DIY Hemp Yoga Bag Day 2- Pockets!

It’s day 2 of the Simplifi Yoga Bag tutorial, time to make the pockets! Of course, you can feel free to skip this step if you want a simple bag, but read on if you want to add some practical details :)

Zippered Pocket 

1. Find the centre of your zipper and mark a line 2 ¾” on either side of the centre. This method will work with any length of zipper.
2. Align your zipper tab and zipper, right sides together, matching the short side of the zipper tab with one of the markings you just made. Sew across the tab and zipper ½” from the edge of the zipper tab.
3. Fold the zipper tab back over the end of the zipper, wrong side of the zipper tab touching the right side of the zipper, and press. We'll trim the zipper in a later step.
4. Now repeat the process with the other end of the zipper. I'll now refer to the zipper and zipper tabs assembly as just the ‘zipper’.
5. Align your zipper with the top edge of the bottom pocket piece (the edge measuring 7 ½”) right sides together and pin. Make sure your zipper is centred and that the raw edge of the zipper tabs match up with the edge of the pocket.
6. With a zipper foot, stitch close to the zipper through all layers.
   
   
7. Press the bottom pocket piece away from the zipper and top stitch approximately 1/8” away from the fold.
8. Repeat steps 5-7 for the top pocket piece, making sure that your top pocket and bottom pocket are aligned along the edges.
9. Trim your zipper to ½” shorter than the pocket assembly on both ends. This will make it easier to turn your pocket edges under.
   
   
   
   
10. Press all edges of the pocket assembly ½” to the wrong side.
11. Centre your pocket right side up, approximately 6” down from the top edge of the bag body, and top stitch 1/8” from the edge of the pocket around all four sides to secure. Optional: sew a second row of stitching ¼” from your first line of stitching.  

 That’s it for your zippered pocket! Let’s move on to the water bottle pocket.

 Water Bottle Pocket

1. Turn the top edge of your pocket piece towards the wrong side by ¼” and press. Turn this edge down a further 5/8” and press again.
2. Topstitch 1/8” in along the first fold to create a casing for your elastic.
   
   
3. We will now create a box pleat at the bottom of the pocket. Mark the middle of the bottom of the pocket, and then make three marks 1 ¼” apart on either side of the centre mark. You should have 7 marks total, including the centre mark.
4. On the wrong side, fold the second mark in to match the middle mark and press. Do the same for the other side. This will be your box pleat. Baste in place with a 3/8” seam allowance. 
   
   
5. Using a large safety pin, thread the elastic into the casing at the top. Secure it to one end with a row of stitches going across the elastic, and then pull it through until the other end matches up with the other side of the pocket. Secure it to this end the same way. This will gather up the top edge of the pocket.
6. Turn under both side edges and the bottom edge of the water bottle pocket by ½” to the wrong side and press.
7. On your bag body piece, mark a rectangle 4” x 8 ½”. This rectangle should be centred on the body piece and 3" from the bottom.
8. Line up the edges and bottom of the water bottle pocket with the markings you just made, making sure the open end of the pocket is facing the top edge of your bag. (I used Wonder Tape to secure my pocket before topstitching which ensured it would stay lined up.)
9. Starting at the top opening, top stitch the water bottle pocket to the bag body 1/8” in from the edge, pivoting at the bottom and then pivoting back up the other edge. Make sure to backstitch at the beginning and end! Optional: Sew a second line of topstitching ¼” from the first line.

Alright! Tricky bit over. You should now have a large rectangle piece of fabric with two beautifully constructed pockets attached to it.

In the next post we'll complete the bag assembly.

See you then!
xo M