How to Sew a Bike Pouch

Materials:

* Fabric (main, lining, and contrasting)

* Fusible foam or batting (optional)

* Waterproof fabric (optional)

* Notions (thread, scissors, sewing machine, etc.)

Instructions:

1. Cut your fabric pieces:

* Main fabric: 2 rectangles (12" x 8")

* Lining fabric: 2 rectangles (12" x 8")

* Contrasting fabric: 1 rectangle (12" x 4")

2. If desired, add fusible foam or batting to the main fabric pieces for added structure.

3. Fold the main fabric pieces in half lengthwise, right sides together. Stitch the long edges together, using a 1/4-inch seam allowance. Trim the corners and turn right side out. Press flat.

4. Fold the lining fabric pieces in half lengthwise, right sides together. Stitch the long edges together, leaving a 4-inch opening in the center for turning. Trim the corners and turn right side out. Press flat.

5. Insert the lining into the main fabric piece, making sure that the raw edges are aligned. Stitch the opening closed.

6. Fold the contrasting fabric piece in half lengthwise, right sides together. Stitch the short edges together, leaving a 4-inch opening in the center for turning. Trim the corners and turn right side out. Press flat.

7. Stitch the contrasting fabric piece to the main fabric piece, centered at the top edge.

8. To attach the bike pouch to your handlebars, you can either use velcro straps or D-rings. For velcro straps, simply sew the velcro strips to the back of the pouch. For D-rings, sew a piece of webbing to the back of the pouch, and then attach the D-rings to the webbing.

Tips:

* If you are using waterproof fabric, you may want to skip the fusible foam or batting.

* You can add a zipper closure to your bike pouch for extra security.

* You can also add reflective fabric or trim to your bike pouch for increased visibility at night.

* Use heavy-duty thread for all seams of your bike bag, because they could rip under tension.

* Use a walking foot if your sewing machine seems to be bogging down while stitching through the different layers.

Happy sewing!