This time I will provide a simple project to apply last week's tutorial, about installing zippers. You can read the tutorial here. Friends who have tried sewing a zipper pouch must have experienced certain difficulties, which I have experienced and often experience is that the pouch looks "dented" [dented corner]-the ends of the zipper go inside- because it is too thick so it is difficult to remove, another problem, the inner fabric does not fit [ill-fit lining], usually excess so that it looks less neat because the fabric is "sagging".
What about friends who have tried sewing zippers, what are the difficulties faced?
This kind of pouch is quite multifunctional, it can be a practical container for carrying daily makeup supplies, toiletries, and even for holding coins when going to the market. When I was a kid, these zipper pouches were usually gifts from a gold shop and were small and made of synthetic leather, but I didn't know how to make them and didn't even think that I would learn how to sew them when I grew up; all I knew was that my mom would always hold them when she went to the market and they were filled with rolls of money and coins.
Now that I'm able to make my own - big or small version - I'd like to share with you a trick to make a zipper pouch that is neat, without dents and with the right fabric inside. Check it out.
In this tutorial, we will learn how to install a neat zipper, sew a bias tape, and make a boxy corner a la Japan. Why do I call it "a la Japan"? This is a term that I made up myself, from the observation that the boxy technique that I will describe is widely used in Japanese craft books, both for making pouches or bags, I rarely find Caucasian crafters who use this technique although there are some of them, especially those of Asian descent.
Cutting:
I always make the pattern and size first on used calendar paper.
2 pieces of outer fabric measuring 24 x 18.5 cm
2 pieces of lining fabric/inside size 24 x 18.5 cm
4 pieces of interfacing size 24 x 18.5 cm [I use self-adhesive staples]
Bisban/bias tape size 3 x 37 cm [bisban can be made by yourself using the inner fabric]
Fabric for zipper tab
Sewing:
Glue the interfacing to the outer and lining fabrics by ironing.
Adjust zipper length and install zipper tab. Make a mark using a pen on one side of the length of the fabric [outer & lining] that will be fitted with the zipper. The distance from the edge of the fabric is 0.5 x 0.5 cm or can be increased. Cut the zipper following the mark. Then install the zipper tab, the length of the zipper after the zipper tab is installed must be the same as the length of the two pen marks on the fabric [right-left marks].
Tutorials for making zipper tabs and installing zippers can be found here. On the lining fabric, it is the same as installing the zipper on the outer fabric. The stitching line on the outer fabric is overwritten/re-stitched. Remember, the good side of the fabric faces towards the good side of the zipper [this principle applies to both outer and lining fabrics]. The red arrow in the photo shows the 0.5cm mark made earlier.
Adjust the length and width of both outer fabrics so that the good sides are facing each other [RST], do the same so that both lining fabrics are RST. Secure with pins or needles.
Sew the long sides of the outer fabric and lining, respectively. The sewing distance is 1/4″ [according to the presser foot]. Then iron the seam open.
Flip the fabric so that the good side of the lining fabric is on the outside and the good side of the outer fabric is on the inside. The trick: Pull the zipper in and out through one of the wide sides of the unstitched lining fabric.
The long side of the sewn fabric is folded inward. The width of the fold is 3.5 cm. The sewn part is tucked inside.
Attach a sewing label or D ring [optional]. Sew both sides of the fabric width with 1/4″ sewing distance. Stitches should not hit the zipper tab, leave a distance of 0.5 cm.
Attach the bisban/bias tape to the wide side of the fabric that has just been sewn. Fold the edges of the bisban fabric so that the edges are neat, secure the position then sew. The sewing distance is the same, which is 1/4″. Close the bisban with a hidden seam on the reverse side. And you're done!
Here are the results...
Simple and neat, right? guaranteed to be reproduced with the same neatness. So today we've learned several techniques at once, not just applying the zipper tutorial. And you already understand what I mean by "boxy a la Japan" which is more practical because there is no need to make a pattern or cut the edges to form a boxy, and there is an "aesthetic" element. The plaid accents in the pouch photo above are hand-stitched using a technique called sashiko.
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