3-Part Card Pouches

This is one of those "if I can do it anyone can do it" posts and one of those "I'm showing you my ungiftedness to hopefully encourage you if you also lack the gift of sewing" posts.  It's also one of those "just do what you need to do IMperfectly to fit your needs" posts.  I'll say up front that when dd-8 saw these finished with her cards in it she was momentarily speechless - in a good way :).  She smiled big and said, "Wow, those are neat."  The cards had been in library card pockets since this summer and she hasn't chosen them once.  I think she will now.  The photos are below the steps.  Let me know if it doesn't make sense or you have any questions.

Below are the steps I followed.  I'm sure these can be improved but in one day they are now on the shelf - that's worth more to me than you know (maybe some of you do!).  At the end I'll post links of some really pretty ones you can buy online - they're beautiful!  Who knows, maybe one day the olders will polish up this process and sell online themselves to support their 4-H activities and contests (we're constantly short on money for their 4-H activities).  Doubtful but you never know.

I got some 'drapery samples' over the summer at JoAnn Fabrics in the sale bin.  Each big square was a dollar and I got 4 pouches from one.

1. Use a set of 3-part cards to generally measure out the fabric (if you're a faithful reader you know by now I'm not a perfectionist).  My cards come from different online sources or are homemade so they are not all uniform.  I picked a bulky set (animal homes, I believe) to measure.  Mark with chalk.

2. Cut with pinking shears.  You could use any scissors but I did this because I didn't plan on putting a seam on the folded up pocket edge.  I sure wished I had a surger at this point!  My pinking shears are dull for some odd reason (odd because I've only used them about 3 times) so this was tedious.

[Optional step:  Trace a flat cutout fabric rectangle on paper to save as a future pattern.]

3. Pin a small seam on each side and fold up to where you marked keeping the seam inside.

4. Offer to pay dd a dollar to sew the seams for you on the sewing machine.  Sew the seams.

[Another optional step:  Label the front flap using fabric markers.  I chose not to because I want to reuse these.]

5. Done!  Take pictures and insert the cards.

Total cost for 4 pouches:  $2.00 (which includes sewing fee, no kidding!) - that's only 50 cents each (25 cents if you sewed them yourself)!
Smiling younger dd and nicer presentation:  Priceless!

Here are some links for premade pouches:

I left the main link for this one because all of her pouches look so inviting:
http://www.etsy.com/shop/montessori


Here are some more 3-part card storage pouch ideas:

Allow yourself time to get complete immersed in this wonderful blog, especially if you have youngers.  I made a similar one over a year ago (or so??) for our Birds of the World 3-part cards that are currently in our Zoology Box.  I'll have to see if I can find a picture later. 
http://happyheartsmom.typepad.com/sweetness_and_light/2007/09/wildflower-pouc.html
Same blog.  This may solve my seam problem (might be a little too tall though):
http://happyheartsmom.typepad.com/sweetness_and_light/2007/08/3-part-card-pla.html

http://adventuresofarainbowmamamama.blogspot.com/2009/07/hand-3-part-cards.html

http://psmontessori.blogspot.com/2009/07/pouch-city.html

This was my model waaaay back when I made the Birds pouch:
http://montessoribyhand.blogspot.com/2007/03/definition-stages-pouch.html
http://montessoribyhand.blogspot.com/2007/04/who-am-i-cards-and-composers-definition.html

Another idea:  I used a pretty photo book with a leaf cover to put all of the leaf 3-part cards that are in the Botany Box.