Welcome to another tutorial from my leather clutch series. I remember having one of these Japanese style triangle pouches when I was little. So this week I thought I’d figure out how to make one and do a new tutorial for you. This triangle pouch pattern tutorial will show you how to make them in any size but I think small ones are the cutest.
SUPPLIES
- Leather: Use a faux leather or search for some leather scraps. It is best made in a soft but medium weight leather. I used faux leather for my samples.
Did you know you can sew leather on a regular sewing machine? All you need is a Teflon foot and leather needles. These prevent the foot sticking to the surface and prevent skipped stitches.
- Feet: Teflon feet can be purchased alone or in kits and are cheaply purchased from Amazon or eBay. Many machines also come with a walking foot which can work well also.
- Leather Needles: These are designed to pierce through leather and also prevent skipped stitches. I use Schmetz and Klass brands. Singer also makes leather needles.
- Zipper: This should be 1 inch (2.5 cm) smaller than the leather squares you cut. Zippers are measured along the metal part and not along the tape. Plastic zippers are easier for beginners as the head is smaller and easier to move out of the way as you sew.
- Optional: Lace or ric-rac to decorate
- Glue or fabric double-sided tape.
Just test sew a scrap of leather before you start.
Triangle Pouch: The Video
Here is a short YouTube video I made to show you just how easy this clutch is to sew. Subscribe to my YouTube channel for weekly sewing and craft videos.
Press play >>
Triangle Pouch Pattern
Step 1: Cut 2 squares 1” longer than your zipper
For example: For a 4” triangle purse use a 4” zipper and cut two 5” squares
Step 2: Use the fabric tape to position the zipper in the center of your squares. Put the tape below the stitching line so it doesn’t gum the needle up and cause skipped stitches.
Add lace or decoration along the sides. The advantage of adding lace along the zipper edge is that you don’t need to stitch directly on the leather. This makes it so much easier and you can even use a regular zipper foot if you want to.
Stitch either side of the zipper. For most zippers, you will need to move the zipper out of the way as you sew.
Step 3: Fold the pouch with right sides together and clip the open end where the zipper is not joined by a stopper.
Stitch along the open side and bottom edge with a 1/4 inch (6mm) seam allowance.
Step 4: Open up the unstitched end and match the seam to the zipper. Finger press the seam open and use a clip to hold it in place.
Stitch across with a ¼” (6mm seam). Backstitch both ends and be careful when going over the seam not to hit any metal from the zipper stopper.
Step 5: Clip the corners and turn the right way out. Add a wrist strap or a tassel and away you go!
TIP: If your zipper head is small, you might need to add a ring through the hole to attach the wrist strap.
Triangle Pouch Tutorial
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