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Friday, 25 November 2016

Zipper Pouches tutorial

Wow, has it really been a month since I've posted anything? I have been busy I know. I've been attempting to complete two projects, this one:
Which is a quilt as you go. I've still to add the borders on, but its gone OK so far. There's also another quilt that is more traditionally sandwiched that is at the 'begun but not yet completed' quilting stage. But as Christmas approaches, I've been working on some zippered pouches as gifts for friends in our quilting group. 

Now these may be old hat to many of you but I hadn't had cause to insert a zipper in decades. So I felt quilt pleased with myself at getting to grips with how to do this as part of a lined pouch. Here follows some instructions if you too haven't done one of these in a while. 
First of all take some squares (mine were 8 and 1/2") of fabric. I did mine in two tone style which helps to use up scraps but also makes them a bit more fun. I also used pellon to help give some stiffener and structure. 
Also cut two pieces of lining. First of all assemble your fabric, pellon and backing (if you want to use one, I prefer to as it makes movement through the machine a bit easier too). Quilt as desired. I did some with cross hatching, some free-motion patterned. 
Next take your zipper and lay it face down onto the now quilted outer part of the pouch - right side up. 
Put your lining on top, right side facing down, pin and sew across the top (using a zipper foot on your machine). Sorry took this photo before I pinned! I paused along the way and opened the zipper so that I had an easier way to sew along the zipper without the opener/closer (head?) being in the way. 
Once you've sewn that one side of your zipper, lay your second outer section of your pouch right side facing up as before, this time to lay the zipper face down, you need to flip the lining over so that its right side is visible (as below). 

Again arrange so that your second piece of lining is face down, pin across the top and sew through the other side of the zipper. 
Next open up the two halves of your pouch so that the lining is right sides together on one side and the outer parts of the pouch on the other. Pin around but make sure you do two things:
Firstly open the zipper so that when you go to turn the whole thing out you can do that. 
Secondly, leave a gap in the lining, (around 3-4 inches) also so that you can turn it completely the right way once you have sewn around the edges. 
Lining above - note the gap to leave open between the two blue pins. 
The outer half of the pouch - the pink chevron is just the backing I used as I quilted it. 
I thought this 'in process of turning through' shot looked like some kind of animal with a green tongue poking out! That's the right side of the outer pouch coming through the lining hole. 
And hey presto, when you pull it all through you get these neat pouches. You do need to just sew that hole in the lining, otherwise all the bits and bobs you put in the pouch will disappear between the lining and the outer part. 
I'm enjoying the process, I've made around nine so far with a few more to go. Thank goodness its not December yet!

Until next time,
Lynn