Cute Keychain Wallet

Since the Covid-19 pandemic began, I’ve found I’m using cash less often and am opting for contactless payment using my phone.  As a result, I rarely take my purse with me, and certainly not when I don’t take my handbag.  This has caused an issue for me when what I want to purchase is more than the contactless limit of £45.  My purse is quite large so I decided I needed a small wallet that would fit in my jeans pocket, to put in a couple of credit cards and maybe a banknote, in case of emergency.  Now, I realise I could just have purchased one but I saw this video on YouTube and thought it fit the bill perfectly.  The video is called Dainty Keychain Wallet by Yoan Sewing Studio.  Yoan’s directions are really clear and she gives all dimensions for the fabric needed. 

This pattern doesn’t use a lot of fabric and is perfect for bits of fabric that you can mix and match for a truly unique item.  I’m using an old fabric collection call Flight from my stash.  First, I cut out all the fabric and interfacing pieces and adhered the interfacing in place.

The next job was to make the two card pockets sections.  They hold 2 credit cards in each side.

These two pieces were then sewn onto the inside lining piece, adding a lobster claw clasp.  Yoan adds a ring here instead but I didn’t have any of those.  I figure I can use this to clip the wallet onto the inside of my handbag so I can find it easily!

Next, I prepared the outside.  A small fastening was added to a small flap to form the closure.  The reciprocal part of the fastening was secured to the opposite edge of the front.

I then made the wallet sandwich, putting the front and back sections right side together and sewing all around the outside, leaving a small gap for turning.  The seam allowances and corners were trimmed before turning to reduce bulk.

After turning right side out, I have it a good press and top stitched around the edge, closing up the turning gap.  So here is the finished wallet. 

It’s the perfect size to slip into my back pocket and holds all the essentials I’ll need.  And it took less than a couple of hours to make!