I like to protect my cell phone before putting it into my bag by slipping it into a woven pouch. I custom made my woven pouch to fit my particular phone. This was a fun and inexpensive way to get exactly what I needed. I recently got a request to make another.

Here is how to make a lined woven pouch. It’s uses are endless. The size of the pouch depends on the size loom that is designed. A great feature of this loom is that the weaving is done in the round using both sides of the board. When done weaving the front it is flipped over and the weaving continues on the back and then flipped to the front and so on. There are no seams to this pouch. When done weaving, the top is tied off and it is a complete pouch. Let’s begin…

Supply List:

• Matt Board
• Self-healing cutting board
• Utility Knife
• Ruler
• Triangle
• Pencil
• Scissors
• Black Perle Cotton Embroidery Thread on spool
• Bent needle (with eye large enough for yarn)
• Yarn (all sizes and textures)
• Muslin cotton fabric (for lining)
• Thread (to match lining)
• Sewing Machine
• Hand sewing needle
• Straight Pins
• Iron/Ironing Board

First, decide how big the pouch needs to be. If making for an object, such as a cell phone, place the object on the mat board and measure half an inch on all side around the object. This will be the size of the loom plus add 2 1/4″ additional length . On the top edge measure down 1/8″ and draw a pencil line. Along this line, make small marks every 1/8″. Make these same marks on the bottom as well. Make a line across where you will stop weaving with pencil.

On a self-healing cutting board, use a utility knife to cut out the loom. Next, cut the small marks along the top of the loom. These will be the notches that will hold the warp threads in place. DO NOT cut the marks made on the bottom of the loom. These are for placement of warp threads only and should not be cut as the pouch would not be able to be removed from the loom.

Now it is time to attach the warp threads to the loom. Start at the upper right corner. Place the black perle cotton thread in the first notch. Hold the tail of the thread to the side with your left hand. Come down the back and up the front through the same notch. Go around the back from this notch across to the next notch and down the front and up the back always returning to the same notch and repeating the process. Follow in this manner until the loom is warped and on the end wrap around the notch and cut the thread.

Now onto weaving the pouch. Thread the bent needle with about 2 yards of yarn. Weave in an under / over pattern through the warp threads starting at the bottom right and working to the left. Leave a tail of yarn where first weaving stitch was taken. Once at the end of the row, flip the loom over and continue weaving. After weaving the front and back once, flip the loom over and start weaving on the front side again starting on the opposite side of the warp thread that has been previously woven. For example: if the first row was begun with going under the warp thread, now the weaving must begin by going over the warp thread. Never should weaving be the same in touching rows. The pattern will always change as you turn to the front side of the loom.

As the rows are woven, they need to be pushed down using the tips of your fingers to form very tight rows. The warp threads should not be highly visible. Keep working the rows down to eventually cover the bottom thickness of the mat board as well. This is important so that no warp threads are visible at the bottom of the finished pouch.

To change colors or add more thread, weave a little back stitch row using the same under/over pattern as the row it covers. This is the only time to use the same pattern, so that the weaving stitches will blend in when pushed close. See pictures.

When the weaving hits the pencil mark that is the finish line for weaving, simply stop weaving and cut the yarn leaving a tail. This tail will be woven into the pouch but leave it for now. With scissors, cut two warp threads close to the notch. Take the threads and tie together in a knot on the last yarn row that was woven.

Now turn the loom over and cut two threads and tie in a knot in the same method. Repeat this process of cutting two threads and tying until all threads are cut and tied. If an odd number of threads remain, no worries, just tie three threads together and carry on. Now, very gently, slid the pouch off the loom.

Cut all warp threads short and close to knot. Thread the yarn tail onto the slanted needle and weave through a few rows of woven stitches on the inside of pouch. This will not show on the outside of bag.

Thread the tail of the bottom of bag and make a loop to form a knot. Pull yarn through loop pulling a knot close to bottom of bag. Clip yarn tail off with scissors. The pouch is finished and now the lining can be added.

Take a piece of muslin and fold in half. The fold line will be the bottom of the lining. Lay the pouch on top of the muslin. Bottom of pouch should line up with fold line. Leave a half inch of muslin around all three sides of pouch. Mark and cut fabric to size.

Pin two sides of muslin sew seams with sewing machine. Before sewing second seam, be sure the muslin lining and the pouch will match up width-wise for hand sewing them together. If they do not, adjustments may need to be made to the sewing seam allowance. Turn the lining to right side so no seams will be visible. Measure down half an inch on upper edge and turn under to wrong side and iron in place.

Take a sewing needle and thread, Slip stitch the top of lining to the top of pouch. Be sure to fold the top of pouch so the cut warp stitches are tucked under and stitch to the fold of the lining. See photo.

When the lining and pouch are sewn together, tuck/stuff the lining into the pouch. No seams should be visible in the lining. Voila! (If there are any questions, please leave in the comments.)