A Sweet Little Zip Pouch in 30s Playtime Aloe

Hey everyone. Today you'll learn how to make a sweet little zip pouch in a soft vintage green.

Here we go.

Meet the fabric

This is 30s Playtime in Aloe.

The number on it is 33637 15.

It comes from Moda Fabrics.

The collection is 30s Playtime.

And the colorway is Aloe.

That is a soft aloe green.

Really really gentle, y'all.

It revives cheerful 1930s reproduction prints.

They feel vintage without feeling old.

This is quilting fabric.

It is sold by the yard.

And this yardage is 45 inches wide.

The listing calls it lovely for vintage-style quilts.

It also suits reproduction sewing.

And coordinated projects, too.

I love a print like this for small makes.

You see the whole charm up close.

Why it suits a zip pouch

A zip pouch is a perfect small project.

You will use it every single day.

Makeup, notions, chargers, hand sewing — all of it.

This soft aloe green feels fresh for that.

The 1930s style adds a sweet, cheerful touch.

And it sews up in one short sitting.

We're not reinventing the wheel here.

Two rectangles, a lining, and one zipper.

Super duper cute, super duper useful.

If I can do this, y'all can do it.

Completely up to you how you use yours.

What you will need

This 30s Playtime Aloe fabric — 1 fat quarter, or about 1/3 yard, for the outside; cut two pieces 10 inches wide by 7 inches tall
Coordinating quilting cotton for the lining — cut two pieces 10 inches wide by 7 inches tall
Thin fusible interfacing or low-loft fusible fleece — cut two pieces 10 inches by 7 inches
One nylon zipper, 12 inches long, so you have extra length to trim
50-weight cotton thread in a soft green or cream for sewing
Universal or quilting needle, size 80/12, plus a zipper foot
Rotary cutter, mat, and a ruler
Pins or clips, a marking pencil, and a good iron

Let me walk through those numbers.

Your finished pouch will be about 9 inches wide.

It will be about 6 inches tall.

That holds notions, pencils, or travel basics nicely.

Use a 1/4-inch seam allowance on most seams.

Use a 3/8-inch seam where I note it below.

Set your stitch length to 2.5 millimeters.

That is about 10 stitches per inch.

For topstitching, lengthen it a touch to 3.0 millimeters.

Brief steps

Press your fabric well, then fuse the interfacing to the wrong side of both outside pieces and let them cool flat.
Place one outside piece right side up, lay the zipper right side down along the top edge, then place one lining piece right side down on top and pin.
Sew along that top edge with your zipper foot, using a 1/4-inch seam, then press the fabric away from the zipper and topstitch close to the teeth.
Repeat on the other side with the second outside piece and the second lining piece, then press and topstitch that side too.
Open the zipper at least halfway — this part really matters — then pin outside pieces together and lining pieces together, right sides facing.
Sew around the whole pouch with a 3/8-inch seam, leaving a 3-inch opening in the lining bottom for turning, and pivot carefully at the corners.
Box each corner if you like: pinch a corner flat, measure 1 1/2 inches from the tip, draw a line, and sew across it, then trim the excess.
Turn the pouch right side out through the opening, push out the corners gently, sew the lining opening closed, tuck the lining in, and press.

On that zipper seam, please go slow.

Slow down or the needle snaps on the teeth.

Move the zipper pull out of your way as you go.

I forgot to open a zipper once.

Oh my goodness, turning that pouch was a fight.

I had to work it open from the inside.

Lesson learned, and now I check twice.

Just like that, a little check saves the day.