Kinchaku Sewing Pattern

Ohhhh my goodness... I am ohhh, so excited. Guess what!! 

*squeal*

Today is the day - launch day to be precise. And I get to introduce you to my latest pattern. The kinchaku! First sewing pattern of 2023... and it's a good one!

All inspired by my daughter's deep love for Japan! Love you, hon... 

Disclosure: Some of the links below are affiliate links, meaning, at no additional cost to you, I may earn a small commission if you click through and make a purchase.

But let's start at the beginning. Shall we?

If you are signed up to my Newsletter... you will know that I gave you a promise for 2023. Every single month I'll be launching a new pattern covering some basics as well as some fancy projects.

And this is the first one.

A classic Japanese design with a modern Patchwork twist. Reversible and fun!

Maybe a little more on the fancy side of things... but I promise, it's a super straight forward and easy little make.

“The kinchaku was a lot of fun to sew. I still can’t believe I made such a cool bag. I am a quilter, so making something that is three dimensional is kind of blowing my mind, ha!” Whitney, United States

“Laura has done it again. I didn’t think I could love another pattern as much as the Wee Braw Bag but I may well do! This beautiful little kinchaku is a relaxing and deeply satisfying make - and it’s reversible too!” Hanna, England

Ok. Now let me talk you through the details of the pattern a little more.

Are you ready?

More about the Kinchaku

The pattern is absolutely scrap friendly, suitable for beginners and best of all... comes with a bonus video tutorial for you! But let's break it down a little more. 

• The Kinchaku pattern comes in two sizes (large and mini) and two styles (ABCD is a little plainer but a quick little make for in between projects and the patchwork version takes a little longer but makes is super unique).
• You can mix and match sizes and styles... and you also get to choose how you like to quilt your kinchaku. And if you go for the patchwork one, I highly recommend hand quilting your bag. Find a dedicated blog post and video tutorial over here.
• And as a bonus - watch the free video tutorial on how to make your kinchaku right here!

Pause the video and literally sew along with me!

Make sure to subscribe to my YouTube channel for more!

What you'll need

Now let's talk about the materials a little more. 

Shall we?

First of all - you will need your copy of the pattern which you can find in my shop. Remember, it's a measure and cut pattern, meaning all pattern pieces are cut using a rotary cutter, cutting mat and ruler. No need to print anything, unless you wish to do so. So you can start straight away picking your fabric!

And here the list with all the things you'll need:

• fabric
• batting
• rope
• thread

Fabric:

You will need fabric. Obviously. I like using quilting cotton (I yet have to make one using Liberty *eeeep*), as it has a great structure and works super well for piecing your patchwork panels as well. 

You won't need much!

Technically you will get away with only using two FQs per kinchaku tops (whatever size you choose to go for). But trust me - it's so much prettier using lots of different prints. So go scrappy... and use up all your long hoarded treasures! 

Batting:

If you choose to go for the patchwork version and like to quilt your panels (either by machine or hand), you will need some batting to make those stitches shine. 

And for that you can totally just use up some of your leftover batting. Whatever batting you have, really. Or fusible fleece. It obviously won't be visible later one but does add some nice structure to your quilted kinchaku.

Rope:

Again... you can use whatever you have on hand. From handmade bias tape, to pretty ribbons to t-shirt yarn. And that's exactly what I've used. It's a pink knit yarn that comes on a huge spool and last forever. Super affordable and a cute left over from the days making face masks (but we don't talk about those anymore...).

Thread:

You will need thread. For the construction of your kinchaku, I am sugesting Aurifil 50wt. That's for all the seams that are not visible later on but have to last. Including the piecing of your patchwork squares.

And for topstitching along the top edge of your kinchaku as well as machine quilting, I would recommend Aurifil 28wt. That's for all the seams that are visible later on. The result looks super neat! 

Finally... if you choose to quilt your patchwork kinchaku by hand, you are best to use Aurifil 12wt. It's a great thread weight and add amazing texture to your quilted panel.

Another brilliant, versatile and so satisfyingly scrap-busting pattern!” Hanna, England

Ohhh... now let's talk about the kinchaku a little more.

Can you see the bottom here?! It's neatly folded and build the bottom of you kinchaku. No need to box out any corners using this fun and unique technique. 

And now the best part. Your kinchaku is totally reversible.

Well... the plain version is fully reversible and only the opening in the lining will be a slight indication of what side you've allocated to be the lining. The patchwork version is also reversible but of course... the patchwork is the star of the show (ermmm... kinchaku) and you will probably not swap around sides. Even though you technically could.

All in all... the kinchaku is quite similar to the super popular Wee Braw Bag. But then again, it's constructed in a very different way (remember the folded bottom?!) and it's so much closer to the original Japanese design. So... go and check them both out yourself!

And that's a wrap, my friend. I hope you will be equally excited to get yourself organised. Making all the scrapy patchwork kinchakus.

Take care and happy Bag Making!

Laura x 

This blog post contains affiliate links, specifically I am a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. I will never post a link to a product I do not personally recommend. If you click on an affiliate link and then proceed to purchase something from that affiliated website, I receive a small commission. This helps me continue to provide high quality, free content. Please send me an email to laura@sweetcinnamonroses.com if you have any questions.