by Linda Theil
I found a small piece of coarse cotton in my holiday-stash bin and decided to make a medium sized Plover pouch patterned by Noodlehead Sewing Patterns. The finished pouch measures about ten-by-seven inches and features a three-inch-wide gusset, maing it a very roomy bag. I modified the pattern to include a D-ring for attaching a wristlet grab-handle and the addition of a full-width slip pocket to the exterior.
The pouch lining was made of cottons from the "Seedlings" collection by Katarina Rocella for Art Gallery Fabrics; and the pouch base was fashioned of tan Mora brand faux leather purchased from Emmaline Bags, Inc. in Alberta, Canada.
Update November 27, 2025
Sweet baby Plover
The medium-sized Noodlehead Plover at ten-by-seven inches was really too big for a wristlet strap, so I used my little bit of leftover vintage cotton fabric to make a small sized Plover of about eight-by-six inches. In addition to the Mora faux zipper ends and leather base, I used Mora in the side panels and the zipper panels as well, giving me enough leftover cotton fabric to include a full-width slip pocket on the front of the bag.
For the lining I chose a truly luscious plaid from Lisa Audit's "Santa's Tree Farm" collection for Riley Blake Designs.
When I was sewing the drop-in lining into the top of my bag, I forgot to add the D-ring for the wristlet strap I made for the medium Plover, so I had to open the top seam to insert the 3/4-inch nylon webbing that fits so nicely into the top of the side gusset.
I only sew the final topstitching on the front and back of the bag, and not the two gusset tops, to save myself the headache of topstitching all the way around the top of the bag. That final topstitching has many a time prooved the ruination of my bag. I always dread it, and find this option for this bag to be comforting.
Noodlehead advises riviting the zipper ends to the side gussets, or alternatively using a button to secure both zipper ends. I have tried the rivets in other Plovers, and really like that option, but I also like just tucking the zipper ends into the top of the bag. But, since attaching the zipper ends to the top of the gusset will also help secure my non-topstitched gusset tops, I think this time I'll try sewing a vintage button onto the closed end of my zipper. I cannot secure the other end of my zipper because it would obstruct that I D-ring I added on that end for my wristlet strap.
I don't think I mentioned that I stitch a base reinforcement of Peltex into the tiny base of the bag. The Noodlehead instructions specify a fusible base-reinforcement cut away from the seam allowances, but I have been just stitching the heavy Peltex to the base before construction and like the results quite a lot.
Combined with all the featured topstitching and my zig-zag overcasting of all the major seams, I have this baby bag built like a tank! I really love it!
Comments
caj