Sew a lined zippered pouch!
I have been using my mom's old Brother sewing machine and trying to decide now that I am sewing again whether to keep her machine, or purchase a new one. The new machines are just not made as well as the old ones. They seem more plastic and breakable. I finally decided it best to have my mom's cleaned and tuned at the sewing machine repair place right down the street, purchase a manual and zipper foot attachment (two missing items), and start making more exciting things. I recently found the lost zipper foot attachment, of course I found it the day after I bought a new one at Joann's. Go figure. Anyways, I decided to start with something simple like this zippered pouch. It has been a LONG time since I have attempted a zipper, and even then, it was under the wonderful tutelage of the professional seamstress Kathy Darrah. But it was easier than I expected, and it came out great, despite the fact that my lining fabric ended up as my outside fabric and my outside fabric ended up being my lining. Oh well. I also added a strip of rick rac ribbon to the front and a button sewed on with embroidery thread. Definitely adds a lot to the finished look.
You can make this any size you want, that is the beauty of it. You need two pieces for the outside fabric and 2 pieces for the lining, all the same size. Mine were 9 by 5. Don't mind the ribbon and button in this picture. I had to rethink and choose something different since I messed up on the fabric placement.
I only had a 12 inch zipper that I bought over eight years ago, but that is another story. I decided to cut it down to nine inches and make my own zipper stop.
About one inch in from the end I sew back and forth on the machine to create a stop for the zipper. I pinned my layers and using the zipper foot attachment sewing as close to the zipper teeth as I could. Then I did the same for the other side of the zipper. At this point you can add embellishment to the front piece of outside fabric. 
The I pulled my lining to one side, and the outside to the side and pinned together. Make sure you unzip your zipper halfway before you do this! Sew all the way around four sides, leaving a couple inches in your lining so you can turn it right side out. I used a 1/4 inch seam allowance. Clip the corners and turn. Press, and keep the lining out, and top stitch along the bottom of the lining to close the opening.
Put your lining back inside your pouch and press again so it looks better. You could also hand stitch the two inch opening but I was in a rush and this was faster. You can see the seam on the inside but it is on the inside, so not really a big deal.
Here it is finished.
Here is the beautiful lined inside.
Now I am no longer afraid of zippers!
You can make this any size you want, that is the beauty of it. You need two pieces for the outside fabric and 2 pieces for the lining, all the same size. Mine were 9 by 5. Don't mind the ribbon and button in this picture. I had to rethink and choose something different since I messed up on the fabric placement.
I only had a 12 inch zipper that I bought over eight years ago, but that is another story. I decided to cut it down to nine inches and make my own zipper stop.
About one inch in from the end I sew back and forth on the machine to create a stop for the zipper. I pinned my layers and using the zipper foot attachment sewing as close to the zipper teeth as I could. Then I did the same for the other side of the zipper. At this point you can add embellishment to the front piece of outside fabric. 
The I pulled my lining to one side, and the outside to the side and pinned together. Make sure you unzip your zipper halfway before you do this! Sew all the way around four sides, leaving a couple inches in your lining so you can turn it right side out. I used a 1/4 inch seam allowance. Clip the corners and turn. Press, and keep the lining out, and top stitch along the bottom of the lining to close the opening.
Put your lining back inside your pouch and press again so it looks better. You could also hand stitch the two inch opening but I was in a rush and this was faster. You can see the seam on the inside but it is on the inside, so not really a big deal. Here it is finished.
Here is the beautiful lined inside.
Now I am no longer afraid of zippers!
Comments
Post a Comment