Sewing Project: Zippered Wristlet

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After another session of "clean the house quick before the guests come!" I finally got back into my sewing room to work on another project. I used a gift card from Christmas to get supplies for several projects, but I still hadn't had the chance to work on any of them! I had a spare hour the other day while the baby was napping and I went for it. This project came together very fast and uses less than half a yard of fabric! Easy and affordable.

1. Determine how big you would like to make your bag. I based mine off the size zipper I had, but you could easily adapt that to whatever you think you'd use the bag for. If you are making it to fit specific items, measure the contents and add an inch on each side to allow for seams.

2. Cut your pieces. You will need two exterior pieces and two lining pieces. You have the option of adding a strap and an embellishment. Here are the dimensions I used:

• Exterior: 5" x 10"
• Lining: 5" x 10"
• Strap: 2" x 14"
• Embellishment: 3" x 10"

3. Optional: Add embellishment. Press under the long sides of the embellishment piece 1/4" or 1/2" and edgestitch the strip to the right side of one of the exterior pieces, about 1" from what will be the bottom edge.

4. Lay one piece of exterior fabric right side up and place the zipper, face down, on top of it, lining up the edges. Next, lay a pieces of lining fabric on top of the zipper, wrong side up. Pin and stitch the pieces together along the zipper edge. Turn the two fabric pieces down and away from the zipper so the wrong sides are together. Press both edges away from the zipper.

My exterior and lining fabric were the same so it made these steps a little confusing. In the picture above, you can see the exterior piece with my embellishment placed face up, the zipper on top, and the lining on top of that, pulled back to expose the zipper.

Sewn, pressed down away from zipper

5. Lay the second exterior piece right side up and place the stitched piece (pictured above) on top with the zipper and exterior panel facing down. This means the exterior pieces will be right sides together and the first lining piece (the one already sewed to the zipper) will be on top. Line up the edge of the zipper tape at the top. Place the second pieces of lining on top wrong side up with the edge lined up to the zipper edge. Pin and stitch the pieces together. Open the zipper a bit to help with turning it inside out later.

From bottom to top: second exterior piece,
stitched piece with zipper lined up, second lining piece

6. Optional: Create a strap. Press under your 2" x 14" piece 1/2" on each of the long sides and then fold the whole piece in half and press again. Edgestitch along the length of both sides to create a strong strap.

7. You now have four pieces stitched to your zipper, the two exterior pieces and the two lining pieces. Open out the pieces with the zipper in the center. The exterior pieces should be right sides together on one side of the zipper and the lining pieces should be right sides together on the other side. Make sure the zipper tape is inside the seam on your lining side so that it will open up right once you turn everything the right way. If you opt to add a strap, place the strap in between the two exterior pieces, lining up the end with the side of the bag where the zipper pull will be when the pouch is closed. Pin the strap in place. Pin and stitch along three sides, leaving the bottom of the lining open.

Lining sides on the left, zipper in the middle,
exterior sides on the right with strap

View from above with second exterior piece pulled back

8. Reach inside and unzip the zipper all the way. It will be upside down but you can push the zipper slider along. Turn the lining right side out by folding it back over the exterior pieces. Turn under the bottom edge of the lining by 1/4". Stitch along the folded edges, making sure not to stitch through the exterior pieces. I just pulled the exterior pieces out to keep the out of my way. Turn the pouch right side out through the zipper opening and tuck the lining inside.

Once you tuck the lining in, you are done!

I love having this little bag to just throw in my cash/debit card, cell phone, and chapstick for a quick run to the store.