Lined, zippered pouch / make up bag tutorial

This morning I was in a rush to make a simple lined make-up bag and had a quick look on the internet to see if I could easily find any dimensions for such a thing. I could find instructions on how to make a pouch, but none with dimensions and none with covered ends to the zips, which is how I like my zips to be finished. It now seems quite illogical to me that I decided that I simply must write a tutorial for such a thing when I was meant to be 'rushing'...but it seems that most things can wait. So here we have a lined, covered zip ends make up bag / coin purse tutorial (for personal use only, see tutorial end for other terms). Photos are plentiful and instructions (hopefully) basic, in the hope that a beginner will be able to make this easily.

This make-up bag will end up measuring: 7.5" x 5".

Here are the ingredients you will need:

1 x zip (it can start off at any size, but should be cut down to measure 8" exactly)
2 x lining - 8" x 5.5"
2 x fancy fabric for outer - 8" x 5.5"
2 x fancy fabric zip end covers- 3" x 1.5"
4 x sew-in interfacing - 8" x 5.5"

The interfacing is optional...but I think that as this will probably be used in a handbag (rather than on a dresser) it should have some substance to it and not be prone to wobbling around like a blancmange...don't say I didn't warn you!

Yay! You decided to use the interfacing - you won't regret it! Take a piece of the interfacing and attach it to one of your 8" x 5.5" rectangular pieces by zigzagging all the way around the edges. The do the same for your other 3 rectangle pieces. This makes them more manageable and less flappy to work with later on. Now set these to one side.

Take one of the 3" x 1.5" pieces of material. Fold it in half across the length and then fold back by a 1/4" at each end as above.

Place your zip so that it butts up to the half way fold that you made.

And then pin the ends down just like this. Then do exactly the same for the other end.

Now make two neat rows of stitching (it will show at the end so make it pretty) across the zip to secure your zip cover in place.

So the ends should now look like this.

Now it's time to make a tasty fabric sandwich. Put your outer fabric face up. Place your zip on top of this face down. Now place your lining on top of this face down. Pin it so that the top of the zip and the top of your fabrics are all perfectly aligned...don't worry, your zip end covers will be higher than the rest of this...just pretend they're not there!

Pull the zip open halfway. Put on your zipper foot and start at one end and begin to sew. With you finger gently feel for the zipper teeth and make sure your zipper foot presses up alongside these. When you reach the zip fastener keep your needle down and raise the presser foot and gently slide the zip backward a little before carrying one sewing.

Once you've finished, flip the fabrics over so that they're the right way round. It should look like this. Your outer fabric and lining will now be touching wrong side to wrong side.

Now it's time to attach the fabric to the other side of the zip. Make your sandwich exactly the same as before, aligning the top of the zip with the lining and outer fabric and pretending that the first sandwich isn't there (almost as if you've eaten it). If you think you've got it sussed, don't look at the below picture as it can make your head hurt if you think about it too much...if you're struggling, eyes down:

So remember: Main fabric face up. Zipper facing down. Lining face down. Now sew! After you've flipped the fabrics round the right way it should look like this:

It makes sense to do some top-stitching on each side of the zip so that you're never faced with the horror of catching your fabric in the zip teeth and being left unable to reach any of the makeup or contents inside. Gently hold the lining and outer fabrics taut as you do this.

Mmmm...see how lovely this makes it look. Afterwards, when laid out flat, the lining side should look like this:


And the outer side should look like this. Scrumptious.

Now, it's time to stop faffing around with zips and start making your fabric into a make-up bag or pouch (eugh, such an unpleasant word).

Pull your zip open half way and leave it right there. Don't touch it again...no, really, don't touch it! Now hang onto the two pieces of outer fabric and put them so that the pretty sides are facing one another. The do the same with the lining: make the right sides of the lining face one another. Pin the outer fabric sides first, making sure that the edges of the fabric all match up nicely. Now pin the linings together, making sure that the zip ends are pointing downwards into the lining side and not into the outer fabrics side. Can you see on the picture above - my outer fabric is on the left and sits completely flat. My blue lining is on the right and has the zippy bits pushed to that side.

If you have a 1/4 inch foot then use this as your seam allowance guide...if you don't, then mark a 1/4" seam allowance all the way around the edge.

Sew right around the perimeter of the material (above, I'm halfway through), leaving a 2" turning gap in the bottom of the lining.

Nearly there now. Now it's time to de-bulk your zipper-end covers so that when it's all turned the right way out you don't get horrid lumpy bits. Take a fine pair of scissors (this is not the time for large shears) and snip carefully outside any lines of stitching to de-bulk wherever you can. Then make a little snip on each of the four corners of the square - again, being careful not to cut through any of your stitches.

Next turn it all the right way out through that 2" gap in the bottom of the lining that you left.

What a mess! Will this ever look right? Keep going....now aren't you so pleased that you didn't touch that zip and that you left it half-way open? Not doing so can cause the most undignified amount of expletives at this point, so it's really much better this way.

So now you're all turned out the right way out, but your corners look a little puckered, no (see below)? With your hand inside, between the lining and the outer fabric, use your fingers to poke it until it sits more neatly (I think a turning point is too pointy for this task and should only be used on the outer corners).

Keep poking....ahh, there, that looks much better, no?

Pull the lining out a little, fold the turning gap in the lining inwards and sew up neatly. You're nearly finished, but the time for waltzing around the room, holding your beautiful new make-up bag aloft and singing is not yet upon us. Don't you remember how scrunched up all the fabric got when you were turning it the right way out? Delay the gratification and get thee behind the ironing board for you still have work to do!

With the lining out (because if you leave it in it will get ironed into horrible creases), first iron the outer of the case and then the inner.

Then put the lining back into the bag and relax. If my pattern has gone according to plan and I haven't omitted a vital instruction, you should now be in possession of some pouchy loveliness (no, these two words will never really go together will they).

Now it's time for some chocolate...mine are some deliciously indulgent champagne truffles that someone lovely bought for me last week... but really any old thing will do on this occasion. Remember to chew...it wouldn't do to have a choking fit all over your nice new bag.

Yes...I do seem to have come over all bossy when in tutorial mode. Forgive me. And if you use this pattern, I'd love to hear how you got on and I'd love it even more if you have the time to drop a picture of your lovely new make-up bag into my Flickr group here.

Happy sewing. x