SIOUX POUCH INSTRUCTIONS

This Sioux Pouch can be easily made in just one afternoon. Supplies you will need to make this project are as follows: swatch of soft & thin leather, strong leather lacing (oil tanned thongs are recommended) for the strap (1 yard), a large eye needle and some strong thread or sinew, a good pair of scissors, some paper, the decoration you plan to use. If you are attaching beadwork, or any other decoration, you should do that as the 1st step (see ATTACHING BEADWORK below).

STEP 1: Make a paper pattern to the dimensions you want for your pouch size (approx. 5�?wide by 6 ½�?tall are recommended, or a little smaller if only using for cigarettes.). Trace this twice onto a piece of leather. Then, if you are not using our machine cut leather fringe, use the bottom of your pattern and make the smaller fringe piece about ½�?narrower than your pattern and any length you want. Once all are traced onto leather, cut leather pieces with scissors.

STEP 2: You may skip this step if you are using our machine cut leather fringe. If you aren’t confident about cutting straight lines for your fringe, you may want to use our machine cut leather fringe. Cutting it yourself can be difficult, especially if you wish to add large hole beads to the fringing. To cut your own, you will need to cut your fringe at about 3/16�?1/4�?intervals for the beads to stay where you put them (or smaller for smaller hole beads). You will need to measure and mark these intervals to insure it works out to be equal all the way across. Be sure to leave at least ½�?at the top uncut for your seam area. Your interval marks MUST be at the very top of this seam area or the marks will show. You should cut your fringe at this point so you will be able to tuck it out of the way when assembling your pouch.

STEP 3: Sandwich the fringed piece of leather between the larger pieces of leather making sure the TOP of the fringed piece comes flush with the bottom of the pouch (see Figure 1). You may optionally cut off the excess unfringed area or cut the fringe up to the pouch making it longer later.

STEP 4: Sew the seams all the way around making sure you avoid the middle piece of leather except when you are at the bottom. Start sewing at one top corner making an "X" stitch for strength, and using the slip stitch, sew all the way around to the other top corner (see Figure 2).

STEP 5: Punch 6 holes at the top on each side of the pouch using a large nail & hammer. Turn your pouch right side out and weave the leather thong in and out of these holes (see Figure 3). When you reach one end of the first side, put 3 beads on the thong (beads ARE required here). Then weave in and out of the holes on the other side. Repeat this with the other thong except start from the other side of the pouch.

STEP 6: Place your beads onto your bottom fringe in any pattern that you like. You will open your pouch by grabbing the beads at the end.