Buttercream and a Sewing Machine: zippers

Showing posts with label zippers. Show all posts

Wednesday, March 7, 2012

Tutorial: Zippered Anything Pouch

If you haven't noticed, some of my favorite things to sew are clutches and purses. I love that you can use fun fabrics and make a useful item. I also love that you don't have to know someones size in order to give a personalized gift!

A friend of mine showed me a pouch similar to this one that she had bought for around $15 dollars. She said she would love to have more of the same pouch and wanted to sew them herself. I took some measurements of the pouch she had, and based the project off of that (I condensed the size just a little bit so I could use two fat quarters of fabric). The fun part is, you can use the general steps for this pouch and make it whatever size you want to! If you need something to hold a few toiletry items for traveling, measure the length of your toothbrush and make sure it will fit.

It is a perfect pouch for keeping toys together...

...for art supplies to keep little (or big) hands busy...

...or to keep your newest craft project all together and clean for mobility!

I hope you have as much fun making your zippered pouch as I did.

Supplies:

Two Fat Quarters (one for the outer fabric and one for the lining)

Two - 11" x 10.5" pieces of fusible fleece or batting

One - 10" zipper (use this tutorial to help you get the right length of zipper)

Basic sewing supplies (thread, sewing machine, scissors, etc.)

Directions:

#1 - Cut each fat quarter into two 11" x 10.5" rectangles.
*If you are using fusbile fleece, press it to the back of your outer fabric or your lining fabric now.

#2 - Layer your outer fabric and lining fabric right sides together. Center the zipper between these two layers along the top edge, facing the outer fabric (it should be about 1/4" from each edge). If using batting - place the batting on top of all of the layers. Sew across the top edge.

#3 - Layer your other piece of outer fabric and lining fabric with right sides together. Center the raw edge of the zipper between these two layers along the top edge, facing the other outer fabric (it should be about 1/4" from the left and right edge). If using batting - place the batting on top of all of the layers. Sew across the top edge (sewing through 4 layers - including the batting/fusbile fleece).

#4 - Lay your fabrics out so the zipper is in the center. On the left side of the zipper should be one piece of lining fabric, one piece of the batting, and one piece of the outer fabric. The same three layers should be on the right side of the zipper. Sew next to each side of the zipper.

#5 - Open your zipper about halfway. Lay your pouch so the outer fabric is facing right sides together on one side of the zipper, and your lining fabric is facing right sides together on the other side of the zipper. The batting can be placed either with the lining or with the outer fabric (I placed it with the lining). Sew around the pouch, leaving a 2"-3" opening along one side of the lining. Be careful not to sew the edges of your zipper as you sew around the pouch.

#6 - Optional: Make box corners. There are several ways to do this (so do what is comfortable for you). I lay my corner flat, so the seam is running down the middle. Line up your ruler so the center seam line and the edge of the fabric is at a 45 degree angle. I measured 2.5" across and drew a line.

#7 - Sew along this line, and cut off the corner about 1/4" from the seam line. Repeat with the other bottom corner on the outer fabric, as well as the two bottom corners on the lining fabric. This will give your pouch a flat bottom.

#8 - Turn the pouch right side out.

#9 - Sew the opening in the lining closed by handstitching or using a small seam allowance.

#10 - Enjoy your Zippered Anything Pouch!

What are you going to put inside?

Other fun clutches and purses you can sew:
Fabric Strip Clutch
Red Wool Purse

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Monday, February 27, 2012

Tutorial: The Fabric Strip Clutch

One of my goals this year is to get around to some projects that I have been meaning to complete. I saw a zippered clutch similar to this at Anthropologie last spring, and I decided that it was something that I wanted to try and make. So one year later...

This clutch is so much fun! I chose to use a thin, pin-striped fabric for the main body of the clutch, with a black interior. I chose a pop of color with the yellow zipper (one of my 50 zippers I am using this year!), and I inset the zipper. You may notice a flower and some swirls on the outside of the purse. This is an embellishment that I added to the exterior of the purse using some careful planning and a thin strip of fabric. I cut the strip of fabric with the stripes going horizontally, so the stripes would really pop! I am going to show you exactly how I made the whole clutch - including the inset zipper and the fabric strip embellishment! After making the floral design, I got excited about all of the possibilities of how to use strips of fabric in different ways. I hope you will make this clutch and send me some pictures of how you used strips of fabric to embellish.

Supplies:

5-1/2"x10-1/2" - cut 2 of fusible fleece, cut 2 of outer fabric (in my case, the striped fabric)
1"x10-1/2" - cut 2 of lining fabric (in my case, the black fabric)
5"x10-1/2" - cut 2 of lining fabric
10" zipper (use my tutorial on fixing the length of a zipper to get it to the perfect size!)
1/4" wide strips of outer fabric to form flowers, prepped with a thin bead of Fray Check down each side
a scrap of fabric for the zipper pull
a bowl/mug for a template to make rounded corners
basic sewing supplies (thread, sewing machine, scissors, pins, etc.)

Directions:

*All seam allowances are 1/4" unless otherwise noted.

#1 - Iron the fusible fleece on the wrong side of the outer fabric (repeat for other piece of outer fabric).
#2 - Using a bowl/mug, trace and cut two rounded corners on the bottom of both pieces of outer fabric.

#3 - Using chalk (or a fabric marker), draw a design on one side of the clutch. Start on one edge and form one continuous line, ending on another side of the clutch (you should not pick up your pencil while making this line). This took me several tries, and I found it was best to practice on a piece of paper a few times before I drew on the clutch. You will need to remember the path you took, because you will follow the same path when you sew your strips of fabric on top.

#4 - Taking a long strip of 1/4" wide fabric (long enough to make it along your whole design), start on one edge. Put your presser foot down, and slowly sew down the center of the strip of fabric following your line as a guide. You can see here how I started on one end and slowly turned the clutch as I sewed. One of my favorite features on my sewing machine is the needle down button. When I use this feature, anytime I stop, my needle stays down in the fabric. I can then lift the presser foot and rotate the fabric a little bit. When making the flower, I took a couple of stitches, and then rotated the fabric just a little bit. My flower has 6 petals.

Here is what the clutch looks like from the front when completed.

On the back, you can better see my stitch lines.

#5 - If you choose to sew strips of fabric on the back of the clutch as well (like I did), you will want to do that now.

Here is a view of the stitching I did on the back of the clutch.

Both outer sides of the clutch are ready to go! Good job!

Now we are going to install the zipper and finish the clutch.

#6 - Pin the 1"x10-1/2" piece of lining fabric on top of the outer clutch piece (right-sides-together). Repeat on both sides. Sew along the top edge of both clutch pieces.
When referring to the outer clutch piece from now on, the top of the outer clutch piece will be this 1"x10-1/2" piece of lining fabric folded open.

#7 - Round the bottom two corners of both 5" x10-1/2" lining pieces using your bowl/mug.

#8 - Make sure your zipper measures to 10". Use this tutorial if it is a little bit short or a little bit long, in order to adjust the length so it fits this project.

#9 - Pin a three-layer sandwich. The two pieces of "bread" are the outer clutch piece and the lining fabric (with right-sides-together). The zipper is the peanut butter in between and should be facing the outer fabric. When you are pinning the three layers together, pin the zipper to the 1"x10-1/2" lining fabric that you sewed onto the outer fabric. Center the zipper, leaving a 1/4" gap on each side of the zipper.

#10 - Sew along the top edge, making sure to sew all three layers together.

#11 - Now pin together another sandwich. The two pieces of "bread" are the other outer clutch piece and the other 5"x10-1/2" lining fabric (with right-sides-together). The peanut butter is the zipper piece (that is now connected to a layer of lining fabric and outer fabric). Place the zipper piece face down, facing the other outer clutch piece of "bread". You will be sewing through three layers of fabric: the black edge that was sewed onto the outer clutch piece, the raw edge of the zipper, and the top edge of the other lining fabric piece. Make sure your zipper is centered, leaving a 1/4" gap on each side of the zipper. Clear as mud, right?

#12 - Sew along the top edge. You now will have all of your fabric pieces connected.

#13 - Open your zipper about halfway. Lay your clutch so the two outer fabrics are facing right-sides-together, and the two lining pieces are facing right-sides-together. Pin all the way around the clutch. You will see that I have two pins close together on the left side. I start at one set of double-pins (backstitching), and sew all the way around the clutch and end at the other set of double pins (backstitching). I do this so I make sure I am leaving a gap in order to turn the clutch right-side-out. Sew around the clutch, leaving a gap so it can be turned right-side-out.

#14 - Turn the clutch right-side-out.

#15 - Pin the gap in the lining closed. Handstitch or use a small seam-allowance with your sewing machine to sew the lining closed.

#16 - Pin the top of the clutch so all of the black lining is on the inside. I pressed this seam while pinning.

#17 - Sew around the top edge of the clutch using coordinating thread (I used 1/8" seam allowance at this point).

#18 - Optional: Tie a small strip of fabric to the zipper.

And you are done!

Please ask questions if any of the steps were confusing to you.

And, of course, share what you made!

Happy Sewing!

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Monday, February 20, 2012

Tutorial: Zipper Bracelet

Remember how I have 50 zippers to do projects with this year?

Well, I used two more of them to make a couple of zipper bracelets.

This project is fun, simple, and has so many options to make it uniquely yours!

I had fun picking out the zipper and the button to go with it. I actually used buttons that were my great-grandmother's on these bracelets. I remember walking through her house when I was little and picking out this little container of buttons that I wanted to keep. This is the first time I have ever used any of those buttons. Most of the buttons are just regular, but there are a few that are unique. I used one that was unique with a black zipper and one that was less exciting with a white zipper.

Supplies:

1 zipper

1 button

about 2" of elastic cording (or an elastic hair tie)

Colored thread (either coordinating or contrasting)

Fray Check

Sewing machine/thread/needle, scissors