Zipper pouch for sewing notions is a cute lined and flat zipper pouch with centered zipper and a French seam finish – an easy beginner sewing project that will work for anyone! The zipper ends are tabbed for better function and to reduce bulk when sewing. It opens at the center, so nothing falls out. (Perfect for tiny items such as wonder clips!) Also, this zipper case is made using the French seam, which makes it even an easier project – it will also make your zipper pouch look totally professional. Check it out!
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ZIPPER POUCH For Sewing Notions
Someone said that zipper pouches are a perfect use for anything and everything that needs to be gathered in one convenient place. This is the broadest description of a zipper pouch I’ve ever heard, and it seems pretty much accurate to me.
This cute flat pouch with centered zipper is so versatile you will never run out of ideas for its use. This time, I concentrated on storing sewing notions. It’s so perfect for those!
First, for those of you who like video tutorials, I’ve made a video slide-show just to make it easier for you. Check it out:
Let’s see how you can make a few of these pouches for yourself, too.
Supplies:
- 10×10″ main fabric
- fusible fleece for main, a bit smaller than the main piece on all four sides to reduce bulk when sewing
- 2 pieces 5×10″ fabric for lining
- 2 pieces 4.5″ x 1″ fabric for zipper tabs
- a standard nylon coil zipper, (width 1″ and min 7″ useful length between stoppers)
- matching thread (I like this one by Gütermann)
- scissors or rotary cutter+cutting mat (I have 6 in different sizes and colors, all Olfa!)
- sewing machine
This pouch is pretty slim, so we’ll use two pieces for lining to make sewing a breeze, while keeping the outer fabric in one piece, to make the zipper case as pretty as possible on the outside. Win-win.
Zipper Pouch Tutorial
Let’s start.
2) Tab the zipper
If you want a tabbed zipper as I did, here’s how to make zipper tabs and reduce bulk on side seams:
They will make your side seams way less bulky and the zipper pouch even cuter!
Once you have the zipper tabbed, attach the zipper:
3) First: place the lining fabric face-down and place the zipper on it, face-up and centered. Cover with the outer piece, facing down. Pin or use wonder clips to hold in place.
5) Repeat on the other side of the zipper: place the lining, right-side-up on a surface, the unattached side of the zipper (zipper facing up, not down!) and then fold the main fabric piece – align all three layers, so the zipper is sandwiched in the middle.
6) Stitch using a 1/4 SA. The outer fabric piece is now a tubular shape with two open short ends.
7) Now we need to topstitch the two lining pieces along the zipper; take care to catch the seam allowance layer only and NOT the main fabric (the tube is too narrow to do that anyway).
8) Now stitch the two lining pieces together at the bottom edge, using a 1/4 seam allowance. Press the seams open, and if your sleeve board or the store-bought seam roll is too wide for this zipper pouch (which might well be the case!), use a handy pressing hack: no-prep, just grab an item you already have – a small-sized towel.
French Seams
9) Now all that’s left to do is two French seams. Here’s an easy beginner-friendly how-to with detailed photos if you need them:
So, with our project, you’ll first turn the outer fabric through the side hole inside-out. Center the zipper on top, then press and pin the sides, and stitch each one with a 1/4″ seam:
Now trim the seam to 1/8″:
Trimming to 1/8″, do this on both sides of the zipper pouch. (Admitting: I really needed to get a new cutter blade. This one in the photo had issues when cutting through several layers. That’s why the uneven cut in the photo. Sorry!)
10) Turn inside-out, so the lining will be on the outside. Now stitch another seam at a generous 1/4 (or even a bit more, but no more than 3/8″) – again, do both sides.
11) Turn the pencil case right-side out again and give it a good press. Yey, done! Fill with sewing notions of your choice and keep – or give as present. It would make a perfect DIY gift!
Now make as many as you wish. I’ve made these two, and now need at least one more for my rotary cutter, and two for the small-sized buttons. And then probably a few more for gifts 🙂
These zippies are so versatile. There are really just a few things you cannot store in these pouches. Long color pencils for example. That’s why I get to keep this one from the tutorial for myself, I guess. Unless my daughter figures out that the crayons would fit perfectly, as well as her pretty pencil stamps. But let’s not talk about these two – officially, these pouches are for my sewing notions 🙂
My machine sewing needles have finally, finally found a home – this brand new, cute polka dot zipper case. Do you like it?
Where do you keep your sewing needles? In a zipper case, plastic box, a bin or do you use a fancy organizer? What works best for you?
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If you love zipper pouches, you’ll fall in love with this zipper coin purse, currently one of my top 3 PDF patterns – the ZIP Pocket Coin purse:
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| Get This Pattern HERE. |
Mary Stapleton says
Thanks for your tutorial. Can’t wait to make one but I want to make one about half that size so I’ll do my best to figure it out!