Patchwork Heart Zipper Pouch Tutorial

Use up your scraps, learn to make perfect zipper corners, and make a pretty patchwork heart zipper pouch for a friend! Today I wanted to share this fun zipper pouch project. It’s perfect for Valentine’s Day, but you can make it work year round by choosing fabric colors that aren’t so pink and red. I’ve used scraps from the quilt I made a few months ago.

I experimented with the zipper tabs and corners a lot while I was testing the Fairport Purse & Pouch. I’ve worked out my favorite method for installing zippers so that you end up with nice square corners and not a lot of bulk. You can use the patchwork heart zipper pouch tutorial to practice your zipper skills or apply the same method to similar bags.

The heart shape is attached using reverse appliqué. The patchwork is attached under the front layer, then the front layer is cut away to reveal the patchwork underneath. If you prefer, you can also use the template to cut a heart from the patchwork and apply it using traditional appliqué methods.

How to Make a Patchwork Heart Zipper Pouch:

Materials: 

• 1/4 yd. of exterior fabric
• 1/4 yd. of lining fabric
• 1/4 yd. of interfacing (I used Pellon 931)
• small scraps of quilting cotton (to make a 7″ square)
• 8″ zipper
• heart template (PDF download)

Seam allowances are 1/2″.

Instructions:

1. Sew your scraps together. My scraps were mostly triangular pieces between 1-3″ wide. There is no wrong way to do this. Just start matching edges and stitching them together. You can trim the seams as you go. You’ll need a patchwork piece that measures roughly 7″ square.

2. Cut two 9″ squares from your exterior fabric, and two 9″ squares from your lining fabric. Cut two zipper tabs, 1 1/4″ x 4″.

3. Trace the heart template onto the right side of the exterior fabric, and cut a small slit in the middle.

4. Place the wrong side of the exterior fabric on the right side of the patchwork piece, making sure that the patchwork is under the entire heart area. Stitch on the exterior around the heart line through both layers. You can use decorative stitching here if you like.

5. Using the slit you cut in the exterior as a starting point, cut out the inside of the heart to reveal the layer of patchwork below. Leave about 1/4″ inside the seam line. Trim the excess patchwork from the back.

6. First, you need to make 2 zipper tabs. Trim your zipper tape to 8″. Make sure you trim excess from the bottom of the zipper if you need to shorten it. For each tab, fold the short ends of the zipper tab to the center, wrong sides together, and press. Fold in half again and press. Sandwich each end of the zipper into the center crease. Topstitch across the zipper tab on the open end to keep it in place.

7. Align the top edges of one lining piece and one exterior piece, right sides together. Place the zipper between the layers of fabric, with the zipper teeth facing the exterior and one side of the tape aligned with the top edges. When the zipper is centered there will be an extra 1/2” of fabric on each end of the zipper. Baste, if desired. Using a zipper foot, stitch along the top edge through all three layers and across the tabs. Fold the sides away from the zipper and press to one side.

 

8. Align the top edges of the remaining lining piece and exterior, right sides together. Place the zipper (with the attached pieces folded out of the way) between the layers of fabric, with the zipper teeth facing the exterior and the remaining side of the zipper tape aligned with the top edges. Stitch along the top edge through all three layers. Fold the fabric layers away from the zipper and press to the side. Topstitch along both sides of the zipper

9. Open up the assembled sides and place so that the exterior pieces are right sides together and the lining pieces are right sides together. Make sure the zipper is open at least halfway. Stitch along the long sides, matching the zipper seams. The zipper seam allowances should be folded and pinned toward the exterior. Sew right next to the zipper tabs, but do not sew through them.

10. Stitch along the exterior end. Stitch the lining end in 2 sections, leaving a 3-4″ opening in the center. Turn the bag right side out through the opening in the lining. Stitch the lining closed by hand using a ladder stitch. Tuck the lining into the bag and you’re done!