Nametag Pouch

Nametag/Document pouch to wear around your neck

Cynthia Wilsher of the Greater Ann Arbor Quilt Guild shared her pattern for her "Gotta Have It Bag" that she uses to hold her guild nametag. The little bag has three pockets and a clear pouch on the front to hold a nametag or entrance ticket to an event. I made eight of these bags for the goodie bags we distributed on our friends trip to the Shipshewana Quilt Festival in Shipshewana, Indiana on June 26. The construction technique is fast and easy and the little bags are fun to make from scrap fabrics. I changed the design to make my bags slightly larger than the original, about 5 x 7-inches; I also added interfacing and used a different finish for the binding. I rewrote the directions and photographed the process; see below. All the how-to photos were taken by Alisa.

Materials:

Cut from clear plastic 5.5 x 3.5-inch piece (Note: you can use document covers available at office supply stores, or you can use heavy plastic holders that bedding and drapery is packaged in, or you can purchase clear plastic for sewing on the Internet.)
Pellon lightweight Décor Bond iron-on interfacing: one piece 5.5 x 9 and one piece 5.5 x 14
Choose three coordinating fabrics, one for main/outer pouch, one for lining/trim, and one for trim/handle.
Cut from main/outer fabric:
5.5 x 9-inch piece
5.5 x 14-inch piece
Cut from lining/trim fabric:
5.5 x 11-inch piece
5.5 x 16-inch piece
Cut from trim/handle fabric:
2 x 66-inch piece

Also, have on hand:

Thread in putty color or, to match fabrics
#16 top-stitching needles (I used these needles throughout, and replaced after every second or third bag.)
I used 1/4-inch seams throughout, using my quarter-inch foot
A walking foot is useful for sewing plastic
I used bulldog clips purchased at an office supply store to hold plastic in place, instead of pins

Directions:

Iron interfacing to 5.5 x 9 and 5.5 x 14-inch fabric pieces.

Make binding from 2-inch piece of fabric (piece if necessary). Cut six inches from finished finding to bind plastic window.

Sew binding along 5.5-inch width of plastic, set aside. (Use bulldog clips to secure and a walking foot to stitch.)

With right-sides-together, stitch nine-inch piece of interfaced fabric to 11-inch piece of lining/trim fabric along both 5.5-inch widths of fabric, making a closed circle of fabric.

Turn right-side-out, and fold lining to front to make a narrow binding strip on the front of the interfaced exterior fabric. Press.

Repeat for 14-inch interfaced piece fabric and 16-inch lining piece.
Fold long 16-inch section in half with binding facing out, and press. 

Fold shorter 11-inch section in half with binding facing out, and press.

Stack short section on top of long section with short section enclosing folded long section . . .

and stitch along fold line to baste.

On front of pouch, sew clear plastic pocket to bottom of front, aligning the bottom of the plastic with the basting at middle of document holder. Stitch one-quarter-inch above fold. (Use bulldog clips to secure and a walking foot to stitch.)

(Unfolded pouch with plastic pocket sewn on)

On back of pouch, stitch a vertical seam two inches from edge of small pocket from fold line to top of pocket binding, through only one layer of large pocket and small pocket to create a pencil holder pocket.

Fold pouch in half and trim sides even in preparation for binding.

Leaving a six-inch tail at bottom of pouch and using a walking foot and topstitching needle, stitch open binding to back of pouch, with raw edges together and right sides together.

Leaving a 34-inch length for around the neck, pin the other side of pouch, being careful not to twist the binding, and stitch binding to back of pouch, as for other side.

Fold binding to front of pocket and top stitch in place, continuing to stitch binding together to form the neck piece.

Tie binding ends in a square-knot at bottom of pouch . . . 

and cut ends in short, even tails.

Note: If you want to secure the top of your pouch, you can add a strip of self-adhesive hook-and-loop tape (like Velcro) to the inside of the top of your pouch.

P.S. You may install a chain strap to your neck pouch by sewing the  binding into loops at the top of your pouch and folding a D-ring or ring into the loop before securing with stitching. Purchase chain by the inch at a beading/jewelry-making supply store about one yard in length, or to your requirements. Also purchase snap clips that can slip onto the end of your chain and clip onto the rings on your neck pouch.