I mentioned in my last post that another item was included with the jewelry I donated. It is a large presentation pouch (or envelope) I made out of Chinese silk brocade. As you can probably guess the materials came out of my stash. In fact, I had everything I needed to complete this project, so it was a great stash buster.
An 8 ½” x 11” piece of black illustration board was used to secure the jewelry and make it easy to display during the auction. To protect the jewelry during transport and enhance the total package, I needed something different than boxes. It’s at such times having a stash comes in handy. After looking through my brocades I decided on a light pink with plum blossoms. And wouldn’t you know, I had a fabric for the lining too.
The approximate finished size is 10” x 13” when the flap is folded down. The pieces were measured 11” x 26 ½” for the body of the pouch. To make the rounded flap at top I used a 10” dinner plate. At the furthest point the flap added 5 ½”. Both pieces of fabric were cut to be the same size. A half inch seam allowance was used. Before any sewing was done the rounded edges were clipped almost to the ½” allowance. Experienced sewers will know why the clipping is done. For those who don’t, it creates a roomy seam or smooth edge. The allowances on all sides were ironed down before the two pieces of fabric were put together. Prior to securing the pieces together, do a dry fit to make sure the edges match up. You may need to do some adjusting to the ironed allowances. Heat & Bond was used on the rounded flap edge to make sure the clipped fabric stayed flat. The liner was secured to the brocade with fusible web cut to the fabric size, minus the seams allowances. Fusible web looks like a light interfacing but it’s basically a sheet of glue that gets ironed between fabrics. It can be found on bolts or comes in a package.
Once the fabric cooled from ironing, I folded the body of the pouch so the bottom edge was just under the flap fold. The side edges were top-stitched together with a straight stitch a ¼” from the edge. A decorative stitch was used on the flap. Two different colored threads were on the machine for the flap. A dark gold matching the lining was used on the brocade side. Pink thread was on the bobbin and showed on the lining side. A single button hole was sewn at the end of the flap. The bottom of the button hole is about 1/2” from the edge. An iridescent glass button secures the pouch.
Overall, it’s a project easily done in a few hours. And it’s great for smaller amounts of fabric. So don’t throw your leftovers away. The size could easily be adjusted to the item it will contain. The flap can be pointed, or if you’re feeling really fancy, scalloped or given an edging such as lace. Have fun with the fastners too. I could have used a frog fastner with the Chinese brocade. Sadly, the ones in my trim collection were the wrong color.
An interesting note about the brocades in my collection. I bought them several years ago on Ebay. The seller was from China and I really agonized about placing a bid. At the time Chinese brocades could only be found at a high-end fabric store in my area, and it was expensive, well over $10 a yard. The Ebay seller had a large selection of patterns and many colors, including a cobalt blue fabric with silver pagodas on it. I couldn’t resist it. It was a six yard piece at a very fair price. After I took the plunge I waited anxiously for my prize to arrive. It had to go through customs so it took a couple of weeks. Imagine my surprise when the package arrived. The box was half the size of a shoebox. To say I was disappointed would be an understatement. There was no way six yards of fabric were in that dinky box. Turned out I was wrong. To this day I still don’t know the seller got it all in the box. (Ancient Chinese secret?) In the end, I must have been pleased with my purchase. I went back to that seller several times.
PS – before you get mad at me for “Ancient Chinese secret” it was the catch phrase from a 1970s commercial for a Calgon laundry product. I was a child at the time so don’t ask me why I still remember it. I guess I found it amusing, and it can be a handy quip when someone wants information you don’t wish to divulge. (Secret ingredients, etc.)
The Project Queen
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