open wide zippered pouch: DIY tutorial

Doesn't it ever get annoying digging through a zippered pouch?  I love being able to see what's inside and what I'm searching for.  I spotted this little pouch the other day and had to make something similar.

I also made a bunch of sizes, but today I'll show you the small size, next time, I'll share the medium and large sizes (not pictured) so you can make all three!

Materials:

• fabric, 1/4 yard would be plenty
• zipper, at least 10" long or longer
• thread
• interfacing of your choice, I used Pellon 101SF, or skip it all together
• scrap for zipper end pull

** Update: three sizes chart post here. 

Directions:
(1/2" seam allowance, unless otherwise noted)

(Optional) Fuse on or baste on interfacing of your choice to main exterior pieces.

Lay one exterior piece right side up, lay zipper (teeth side down) on top with the zipper pull at the left - aligning zipper tape edge to the raw edges of the top of the exterior piece.  Tuck in pull side zipper end, just bend it 90 degrees.  You may choose to sew it down, or just pin it in place like I did.  Make sure the metal bit of the zipper is just about 3/4" away from the left edge.  Layer lining piece on top, right side down on top of zipper.  Pin and baste, you can skip this part, but basting really does help things from slipping around too much.

Use your zipper foot and a 1/4" seam allowance.  Sew over basting stitches, but not all the way to the end.

At about 1" before the edge of the fabric, stop, backstitch, and then pull the zipper away from the seam, bending it down out of the way, in towards the fabrics.  The whole point is to pull it out of the way so it doesn't get caught in the seam.  Continue stitching along the fabrics until the edge.

Flip so that the fabrics are wrong sides facing and press.

Lay the remaining exterior piece right side up, lay zipper (with fabrics attached) on top - teeth side down with the zipper pull at the right. Tuck in pull side zipper end, just bend it 90 degrees, just like before, making sure the metal bit of the zipper is just over 3/4" away from the right edge this time. Lay lining piece right side down on top.  Pin and baste.  Using the zipper foot and a 1/4" seam allowance sew over basting stitches, but not all the way to the end just like before. 

Again, about 1" before the edge of the fabric, stop, backstitch, and then pull the zipper away from the seam, bending it down, in towards the fabrics.  Continue stitching along the fabrics until the edge.  Flip so that the fabrics are wrong sides facing and press. Do NOT topstitch along either side of the zipper at this point, we'll be doing that in another step towards the end. This is what you've got so far:

Next. flip so that the exterior fabrics are right sides together and the lining pieces are right sides together (with the zipper hidden in the middle). 

Open the zipper at least half way at this point!  

Pin and sew around all edges leaving approximately a 4" opening in the bottom (or side) of the lining.  You'll be using a 1/2" seam allowance.  Be sure to get close to the metal zipper ends on one side, and bending the zipper end down into the pouch on the other side making sure it doesn't get caught in the seam.  

Box the corners by pinching each corner together and aligning the side seams.  Use a ruler and water soluble marker to mark a line perpendicular to the side seam 3.5" long.

Sew along that line, trim the seam allowance.  Do this for all four corners.

Pull pouch right side out through the opening you left in the lining.  Push lining into exterior.  Sew opening in lining closed using a small seam allowance.  Press.

Topstitch using a slightly longer stitch length (and taking your time) around the entire opening of the pouch.

Trim the zipper tail so that you have about 1" of space past the pouch's side.

For making the zipper pull tab, take a 2"x3" piece of fabric.

Press all edges in by 1/2", slip over zipper end.

Fold in half, sew around all four edges of the tab.

That's it!  Enjoy your super functional pouch and have fun being able to find the things you need easily!!!

Ta-da!