It’s a digital world out there, and in this world lives a whole lot of cords and accessories and add-ons and jump drives and ear pods… and, and, and! Keeping track of everything, especially when you need to bring your digital devices with you to work or play, can be a challenge. We created our pretty Tech Rollup Pouch to help hold all the essentials.

We originally used fabric from Monkey Wrench by Tula Pink for FreeSpirit Fabrics. It’s full of gossiping parrots, colorful ladybugs, forgotten frogs, and of course – bananas! If you’re loving this fabric, take a look at our adorable Empire Waist Apron in the same collection. The pouch is made from all quilting cottons, so you can collect your own fabric choices from a new collection or from within your own stash. 

The Rollup uses just small cuts of three different fabrics, so it would make a good ScrapBusters project. If using Monkey Wrench, or any fabric with super cute motifs, we recommend taking the time to fussy cut the exterior panel as well as inside horizontal pocket. The Parrot Prattle fabric we chose for the exterior features subtle parrots centered on the main exterior panel as well as within the taller vertical pocket. It’s details like these that take your project from “okay” to “wow!”

You’ll find free pattern pieces for the main body of the Rollup as well as the interior pocket. And, we took extra time with this design to make sure the folding and stitching was smooth and easy, resulting in clean quilting lines and pretty pockets. The photos and illustrations are there to guide you every step of the way.

As you can see from the in-use photos, the pockets are sized to best fit standard tech accessories for both PCs and MACs, like ear buds, wire-free AirPods, memory sticks, adaptors, and more. We’ve included our suggested divisions, but as always, you’re welcome to adjust these to best fit your accessories. The quilting lines look best with a single line of stitching, so keep that in mind if altering the inside pocket divisions.

What if you’re not a techie? No worries; you’re free to load this lovely Rollup with whatever you need to tote from point A to point B: art supplies, sewing notions, stationery items, even jewelry or trinkets when traveling.

Depending on the size of the items in the pockets, you can roll up the pouch tightly into a small cylinder. Or, fold it in thirds if the contents are a bit bulkier. The single tie is long enough to wrap and tuck in either situation.

Looking for a gift idea for the techie on your list? Maybe someone you know is getting a new laptop or device? Include this Rollup Pouch with a gift card and/or cash tucked inside for their own special digital accessories.

Our Rollup finishes at approximately 12” wide x 5½” high when flat. The vertical pocket is 4” deep x 5½” high. The horizontal pocket is 6¼” wide x 3” high and is divided into two sections: one about 2” and one about 4”.

Sewing Tools You Need

• Sewing Machine and standard presser foot
• Even Feed or Walking foot; optional but helpful for the final quilting stitches – if appropriate, you can also engage your machine’s built-in fabric feeding system, such as the Janome AcuFeed™ Flex available on many of our Janome studio machines

Fabric and Other Supplies

NOTE: The yardage below allows a bit extra for fussy cutting.

• ¼ yard of 44″+ wide quilting weight cotton for the exterior and the inside pocket; we originally used Parrot Prattle in Mango from the Monkey Wrench collection by Tula Pink for FreeSpirit Fabrics
• ¼ yard of 44″+ wide quilting weight cotton for the interior; we originally used Hourglass in Mango from the Monkey Wrench collection by Tula Pink for FreeSpirit Fabrics
• ⅛ yard of 44″+ wide quilting weight cotton for the tie; we originally used Spots on Spots in Mango from the Monkey Wrench collection by Tula Pink for FreeSpirit Fabrics
• ¼ yard of 20″+ wide fusible fleece; we used Pellon Thermolam Plus
• ¼ yard of 20″+ wide lightweight fusible interfacing; we used Pellon ShapeFlex
• Thread to match fabric
• See-through ruler
• Fabric pen or pencil
• Seam gauge
• Seam ripper
• Scissors 
• Rotary cutter and mat
• Iron and ironing board
• Straight pins

Getting Started and Pattern Download

1. DOWNLOAD AND PRINT: our THREE pattern pieces, which have been bundled into one PDF to make the download easier. 
   IMPORTANT: Each page in the PDF is ONE 8½” x 11″ sheet. You must print the PDF file at 100%. DO NOT SCALE to fit the page. Print horizontally (landscape). There is a guide rule on each page so you can confirm your final printout is to scale. The pattern is color-coded; print in color if possible.
2. Cut out each pattern piece along the solid line. The pattern for the main body of the Rollup is two pieces. Using the arrows printed on the pattern pieces, butt together (do not overlap) the two pieces. Tape together to create the full pattern.
3. From the fabric for the exterior and inside pocket (Parrot Prattle on our sample), fussy cut the following:
   Using the assembled Rollup pattern, cut ONE
   
   NOTE: Sometimes, a fabric’s motifs can be a little hard to spot, but it’s worth it to take the time to center the elements for the best look. Tula’s Parrot Prattle design features some hidden parrots that we made sure to center on the main exterior as well as on the vertical pocket that folds to the inside.
   
   Using the Double Pocket pattern, cut ONE
   
4. From the fabric for the interior (Hourglass on our sample), use the assembled Rollup pattern to cut ONE.
5. From the fabric for the tie (Spots on Spots on our sample), cut ONE 1½” x 20” strip — we were extra careful to fussy cut so we could center the cute and colorful ladybugs.
6. Working on a flat surface – we used our cutting mat, place the pattern directly above your cut exterior panel. Make sure the pattern is directly above and exactly parallel with the fabric panel. Tape the pattern and fabric panel in this position.
7. Find a ruler long enough to extend across both the paper pattern and the fabric panel. Place this ruler along each of the quilting guidelines printed on the paper pattern, and using a fabric pen or pencil, draw in each of the guidelines on the fabric panel – both the #1 and the #2 guidelines. You will have the paper pattern to refer to throughout, but you could opt to draw in the #2 guidelines in a different color than the #1 guidelines in order to easily tell them apart.
   
   NOTE: Remember, you are working on the right side of your fabric. As always, make sure your marking tool is one that will easily wipe away or will vanish with exposure to the air or the heat of an iron.
8. Once all your guidelines are drawn in, trim the paper pattern along the seam line. Then, cut this trimmed piece along the vertical Pocket Fold Line (the first of the #1 quilting guidelines).
9. From the fusible fleece, use the larger half of the trimmed paper pattern to cut one.
10. From the lightweight fusible interfacing, use the smaller half of the trimmed paper pattern to cut one.
11. Also from the lightweight fusible interfacing, use the pocket pattern to cut a panel. Cut along the dotted seam line and the center fold line so you end up with a 6¼ x 3″ piece.

At Your Sewing Machine & Ironing Board

NOTE: The drawing below shows you all the important positioning when the Rollup is flat as well as when the vertical and horizontal pockets are in position.Click drawing to enlarge.

Fusing

1. Place the exterior panel wrong side up and flat on your work surface.
2. Place the lightweight interfacing to the left and the fusible fleece to the right. Both the interfacing and the fleece should be centered so there is ½” of fabric showing beyond them around the outer perimeter. The two pieces butt together at the Pocket Fold Line. Following manufacturer’s instructions, fuse in place.
   
3. Find the pocket panel. Fold it in half, wrong sides together, and press to set a center crease line. Unfold wrong side up so the crease line is visible. Place the pocket interfacing on the fabric panel so one long side is aligned with the fabric’s center crease line and there is ½” of fabric showing beyond the interfacing on the other three sides. Following manufacturer’s instructions, fuse in place.
   

Make and place the inside horizontal pocket

1. Find the interfaced pocket panel. Re-fold it along the center crease line, but this time you are folding right sides together.
   
2. Pin along both sides. The bottom remains open.
3. Using a ½” seam allowance, stitch both side seams.
   
4. Clip the corners; grade the seam allowances and press them open and flat.
   
5. Turn the pocket right side out through the open bottom. Use a long, blunt tool to gently push out the upper corners. A chopstick, knitting needle or point turner works well for this.
6. Press flat.
7. Find the interior fabric panel. Place it right side up and flat on your work surface.
8. Find the larger half of the trimmed paper pattern. Position it on the interior fabric panel, making sure the trimmed edge of the paper pattern sits ½” from the raw edge of the fabric panel. Lightly pin or tape the paper pattern in place on the fabric panel.
9. Place the pocket into position, using the printed guidelines on the paper pattern. It is extremely important this positioning is correct. The pattern is sized so the edges of the pocket will be stitched into place when you stitch the #2 quilting lines. You want both sides of the pocket to be even and the only way to insure this (and avoid a too-large “fabric flap” along one side or the other) is to use the paper pattern to get the pocket position correct side to side. The bottom raw edge of the pocket is flush with the bottom raw edge of the fabric panel. Pin the pocket in place.
   

Make and place the tie

1. Find the 1½” x 20 tie strip.
2. Fold the strip in half and press to set a center crease line.
3. Unfold and press back each long side edge ¼”.
   
4. Press one end back ¼” as well. The opposite end remains raw.
   
5. Re-fold along the original crease line. The long folded edges and the folded edges of the one end should all be flush. Pin in place.
   
6. Re-thread if necessary with thread to best match the tie fabric. Slightly lengthen the stitch.
7. Edgestitch across the one folded end and down the long side.
   
8. Find the exterior panel and the trimmed paper pattern. Use the pattern to mark the position for the tie.
   
9. Pin the raw end of the tie in position at this marked point.
   

Layer and stitch

1. Place the interior and exterior panels right sides together, sandwiching the tie and the horizontal pocket between the layers. The two layers should be flush around the perimeter. Pin in place, leaving an approximate 3” opening along the bottom corner on the side where the pocket will eventually fold over to the inside (the left side). In our photo below, you can see we used two pairs of double pins to mark our opening.
   
2. Re-thread the machine if necessary with thread to best match the fabric in the top and bobbin and re-set the stitch length to normal.
3. Using a ½” seam allowance, stitch around the entire perimeter through all the layers. Remember to pivot at the sharp corners and to go slowly and carefully around the curved corners to keep them as smooth as possible. Some people like to shorten the stitch length to stitch around curved corners.
   
4. Clip the corners, grade the seam allowance around the curved corners, and generously clip the curves.
   
5. Turn right side out through the opening at the bottom corner. Pull the inside horizontal pocket and the tie out and press them flat, away from the perimeter seam.
   
6. As above with the pocket, use a long, blunt tool to gently push out the corners and round the curves. Press flat, pressing in the raw edges along the opening so they are flush with the sewn seam.

Final quilting – lines #1 and then #2 – and secure the pockets

1. All your drawn guidelines should still be visible on the exterior panel. If they’ve become too faint, re-draw them as necessary.
2. We recommend pinning along the #2 guidelines. Pinning along these three lines is plenty to keep the layers from shifting and it will help you remember to not stitch these lines quite yet.
3. Re-thread the machine if necessary with thread to best match the exterior in the top and to best match the interior in the bobbin. If possible, we recommend using one color in both the top and bobbin. We used a pale pink for both. Slightly lengthen the stitch. We also engaged our Janome AcuFeed™ Flex built-in fabric feeding system. You can do this or attach a Walking or Even Feed foot if possible.
4. Working from the exterior side, stitch along each of the #1 drawn guidelines. There are NINE #1 guidelines.
   
5. At this point, the main body of the Rollup is completely flat and the inside horizontal pocket is laying down, flat, and away from the main body, as is the tie. You are stitching from the top of the Rollup panel to the bottom. Do not stitch onto the pocket. Lock your quilting seams at both the top and bottom, using a lock stitch if possible for the neatest finish. If you do not have this option, leave your thread tails long, pull them through to the inside, and hand knot to secure.
   
6. When all nine #1 quilting lines are stitched, flip over the Rollup and fold the vertical pocket into position along the original fold line. This means the inside edge of the pocket will align just a tad to the left of the nearest quilting line. It is not right on top of the line as there has been a little bulk added to the layers with the fleece and interfacing. Pin the pocket in position. Press well.
   
7. Fold up the horizontal pocket into position and pin along both sides. You can grab the paper pattern again to double-check that the finished side edges of the pocket are still aligned with the #2 quilting guidelines. Press well.
   
8. The #2 quilting guidelines should still have their pins in place.
9. Flip over the Rollup so you are again working against the exterior where you can clearly see the original drawn guidelines. Stitch along each of the #2 drawn guidelines, removing the pins as you go.
10. There are THREE #2 guidelines. These three guidelines finish the evenly spaced quilting lines across the panel and secure both side edges of the inside horizontal pocket as well as dividing that horizontal pocket into two sections.
    
11. With the same thread and the same lengthened stitch, edgestitch along the top and bottom of the vertical pocket to secure it in place.
    

Project Design: Alicia Thommas
Sample Creation: Debbie Guild