Vintage Zipper Pouch Tutorial

Chose a fabric
Choose a fabric that meets the end needs of the finished product. This one is a vintage glitter vinyl.

Choosing a Shape
This is my current zipper pouch, I wanted a different one just slightly larger, and therefore I used the current one as a spring board.

Vinyl Being Cut
After choosing your fabric and deciding your size (Make sure to add seam allowance) given these points, choose a zipper that is longer than the fabric is wide so you can in fact get that zipper pull out of the way.

Cutting and Construction:
 Add double sided tape to each edge where the zipper shall reside. Seemingly, the 1/8” seems to work best. Some brands are specifically designed for sewing, and I’ve been told they don’t make the needle sticky and gummed up, but if the one you choose does, simply use alcohol prep pads available in any pharmacy. In brief, the alcohol will clean the gummy off nicely (works on finger bandage adhesive, and tape residue on your machine bed as well).
There are two basic ways to clean the needle, one is to open the package and use the enclosed swab, wiping down the needle the other is my lazy way and just remove the thread from the needle and sew right through the package. Warning, sewing through the package may dull the needle, but so will sewing vinyl, PUL, thick layers, thick fabrics never mind, sewing dulls the needle.

First, remove the adhesive backing from one side only and place the zipper face down on the right side of fabric making sure the zipper pull goes beyond the edge of the fabric and using a zipper foot, stitch with a longer stitch.  
On my machine a 4.0 works well.

Also, remove the adhesive backing from the other side and again, place the zipper face down on the right side of the fabric, furthermore, making absolutely sure that the edges of the fabric line up evenly. Stitch as before.

Generally speaking, you should have something that looks like this as shown here: 

Let’s get to top stitching this puppy!
This fabric is really sticky, so I choose to use paper under the foot.  The tissue paper for gift wrapping works really great to say nothing of the fact the day after Christmas the store practically pays you to take it home it’s so cheap! Unless you happen to have a Teflon zipper foot, something is necessary to make that zipper foot slide over the sticky fabrics.   So good old fashioned office supply tape works great!  A little dab’ll do ya! In a like manner, I’ve heard waxing the bottom of the foot works, but I’ve never tried it.
Remember the stitch length! 
As can be seen, increase your stitch length for the top stitching. In addition you can use a decorative or heavy thread. After all, it’s your project! Even with the paper under coupled with the tape on top, I still stitched very slowly not to mention keeping a bit of pressure on the fabric to keep it feeding evenly. 

The paper should tear away fairly clean.

At this point, the faint of heart may just choose to make that a top zip, and that’s okay with me! It’s your project!

The size of the project is the best way to decide how tall to make the “top” according to aesthetics, and the “Cause I wanna” factor.  There is no right or wrong, just make sure the sides are comparatively even. Of course, close is good enough!
Decisions Decisions:  On this blue makeup pouch I decided on 1” as can be seen, it is a convenient measurement on my cutting mat, as shown below. 

1 inch mark on the cutting mat, pouch taped down with regular office tape.
Tape is my friend.
Again with the tape you say! YES! As a matter of fact, tape is wonderful with these fabrics that can’t be pinned! What also works well is wonder clips, binder clips, hair clips, bulldog clips or potato clips, no wait, that’s potato chips! They don’t work, but I must be hungry! In the long run, anything that pinches will work in a pinch! The pouch was taped to the mat (wrong side out) on one side whilst I made sure the other side was even Steven in the same way.  
Sewing pouch shut, be sure zipper is open!
After the two top sides were taped to the mat, next the tape was folded over the top to hold it in place whilst sewing then the zipper was opened most of the way and wonder clips were used to hold the sides shut as shown above.
Remember the stitch length!

Moved the stitch length back to 4.0 and carefully stitch down one side.

All is not lost If you forgot to unzip, it’s not too late!  Just unzip before you sew the second side!
Sew up the other side, then trim the excess zipper (you might want to use paper scissors for this, not your good fabric scissors or mom will be mad!) clip the corners next turn right side out and you are finished.   Use cheap or paper scissors to cut zipper

Growl, the reflection of the light looks like a horror film monster. Growl!      
               
Not only slightly taller, and slightly wider, but a nice, clean, pretty zipper! Easy Peasy! (For the most part!)  
 New compared to old pouch