Batch Sewing the Metro Zip Pouches

For over two years now I’ve been researching and developing (R&D in business lingo) different patterns and designs that I would like to make for my shop. Trying to determine which bags would be best for me to produce including factors such as time, cost of supplies, and appeal to the consumer. So for over two years I’ve been a beginner for each of these bags I’ve made. Which can be frustrating at times as you don’t feel like you’ve mastered anything, but can also be exhilarating as you are constantly trying a new pattern.

Well today that all ends my friends! I have a pouch pattern that I want to make and I’ve got about 10 different fabric combos set aside to make them with. I’ve gone through and picked out all the zippers and hardware for each and I’m ready to cut! Okay, so maybe it would be smart to make one first just as a refresher before I cut everything out since it’s been a year since I tried the pattern. Okay, well that didn’t go so well. The pattern is more fiddly than I remember and the changes I made to the pattern didn’t really work - made it way too bulky.

So I went back through my fabrics and determined that I was only going to make about seven of them into this pouch pattern as the rest had more fabric that could be used for a different pattern. The good news is that the batch cutting (even though I couldn’t line up all the fabric and cut at once) did save a lot of time. As did batch cutting all of the interfacing and ironing that on to all the pieces. I still wound up sewing each bag individually though. I like to match the thread to the fabric - especially for top stitching - and I found it easier to just do the whole bag and then change the thread for the next bag. But even with all that, it definitely went faster because I knew the instructions and steps by heart at that point and didn’t have to keep referring back to the pattern or video at each step.

So the good news is that it works! Which means that selling these pouches at a reasonable price is actually viable because I’m spending less time making them. I still don’t think I’m near breaking even on them but it’s definitely easier and faster this way.

I now have seven pouches ready to post in the shop and sell and I’m going through the rest of my fabric and doing the same with several of the project bag patterns I’ve picked out (for craft projects or crochet/knitting projects). I’m excited to start getting these bags made and in the shop!