Hey everyone. Today you'll learn how to sew a handy zip pouch that actually holds its shape and opens wide.
The fabric is Black Scrolls, from Scarlet's Treasure. It's by Henry Glass. The collection is by Color Principle. It's 100% cotton. It runs 43/44 inches wide.
The print is scrolls on a black ground. That swirling scroll work gives you movement. It also hides small marks kindly.
Scarlet's Treasure works in a timeless palette. Red, black, and white. The collection brings a garden indoors. Peonies, poppies, and daisies bloom across its prints. On this scroll print, the look feels classic. A plain pouch suddenly looks finished.
The project: a zip pouch
A zip pouch is small, useful sewing. You cut a few rectangles. You add one zipper. You sew mostly straight lines. Then you box the corners. Just like that, a flat piece stands up on its own. Super duper satisfying.
Why does this fabric suit it so well? First, quilting cotton presses crisp. Crisp folds make a pouch look neat. Second, the scrolls are forgiving. No single motif has to land perfectly. Third, the black ground is practical. It goes with almost everything. It also looks smart inside a tote or on a desk.
Here's my sizing. This pouch finishes about 9 inches wide, 6 inches tall, and 2 inches deep. That's big enough for notions, chargers, or makeup basics. Want it bigger or smaller? Completely up to you.
What you'll need
- 1 fat quarter, or 1/4 yard, of this Black Scrolls cotton for the outside
- 1 fat quarter of a coordinating lining fabric
- 1/4 yard of fusible interfacing, medium weight
- One nylon zipper, 12 inches long — you will trim it to fit
- Matching all-purpose thread
- An 80/12 universal needle in your machine
- A ruler, pins or clips, and scissors or a rotary cutter
- An iron, a zipper foot, and a chopstick for turning corners
Here's the cutting math. Cut two outside pieces at 10 by 7 inches. Cut two lining pieces the same size. Cut two interfacing pieces the same size too. Fuse the interfacing to the wrong side of the outside pieces. Press from the wrong side, then let each piece cool flat.
Brief steps
One: lay one outside piece right side up. Place the zipper along the top edge, right side down. The zipper teeth should face the fabric. Lay one lining piece on top, right side down. Pin or clip that sandwich. Sew with your zipper foot. Use a 1/4-inch seam. Set your stitch length around 2.5mm. That's about 10 to 12 stitches per inch.
Two: press both layers away from the zipper. Topstitch close to the fold. Repeat with the other outside and lining pieces on the other side of the zipper. Now open the zipper halfway. This part matters, folks. A closed zipper makes turning hard later. I learned that one the hard way.
Three: match the outside pieces right sides together. Match the lining pieces the same way. Pin all the way around. Leave a 3-inch gap open in the lining bottom. Sew around with a 1/2-inch seam. Go slow across the zipper teeth at the sides, or the needle can snap. Backstitch at the gap ends.
Four: box each corner. Flatten a corner so the side and bottom seams line up. Mark a line 1 inch from the point. That's a 2-inch boxed base. Sew on that line. Trim the point to 1/4 inch. Do all four corners. Turn the pouch right side out through the gap. Push the corners out gently. Sew the lining gap closed. Tuck the lining inside and press.
Practical tips
Use a nylon zipper, not a metal one. Your needle can sew over nylon teeth at the sides. Metal teeth are a different story. Slow down there anyway.
Clip, don't force, at the zipper ends. If an end tucks in a little crooked, that's okay. Open it, nudge it, and topstitch again.
Now the permission beat, y'all. Your pouch does not have to be perfect. A slightly soft corner still holds your things just fine. You're your own worst critic here. Take your time. It's not a race. If I can do this, y'all can do it.
Want options? Skip boxing the corners for a flat pencil pouch. Or add a small fabric tab at one zipper end for a grab loop. Or make two pouches from a full yard, one to keep and one to give. Alrighty, pick the version you'll actually use.
Thanks for sewing along with me, folks. Fill that pouch up and enjoy it every day. We'll see you next time. Bye.
Shop the Black Scrolls Scarlet's Treasure 44"/45" Cotton Fabric Per Yard at Linda's Electric Quilters.
