TUTORIAL: Make a Lined Zippered Pouch

Easy Zipper Pouch with Lining: Beginner-Friendly Free Sewing Tutorial.

I have been dying to learn how to make a lined, zippered pouch FO-EVER!  I've tried and tried with no success until today!    I'm making this tutorial only because I felt like a little elaboration would benefit those of us who are a little more inept.

Here goes:

Step 1: Assemble your ingredients. I used 6 1/2" x 10" fabric pieces and an 8" zipper.  

Iron your fabric to get it flat -- I'm not fantastic about getting all the wrinkles out, as you can see.

Step 2: Place the zipper WRONG SIDE UP on one piece of the exterior fabric.  The fabric should be RIGHT SIDE UP.   Pin in place and stitch along the top part of the zipper using your zipper foot.

Step 3: Once the first exterior is securely sewn to the top portion of the zipper, place one of the lining fabric pieces, WRONG SIDE UP, directly on top of the zipper.  Line up the edges and stitch in place right along the top.  Ultimately you'll be stitching on top of the previous stitch. 

Step 4: Now open it up by separating the lining and exterior fabric and folding over the lining so that the WRONG side of both fabrics are facing each other.  Here are two views of what you should have up to this point. The zipper should be sandwiched between the two fabrics.  I pressed the whole thing to keep it flat.

Step 5: Now you'll have to do the same thing for the other side of the zipper.  Place the remaing exterior fabric piece on top of the zipper, which should be RIGHT SIDE UP.  Line up the top and side edges. Now stitch.  Here are three different views.  

Step 6: To attach the lining, flip the whole thing over so the RIGHT SIDE of the lining is face UP.  Place the remaining lining fabric WRONG SIDE UP, directly on top of the zipper.  The RIGHT SIDES of the two pieces of lining should face each other and the zipper should be WRONG SIDE UP. Line up the edges and stitch along the top.  The zipper should be sandwiched, again.  Here's a picture before the sewing and afterwards, opened.

Step 7: Now, *VERY IMPORTANT*, flip it over and open the zipper.

Step 8: Now take the two pieces of lining and line them up with each other, good sides FACING EACH OTHER.  Do the same for the exterior, lining up the edges. 

Step 9: Pin the linings together and pin the exteriors together.  Stitch the sides of the lining together and the bottom of the linings, leaving a 3" section in the center unsewn.   Stitch the sides and the bottom of the exteriors completely.  DO NOT leave an unsewn section in the exterior.
*Just a tip:  On the sides I stitch right alongside the zipper stop to avoid having extra openings on the sides of the zipper.

Step 10: Trim the seams if necessary.  Use pinking shears if you've got 'em.

Step 11: Turn the whole thing inside out through that little opening you left in the lining.  Be careful no to tear the seams. 

Step 12: Now stitch up that remaining opening.  I have yet to perfect this.  I just stitch on top, but doing it that way makes it just a *little* obvious, I think.

Step 13: Push the lining into the exterior and VOILA!  A lined, zippered coin purse!  Mine's ready for embellishment!  Silk screen, perhaps?

It wasn't really as hard as it may seem.  I spent a lot of time trying to figure out the order of steps, which I'm not naturally very good at.  Otherwise, it was a pretty simple pouch.  The zipper foot definitely helps!