Three folk art birds strut across the front of this zippered sac: a tall eggplant-purple mother bird with a polka-dot wing, trailed by two round red-and-orange chicks, all set on a sky-blue ground beneath a sunny yellow top and a band of butterfly ribbon. The birds are built from layered hand-dyed wool and cotton, then outlined and detailed with embroidery, beads, and button eyes, so the finished pouch is bright, textural, and full of personality. At 12 inches by 9 inches it is roomy enough for a small project, knitting notions, or the bits and pieces that migrate to the bottom of a bag.

What the Pattern Includes

This listing is for the printed paper pattern only. Wool, fabric, ribbon, thread, and the zipper are not included.

The pattern provides the paper pattern pieces and appliqué templates, along with step-by-step instructions for sewing the lined, zippered sac and for layering and embellishing the birds in wool, cotton, and ribbon. The embroidery stitches are taught separately: the Creative Stitching book (sold separately) is needed for the stitch instructions.

What You'll Need

The bag is worked on hand-dyed wool backgrounds with a striped fabric overlay, cotton lining, batting, and a 12-inch zipper. The birds use small pieces of hand-dyed wool, cotton, and velvet, accented with decorative ribbon, Eleganza perle cotton, and three small buttons for eyes. The pattern back lists every fabric, ribbon, thread color, and notion by name. Creative Stitching covers how to work each embellishment stitch.

Perfect For

• Stitchers who enjoy wool appliqué and hand embroidery and want a practical, finished bag to show for it
• Anyone who likes a small, self-contained project rich in texture and color
• A bright handmade gift, or a project pouch you'll be proud to carry
• Sewists drawn to folk art motifs and dimensional embellishment

Why You'll Love This Pattern

The personality is all in the three birds. The tall polka-dot mother and her two rounded chicks play off each other, and the details do the rest: button eyes, beaded accents, a ribbon of butterflies across the top, and little embroidered legs and feet. The result is a functional pouch that looks like a piece of folk art rather than a basic zip bag.

Construction stays approachable. The lined, zippered sac is a manageable sew, and the appliqué and embellishment are the part to linger over. There is no precision piecing involved, the design is forgiving of small variations, and the finished size is genuinely useful, so it tends to get carried and used rather than tucked away.

Product Details

• Brand: Sue Spargo Folk Art Quilts
• Item #: SS831
• Designer: Sue Spargo
• Category: Sewing Pattern
• Skill Level: Advanced beginner and up (basic bag construction with hand appliqué and embroidery; no skill level printed on the pattern)
• Technique: Wool and cotton appliqué, layering, ribbon work, hand embroidery embellishment
• Finished Size: 12" x 9" (zippered sac)
• Format: Printed Paper Pattern; pattern pieces and appliqué templates included
• Creative Stitching (sold separately) is required for the embroidery stitch instruction
• Made in the United States