My kids all want to learn to sew, and so we are on a sewing adventure, and they hope to end up with new quilts handmade at their own hands! Join us as we sew through the summer each week! Sewing with Kids — week 1, week 2, week 3, week 4, and week 5.
I’ve been working on a pouch for a fun swap on flickr, I’ll post more on that soon, and purchased a *few* zippers on etsy. Of course, showing the girls they decided that they would love little zipper pouches too. So today, I gave Emmalie a leg up on the scary world of zippers! Zippers don’t have to be difficult and if you start with something simple like this pouch, they are actually a lot of fun!
Here’s what you need –
4- 5″ charms
1 – 4″ zipper
and Lapel Stick makes things oh so easy and pretty much perfect the first try!
Glue the exterior piece to the top of the zipper, and the interior to the back of the zipper.
We just finger pressed the fabric down, away from the zipper. Then add the exterior and interior on the opposite side, in the same fashion.
Finger press again, and open the zipper about half way, so you can turn it right side out later.
Matching up the zipper ends, pin it toward the lining, then match corners, and edges. Leave a 3″ opening at the bottom to turn it right side out.
Backtacking at the ends keeps things nice and neat when you turn it right side out.
Clip the corners, and excess zipper ends, so they lay nice and flat. Then turn it right side out! Push the zipper the rest of the way open, to ease the process.
Once all the corners have been pushed out, pin the bottom opening and top stitch it closed. Like so –
She did such a great job! And she loves her new pouch.
I can’t wait to see what little treasures she puts in there!
Hopefully we’ve given you a new idea to sew with the kids in your life! And dispelled some of your zipper fears (if you had any)!
Happy Sewing~
Amy
Great job, Emmalie!!!
I admit, I have a fear of zippers. You make it look easy with this little pouch though. My daughter would love to make that. Thanks, Amy, I’ll give it a try. Now I have to go buy a zipper.
Great idea! My girl was just asking for a pouch for her games. Now she can make it herself :)
What a great tutorial! Thanks for sharing – and Emmalie, you did a great job!
Emmalie did a great job! What a cute little gift idea, too. I can see my girls making these for their friends for their b-days as well. Thanks for sharing!
GLUE!!! I’ve never put glue and zippers together in the same thought. Thanks for that tip! I love making zip pouches :)
Emmalie did such a beautiful job!
Smiles~Beth
Hi Amy, you have done a fair amount with the lapel stick lately. How would you describe the similarity and difference of using just a regular sewing glue stick? Thank you!
I’m impressed with the projects you have made with your kids!
Thank you – think I might have to make a zipper pouch for me now that I can see how easily it goes together!
Great ideas, Amy! And not just for kids. By the way, the county fair is next week!
{grin} This might seem like a dumb question, but I’m used to sewing the fabric to the zipper first, before sewing the lining and exterior as you show, when making pouches. Is the lapel stick permanent? Does is make topstitching next to the zipper teeth unnecessary?
oh, boy – I have to say: If a little kid can do a zipper, no problem, what the heck is wrong with me? ;D I gotta stop being intimidated by zippers!!