Supplies
- 1/3 yard of fabric-backed cork, vinyl, leather, or suede (color 1)
- 1/3 yard of quilters cotton, or another similar fabric (color 2)
- 12”+ long standard, all-purpose zipper
- Fabric marking tool
- Hand sewing needle
- Sewing thread
- Sewing pins
- Iron
- Ironing board and pressing cloth
- Ruler
Designs Used
Cutting Instructions
1
Load the cutout zipper pouch (Cut & Stitch) file into your cutting machine’s software. Notice that it has multiple cutting files to fit all the pieces. These are labeled with “A”, “B”, “C”, etc., and are organized by how they fit into a file and not necessarily by material.
2
To ensure that the measurements and seam allowances are correct, make sure all pieces are sized correctly in your cutting software. Group and scale all pieces together. For CGS6424 Cutout Zipper Clutch, file “A” is 11” x 19.09”, and File “B” is 11” x 19.14”.
3
This design has two different fabric materials across the files. Proceed in the design software until the first color selection appears, and is ready to be cut.
4
Smooth the first material onto the adhesive mat with the right side facing down. Then load the adhesive mat into the machine.
5
For each material, make sure to use the correct settings on your cutting machine to match the material you’ve chosen. Make sure the correct knife tool is also in place. If uncertain of what setting to use, look through your machine’s choices, and test cut small pieces of the fabric to find the best setting.
6
Cut out the first color selection. Then carefully remove the cut pieces and excess materials.
7
Repeat to cut all of the pieces for the zipper pouch out of the all the colors.
Crafting Instructions
1
To make the zipper tabs, take one of the small squares (color 2), and fold it in half with wrong sides together.
2
Press the fold using an iron and pressing cloth.
3
Then fold one side in to meet the center fold with wrong sides together.
4
Repeat to fold the opposite side in to meet the center fold as well. This will cause the two outer sides to meet in the middle of the square where the first fold was made. Make sure they do not overlap at all.
5
Press the folded zipper tab with a pressing cloth to make all three folds crisp.
6
Then repeat to fold and press the second zipper tab square.
7
Now it is time to prepare the zipper. Open the zipper a few inches. Then pin the open ends together, so the teeth are touching.
8
Measure 1/2” down from the top stops, and use a zigzag stitch on a sewing machine to sew the teeth of the zipper together there.
9
Then measure 1/4” up from where you stitched the teeth together. Using a marking tool, draw a line there. It should be about halfway between the sewn spot and the top stops.
10
Next measure 10 1/2” down the zipper from the line you drew. Draw another line across the zipper there as well.
11
Take one of the folded zipper tabs (color 2), and unfold it. With the right sides together, match one raw edge of the tab up with the top drawn mark on the zipper. Pin it in place. Make sure the tab is on the side of the drawn line which makes it unfold towards the center of the zipper (not on the side towards the end).
12
Then sew a 1/2” seam. The 1/2” seam should line up and sew perfectly in the nearest fold.
13
For best results match this thread color to the fabric.
14
Trim the end of the zipper off along the edge of the fabric. Make sure none of the zipper sticks out past the fabric piece at all.
15
Refold the fabric tab along the pressed folds. This will allow the fabric piece to fold around the cut end of the zipper, hiding it as well as the two raw sides of the fabric piece.
16
Then topstitch an 1/8” seam to hold the tab closed around the zipper. Match bobbin for best results.
17
To make the fabric tab the same width as the zipper, cut off the excess fabric along both sides of the zipper.
18
Then repeat to unfold, pin, and sew the second zipper tab onto the opposite end of the zipper.
19
In the end, the finished zipper with the fabric tabs should be 10 1/2” long.
20
To assemble the zipper pouch, first mark 1/4” away from each corner along the top, long edge of both outer pieces (color 1).
21
Make sure to mark this on the wrong side of the fabric, so it doesn’t show when the pouch is completed. These will act as guides to help place the zipper.
22
On the right side of the first, outer fabric piece, match the zipper up with the top, long edge. Make sure the right side of the zipper is facing down against the right side of the fabric. Peek at the back side of the fabric, and match each end of the zipper up with the drawn guides. Then pin them together.
23
Sew a 1/4” seam along this pinned edge.
24
Lay the first, lining piece (color 2) on top of the sewn zipper and outer piece. Make sure the right sides of the fabric pieces are together. Pin and sew a 1/4” seam along the top edge.
25
Use the sewn seam on the outer piece as a guide, and sew directly over the previous stitching line.
26
Fold both the lining and outer fabric pieces away from the zipper, so wrong sides are together. This will leave a folded edge on along the zipper on both the outer and lining fabric.
27
Press the folds using a pressing cloth and iron.
28
Then repeat to sew the second outer and lining fabric pieces along the opposite side of the zipper. When pinning, the right sides of the two outer fabric pieces will be together, as well as the right sides of the two lining pieces.
29
Then fold them back and press the folds.
30
Open the zipper about halfway.
31
Pinch the zipper, to make the two sewn seams line up. The zipper should fold towards the outer fabric pieces (color 1).
32
Then match up the two outer pieces (color 1) with right sides together, as well as the two lining pieces (color 2) with right sides together. Pin along all four sides. Make sure the seams at the zipper stay matched up.
33
Sew a 1/4” seam along all four sides.
34
Make sure to leave a 5” opening along the bottom edge of the lining pieces.
35
Trim away the seam allowance around all four corners (on both the outer and lining fabric pieces). This will help the corners to be nice points when turned right side out.
36
Turn the zipper pouch lining right side out through the opening in the lining.
37
Then fold the raw edges in 1/4”, and hand sew the opening closed.
38
Then turn the zipper pouch completely right side out through the open zipper.
39
Carefully, press the edges of the outer fabric along the outer seams, making sure not to melt it.
40
To adhere the lining to the outer fabric, carefully hand sew through both layers at each corner and the bottom center of the pouch. This is done by sewing from the inside of the lining all the way through to the outside of the bag, and then back through to the inside of the lining again.
41
Sewing in the seam of the outer fabric will hide the hand stitches so they cannot be seen.
42
This completes the zipper pouch. Repeat these steps to make pouches of different colors or fabrics. Make sure not to resize these designs, as the seam allowance makes them unscalable.
