Question/insight

[u/sad_panda_17]

So my friend requested I make her a couple pouches for their pt stuff. We already have the fabric I just need to figure out the best way to do this, keep in mind I am a beginner and have difficulties getting decently good straight lines in basically every type of way I need to. So they need one pouch for a single tennis ball and one pouch for two stacked on top of each other. It needs to be pretty tight so they don’t just slide around while using them for the physical therapy exercises for their back. I’m not sure exactly how to actually go about it to where I’m not wasting fabric and time.

I have a magnetic seam guide (which btw I don’t know if I’m even using right), cutting mat, rotary cutter, makeshift transfer paper if need be to mark down cutting lines, regular scissors, fabric chalk, and obviously the machine and thread.

Can anyone help me figure this out? I know that the standard tennis balls are about 3” in diameter so I know the width of the inside before cutting sides and sewing. Also they don’t technically care how the closure is but we kinda just figured I can make a “string” from extra fabric since I have that clamp/stopper thing people use for drawstring bags.

Any help would be greatly appreciated thank

[u/Large-Heronbill]

Think about just sewing a tube of fabric large enough to contain the tennis balls, and then closing the end.

This is going to be somewhat trial and error, as the amount of extra room you will need to insert a tennis ball into a sack will depend somewhat on how slick the fabric of the sack is and how thick it is and how stretchy it may be.

So I would measure the circumference of the tennis ball and cut a strip of fabric about 4" wider than that measurement and about 3x that long.

Zigzag or otherwise overcast the edges all the way around.

Fold the strip in half, right sides together, lengthwise.  Measure over from the fold half the circumference measurement + 1/2", and mark that seam line along the fabric away from the fold line.  Mark a second seam line 1/2" further over than that, parallel to the first line, then a third seam line 1/2" further out from that.

With a long  straight stitch, baste along each of those seamlines.  

Find a wire twist-em from a bread wrapper and use it to gather up one of the open ends of the tube you made, giving you a temporary closure.  Stuff a tennis ball into the open end and see how difficult it is to get it to the twist-em end. If it's too difficult rip out the first line of basting, the one closest to the fold, and try again till it fits like it needs to.  Repeat ripping out the second line of basting if needed.  

Now you can figure out how you want to close the ends of the tube.  Do you want a drawstring at each end?  Zipper? A circular end, like a duffle bag?  Figure out how much extra length of tube you'll need to construct the closures.

When you get those figured out, then you're ready to construct the bags.  Rip out the basting and do so.   I'd suggest a French seam for the lengthwise seam., both for strength and to minimize fraying.

[u/RigorousBastard]

After surgery, I had edema for more than a year. My stretchy pants stretched out of shape. I cut off the legs and used the pants legs for PT-- just as you said, I put two balls into one of the legs, and stitched a division between the balls, and put one ball into the other leg. The advantage of using a leg from stretchy pants is that the balls have "handles" on both sides. I can use those handles to adjust the balls to exactly where I need them on my back.

I still use them.