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Make It – Zip Purses

Make your own zip purse - Karhina.com

How to make very simple zip purses

Make your own zip purse - Karhina.com

These zipper purses are so simple to make and will help you practice your zip inserting skills and build your sewing confidents. Plus the finished are incredibly useful and a great way to use up smaller pieces of your fabric stash and any odd zips hanging about!

Make your own zip purse - Karhina.comMaterials

  • A zip
  • Outer fabric
  • Lining fabric
  • Matching or contrasting thread

Cut

Make your own zip purse - Karhina.comBefore you start cutting, decide how long you’d like your purse to be. Add 2cm to your desired finished length – this will be your cutting length. The purse for this example has a finished length of 14cm, so its cutting length is 16cm.

To work out your width just add 2cm to the length of the zipper you are using. This example uses a 16cm zip, so its cutting width is 18cm.

From the outer fabric and lining fabric cut two pieces.

Sew in the Zipper

Make your own zip purse - Karhina.comPlace one of the outer fabric pieces right side up so that the width sides are horizontal and the length sides are vertical.

Unzip the zipper so that the pull is in the middle and lay the zipper wrong side up along the top horizontal side. Align the top edge of the zipper with the top edge of the fabric. Centre the zipper so that its metal ends are approx. 1cm from each vertical side.

Place one of the lining fabric pieces on top, wrong side up. Pin all three layers together, being careful to keep the zipper centred and straight as you pin. When you get to the zipper pull, zip it over to a section that has already been pinned, so that the fabric of the zipper stays straight and flat.

Make your own zip purse - Karhina.comUsing your machine’s zipper foot, sew along the pinned edge with a 1 cm seam allowance being careful not to sew into the teeth of the zipper. When you reach the zipper pull, leave the needle down and pick up the machine’s foot, then slide the zipper pull to a section that you have already sewn so it doesn’t get in the way as you finish the seam.

 

Make your own zip purse - Karhina.comTurn both pieces wrong sides together so that the zipper teeth are right above the fold. Press and pin the fabrics together along the edge of the zipper’s teeth.

 

 

Make your own zip purse - Karhina.comYou can then edge stitch along the fold, starting and stopping at the zipper’s metal ends if you choose or leave plain.

Repeat for the other side of the zipper using the two remaining pieces of fabric.

You will end up with two identical sides with a zipper in the middle.

Sew the Purse Together

Make your own zip purse - Karhina.comFirst, slide the zipper pull to the middle to get it out of the way. Pull the two lining fabrics up and out of the way and bring the right sides of the outer fabric pieces together.

Pin the two outer fabric and lining fabric pieces together along all raw edges leaving an opening of approx. 6cm at the bottom of the lining fabric. Make sure the zip is left open and folded in such a way that you can pin its two fabric edges together with the teeth of the zipper pointing up and away from the outer fabric pieces.

Now pin the lining fabric pieces right sides together, leaving the zipper in the same orientation with the teeth pointed up and away from the outer fabric pieces.

Make your own zip purse - Karhina.comTurn the whole thing right side out through the gap in the horizontal side of the lining fabric.

Keep the lining section pulled out of the outer section and press both sections flat.

Pin the gap closed, tucking the seam allowance inside the lining. Edge stitch the gap closed. (Since this is the lining, you won’t see this little seam.)

Make your own zip purse - Karhina.comStuff the lining section inside of the outer section and press the whole pouch flat.