points along each of its raw edges.
4. Flip the sidewall wrong side out. Set the back exterior panel into the loop so the two pieces are right sides together. It’s a bit like placing a lid upside downinto a box.
5. Align the quarter point pins of the back panel with the matching quarter point pins of the sidewall. Pin through all the layers at these points first, then fill in around the circle. Don’t be afraid to use plenty of pins. It’s best to work from quadrant point to quadrant point, easing the sidewall to the panel as you go.
   
6. Using a Zipper foot, you will stitch all the way around the circle TWICE. As you can see in the photo below, we are still using our Janome AcuFeed™ Flex built-in fabric feeding system with the Narrow holder and the ED Zipper foot,  and we do recommend this or an Even/Feed Walking foot if possible. But, if you do not have these options, you can use a standard Zipper foot.
7. The first time around, use a straight stitch and run your seam as close to the piping as possible. If your machine allows you to set the needle position, move it to the left so you as stitching right up against the cording. Your seam allowance should be a standard ½”, but the focus is to stitch as close to, but not directly on, the piping.
   
8. The second time around, attach a standard foot and re-set for a zig zag stitch. As you see in the photo below, we switched to the narrow AcuFeed™ Flex VD foot, which allowed us a center opening that accommodates the swing of the zig zag, but keeping the narrow width of the foot itself. The Janome AcuFeed™ options really help keep things precise.
9. Zig zag around just outside the original straight seam line.
   
10. Trim back the seam allowance to the edge of the zig zag for a clean finish.
    NOTE: This simple zig zag stitch was our choice for how to finish our visible interior seam allowances. The pouch is narrow and deep, which means the interior seam allowances are not very visible. However, if you’d prefer a more finished option, S4H has several pouch projects that feature a bound interior seam allowance. This link takes you to one you can check out should you wish to follow the steps for this alternate finish: Curved Top Canvas Zippered Pencil Case.
11. Here’s a look down inside with the back panel pinned in position.
    
12. Repeat to add the front panel in the same manner.
    
13. This side will be a bit more challenging to wrangle under the presser foot because you no longer have an open side. However, by making sure the top zipper is all the way open and working to flatten the layers, you should be able to go all the way around without a problem. As with all things that may present an initial challenge, go slowly and stop – with your needle in the down position – to adjust the layers as needed.
    NOTE: This technique is the same as any project where you are inserting a flat circle into a tube. In this case, we simply have a very narrow tube and our “circle” is a unique arrowhead shape. If you are new to this process, check out our full, step-by-step tutorial.

Insert the webbing into the flanges and create the adjustable strap

1. Find the two lengths of webbing, the side release buckle, and the tri-glide slider. Run a line of seam sealant along each cut end of each length of webbing. Allow the sealant to dry before proceeding.
2. Loop the shorter length of webbing through the female end of the buckle. Pull the end of the webbing through and back against itself by about 2″.
3. Insure your machine is threaded with thread to best match your webbing in the top and bobbin. We recommend a Zipper foot in order to get as close as possible to the buckle. Secure the end with a 1”  X Box.
   
4. If you are new to using an X box, we have a full tutorial you can review prior to starting. It really is one of our favorite methods of securing straps, and when done with precision, it adds a lovely decorative touch.
   
5. Loop one end of the longer length of webbing through the tri-glide slider, feeding the end up and over the center bar of the slider. Pull the end of the webbing through and back against itself  about 2″. And, just as you did above with the shorter length of webbing, secure the end with a I”  X box.
   
6. Thread the remaining raw end of the longer length of the webbing through the center bar of the male end of the buckle, then come back up and over the slider – right over the top of the end you just secured. This double layer through the tri-glide slider is what creates the adjustable loop.
   
   NOTE: If you are brand new to making an adjustable strap, we have a full, step-by-step tutorial you can review prior to starting.
7. Place the completed pouch on a flat surface with the front/zipper side facing up.
8. Insert the shorter length of webbing into the flange on the left. Insert the webbing as far in as it will go and pin in place.
   
9. If necessary, re-thread your machine with thread to best match the flange fabric in the top and bobbin.
10. Edgestitch across the narrow end of the flange to secure. We felt one line of stitching was sufficient, but for extra stability, you could stitch across multiple times. Just be sure to keep your stitching neat as it is quite visible.
    
11. Insert the raw end of the longer length of webbing into the flange on the right in the same manner.
    

Optional Zipper Pulls

1. As shown in the beauty images above, we used thin paracord as a decorative zipper pull for top zipper.
2. If you’d like to do the same, find the 12” length of cord, fold it in half, and insert the folded center through the opening in the zipper pull. Push the fold through to form a loop. Thread the raw ends through the loop and pull down. This is similar to how you might attach a gift or price tag. Knot the ends with an overhand knot, creating a pull approximately 3″ long. Trim the ends of the cord close to the knot and use a drop of seam sealant to finish the ends.
   
3. We also chose to add a decorative pull to the front diagonal zipper, using the same technique as above for the lining lanyard.
4. If you’d like to do the same, find the 8″ length of grosgrain ribbon. Cut one end to a point and insert it through the opening in the zipper tab. Pull through and align the ends of the ribbon. Hand baste the ribbon together as you did on the lanyard. Open the front diagonal zipper all the way and place just the ribbon on a small piece of tear away stabilizer. Using a triple stitch as you did above, stitch up the center of the ribbon. Trim to a length of approximately 3” and apply a drop of seam sealant to finish the ends.
   
5. Finally, clip the carabiner through the loop of the lining lanyard.

Project Design: Anne Adams
Sample Creation and Technique Enhancements: Michele Mishler