Black Linen Matched Set with Ashton Top

It's celebration season. What are you wearing? 

I'll be wearing sneakers, elastic waist pants, and...pearls?! If relaxed sophistication is a look, then that's the target I'm shooting for. The pieces are black linen full length pants, a delicate linen button up, and matching black vest. Accessorized with smooth pearl jewelry and a nubby sherpa fleece bag. Mixed textures, and tailoring held together with a severe black and white palette. 

Maybe I'm sporting a fancy gym teacher vibe, but this outfit is in it for the long haul. 

The Pants: This my standard self-drafted pattern that I have made more than 15 times. FIFTEEN! And, they never let me down. They are pretty much perfect for holiday parties. They're relaxed and still put together, with an elastic waist so I can eat all the cookies, and generous pockets so I can take a couple home. Relevant to no-one but me, I lifted the rise by 1/2", and went with a full length, rather than cropped. I'm gonna say they're perfect now, but I don't want to limit their evolution. The fabric is a linen blend from Joann, purchased for expediency alone. It's nothing remarkable as a textile, but has a good balance of body and swish for these pieces. 

The Top: This is the Ashton Top from Helen's Closet. I made this top when I was on a bit of a matched set kick this summer. By the time I finished it was full on fall and I needed another layer. Luckily, the Ashton Top is roomy enough to wear as a vest. I don't remember what size a sewed, but I do remember that I raised the arm opening a bit. The Ashton is a rock solid woven tank pattern. I've tried a few others and like the fit and construction of this one the best. It's sewn up in a matching matching linen blend from Joann.

The Button Up: This is the Archer Button Up from Grainline Studio. You can read about it here. It's a closet staple and a pattern I've sewn 5 or 6 times. 

The Bag: This is the size large Tether Pouch. It's my favorite size for going out without kids (and sippy cups, and toys, and crayons). It fits all of my essentials. I used a few scraps of Michael Miller Organic Sherpa Fleece. I'm not entirely sure you can still buy this fabric, I've seen a lot of listings like this one. It's a low pile, fine textured cotton fleece that is thin enough to sew the zippers as usual. I did round the corners a little more than specified to decrease bulk. It's a knit, so I did fuse it with mid-weight interfacing for rigidity and structure. 

Tether Pouch Hardware & Supplies

It often seems like the most (tedious, or is it just me?) time consuming part of a new sewing project is getting all the materials in same place at the same time. Particularly with bag sewing, the right hardware, clasps or zippers can really make the finished bag something special. I've assembled some kits to make supply buying for the Tether Pouch easier. They are meant to be modular, so start with what you have. You can buy single kits to fill in holes in your stash, or multiple kits to make a whole set of pouches. Now, let's go over all the bits and pieces needed to sew a set of Tether Pouches.

Hardware

The Tether Pouch has a swivel clip and/or D ring on each component so you can easily attach them to each other. These pieces can change the aesthetic of the finished pouch. Classic metal hardware is my favorite. It's what I used for my samples, and what I've stocked in the shop. I'm currently stocking silver and antique brass finishes. Let's go over the options. 

The single Tether Pouch kit has 1 swivel clip and 1 D ring. It's just enough to make one Tether Pouch in any size. 

The single Tether Pouch & wristlet kit has 1 swivel clip and 2 D rings. It's just enough to make one Tether Pouch and the wrist strap. 

Add 2 single pouch kits and you'll have the hardware to make the set of 3 pouches and the wrist strap. 

 

The Tether Pouch belt strap kit has 1 length adjuster, 1 D ring, and 1 swivel clip. Combine this kit with a length of cotton webbing (below) and you'll have what you need to make the complete waist strap. 

The Tether Pouch pattern specifies 1" hardware, but you can easily substitute other sizes. I like the simple classic style shown on these samples, but there are tons of fun styles available online. Try Craft Me Studio on Etsy, or Wawak for more diverse hardware choices. If you don't have time to wait for shipping, Joann usually has basic bag hardware in stores. 

Webbing

The Tether Pouch strap kit includes 2.25 yards of 1"cotton webbing. This is enough to make 3 pouches, a wrist strap and a belt strap with a little left over for strap length adjustments.  I like the natural look of the cotton webbing used on the sample pouches. It's in the shop in natural and black.

You can use nylon or cotton webbing for the Tether Pouch. Or, you can make your own strap from fabric using the instructions included in the Tether Pouch sewing pattern. Joann has a decent selection of webbing in stores. Zipper Zoo has a fun selection of decorative webbing online. 

Zippers

The Tether Pouch zipper kit includes 3 zippers of the same size. This is enough to make a single pouch. The size small uses 5" zippers, the medium 7", and the large 9".  These are metal zippers with a donut pull, and are stocked in silver or antique brass metal finishes.

You can use any kind of zipper for this project. Nylon for a sportier look, or zipper tape to make supply buying simple. Be sure your zippers are the right length. You'll be sewing as close to the ends as possible, and starting with the correct size will save some heartache (i.e. broken needles). Zipit on Etsy has tons of zipper options, and a large selection of metal zippers. Zipper Zoo and Wawak have lots of choices for zipper tape (also called zipper by the yard or continuous zipper roll). 

Fabric

I hate to put fabric last in this list, but you can use most anything, and this pattern takes so little fabric you probably already have something in you stash, or scrap bin. The Tether Pouch calls for a sturdy woven as the main fabric. I recommend 8oz/yd or heavier. If you're on the lighter side, I recommend reinforcing the main pieces of your pouch with medium weight fusible interfacing, such as Pellon 931TD. Don't over think it, use what you have.  

I don't usually prewash bag fabric because I want to preserve as much of the new fabric stiffness as possible. I would spot clean rather than machine wash most bags (except for some all fabric tote bags), so shrinkage isn't an issue. The cream and tan stripe pouches shown here are made from an old cotton canvas tablecloth that is probably around 9oz/yd. The dark print is Cotton + Steel cotton canvas. At 6oz/yd, I did reinforce it with interfacing. 

I just made, but have not yet shared, a set of Tether Pouches in Ruby Star cotton canvas. I love the fabric so much I may frame them instead of use them. The prints have metallic gold accents on part of the design, it's looks great with metal zippers and bag hardware. I reinforced the Ruby Star (just under 7oz/yd) with medium weight fusible interfacing so they hold their crisp shape over time. Hawthorne Supply has a great selection of Ruby Star cotton canvas. I just saw this purple color way of a Jen Hewett design and I'm gonna have to make another set of pouches!

Each pouch can be made with 1/4 yard or less of main fabric. It's a great opportunity to use precuts of the latest fabric release or scraps from your last pants project (Blackbird bottom weights anyone?) to make a new pouch. And, now I'm imagining one in corduroy...or denim...

The lining fabric couldn't be simpler. Any lightweight woven will do. Some of mine use Kona Cotton, and some use an old sheet. It's an ideal way to use the bits and pieces left from a special Nani Iro or Liberty print. 

Even after all these words, the take home message is this: start with what you have. Then fill in any holes with this handy list. 

Bag Making: Introducing the Tether Pouch Sewing Pattern from Wholecloth Patterns

Introducing the Tether Pouch sewing pattern! The Tether Pouch is a 3 zipper pouch with a swivel clip and D ring at each edge so you can attach it to anything, and attach anything to it. The pattern comes with 3 sizes of pouch that you can layer up or carry individually. An adjustable belt strap and wrist strap are included in the pattern, so you can wear it as a wristlet, belt bag, or cross body. 

Get the pattern:

Tether Pouch Sizes

The Tether Pouch sewing pattern comes with 3 sizes of bag. The small carries just the basics and finished measurements are 5x4". The medium is my favorite size for quick errands and finished measurements are 7x5 1/2". The large holds all day essentials and finished measurements are 8x10". The waist and wrist straps have 3 suggested size options that are easy to customize to your preferred length. 

Tether Pouch Fabric

The Tether Pouch looks great in any medium weight rigid fabric such as canvas or denim. It also works well with pleather. I prefer a fairly rigid bag that stands up to daily wear. If you're using something that is less than 8oz per yard I recommend reinforcing it with medium weight fusible interfacing on all of the main fabric pieces. The Tether Pouch is a great project for using up scraps, or piecing and quilting your own custom combination. The lining can be made with any light weight woven fabric such as lawn, broadcloth or quilting cotton. 

Tether Pouch Supplies

Hardware is a great way to add personality to your Tether Pouch. The possibilities are endless for zipper and clip combinations. Use metal or plastic for very different styles of the same design. Already have swivel clips and D rings of a different size? Use them. This pattern is my jumping off point for sewists to add their own personal spin on their finished Tether pouches. Cotton webbing adds nice texture and contrast to the bag, but you can also make your own fabric straps in a few easy steps included in the pattern instructions. 

To kick off your Tether Pouch sewing I've got a selection of hardware, zippers, and webbing in the shop! 

Shop the kits: