Copy Paper Pouch Tutorial

This is a tutorial for a simple little pouch, your pattern is a piece of copy paper 8.5" x 11"

To get started, you will need a sheet of paper 8.5 x 11", standard copy paper.

Some fabric for your lining and your feature fabric.

A zipper at least 10 inches long or longer (you can cut it down to size)

Batting

Thread and your sewing machine

A six inch quilting ruler

A marking pen with erasable ink.

Your rotary cutter, scissors and your rotary cutting mat.

A small piece of ribbon to loop through the zipper as a pull.

Now using your copy paper as your pattern, cut 2 lining pieces, 2 batting pieces and 2 exterior fabric pieces.

Lay your exterior fabric over your batting and press lightly.

Using your ruler and your erasable pen, mark one inch lines on which you will quilt.

When you are finished quilting, your piece should look like this...

Do the same thing to the other piece, you should now have a front and back that are alike.

Take one of the pieces and measure from the top down 3 inches and cut.  Only do this with one piece!

Do the same thing with one of the lining pieces, measure down 3 inches from the top and cut.

Now you are ready to put in your zipper!  First let's get the zipper prepared.

Cut a little piece of fabric 2" x 3.5", fold it in half and press.  

Carefully pin your zipper to the folded edge of the fabric with the zipper pull facing down as shown.

Stitch across the zipper catching the ends.

Measure your zipper to your fabric and do the same thing with the opposite end, cutting off any excess zipper.

Okay, here we go...take the larger piece of your cut exterior fabric and lay the zipper with the pull facing down at the top, place your lining fabric over that, pin in place and stitch 1/4 inch along the zipper edge.

Trim off your excess fabric, fold your lining over and press...should look like so...

Take the smaller piece of the facing fabric and lay it in front of you, again, placing the zipper with the pull size down facing your short piece, line up the edges

 and put your lining fabric on top

...stitch as above, clip, turn and press.  Top stitch on the front side of your fabric, both sides of the zipper.

lining side should look like this....

Whew...well that was the hard part...you are almost done with your pouch!

This is very important!  OPEN YOUR ZIPPER COMPLETELY!!! Before you proceed.

Put right sides of exterior fabric facing each other, pin the four corners to hold in place.

OPEN YOUR ZIPPER COMPLETELY!!! Before you proceed.

Now, simply stitch all the way around, using a 1/2" seam allowance.  Double stitch your corners.

NOTE THE ZIPPER IS OPEN!!!!

Trim your seams to 1/4 inch...if you have a serger, this would be a great finish on the inside, but if not, don't stress...just trim to 1/4 inch.

Trim your corners

Now it's time to birth your pouch, turn it inside out and use a blunt pointed object...like a knitting needle to push out the corners.  See why you needed to have the zipper open?  You'll only make the mistake once, I guarantee it.

Run a little piece of ribbon through the zipper tab for a pull, give the whole thing a press and you are finished!

There are a million variations you can make with this...put the zipper at the top instead of in the middle and you have something that looks like this...

Box the corners and you have something that looks like this...

Enjoy!