im a blueberry maniac: Zipper Pouch Tutorial

Super cute zipper pouch for cell phone, credit cards, change, lipstick or anything else.

And its easy to make!

Items you will need:

2 - 5" x 7" pieces of fabric for exterior

2 - 5" x 7" pieces of fabric for lining

2 - 5" x 7" pieces of lightweight batting

1 - 2" x 12" piece of fabric for wrist strap

1 - 7" zipper

Scissors / Rotary Cutter / Ruler

Sewing machine

Regular and Zipper Foot

Pins & Thread

STEP 1

Lets start with the exterior fabric. You can choose one fabric or get crafty as I did and piece together smaller scraps of fabric. Just make sure your finished piece is 5x7.

STEP 2

For your batting you can use fusible batting or just plain old batting scraps (Warm-n-Natural works great). Either iron the fusible batting to the wrong side of your exterior fabric or use a couple of line stitches to attach your exterior fabric, again to the wrong side.

STEP 3

Your zipper will be a smidge too long, so you will have to trim it down. Measure your zipper against the length of one of the exterior pieces and mark a line with your pen.

STEP 4

Secure the raw edge of the zipper by sewing quite a few (wide, but short length) zigzag stitches 1/4" from the edge. This will ensure that the zipper doesn't wander off.

Trim off the excess zipper leaving at least 1/2" (this can be trimmed down even more later).

Attach the zipper foot to the machine.

STEP 5

Make a sandwich starting from the bottom. Start with the lining (right side up), zipper in the middle (right side up) and exterior piece on top (wrong side up). Carefully match up the edges and pin together.

STEP 6

Sew along the top edge, stitching 1/4" from the top edge.

STEP 7

Flip the layers over so that the right sides of exterior and the lining are facing outwards. Topstitch the exterior 1/4" (stitching thru the 3 layers) as shown in photo for neatness.

Repeat steps 5, 6 and 7 for the other half of the zipper.

This is what your item will look like at this point.

STEP 8

Lets get the wrist strap ready. Take your 2" x 12" scrap of fabric and fold it in half lengthwise (so that it turns out to be 1"x12") and press. Now open and press both halves towards the center. You should now have a 1/2" x 12" piece.

STEP 9

Sew as close as possible along the open edge to close the tube.

STEP 10

Now fold the strap in half and insert it between the 2 exterior layers towards the top near the zipper. Pin into place.

STEP 11

Now its time to sew the purse. Make sure the zipper is unzipped (open). Flip the layers of the purse over so that the right sides of the lining and the right sides of the exterior are touching each other. Match up all of the edges of the layers and pin all the way around (the zipper will naturally curve towards the lining).

Follow my funky purple lines, starting in the middle of the lining piece. Stitch all the way around (using a 1/4" seam allowance), even thru the zipper, until you wind up back at the lining piece. Don't forget to double or even triple stitch thru your wrist strap for added strength. Its hard to see where my wrist strap is situated on the purse, but its basically right at 3 o'clock (its being held by the yellow pin).

STEP 12

Before turning, clip each corner to get rid of some bulk. Don't clip thru your stitches!

Turn your purse right side out thru the gap in the lining. Oh, thats why the zipper had to be open! Push the corners out and smooth everything down.

STEP 13

Stitch the gap in the lining shut by pushing in the raw edges into the hole and top-stitch closed. I usually start at one end of the lining and stitch the entire length for a cleaner look.