Zip Bag, Purse basic zip project

Basic Zip Purse

Depending on the size of the finish, you can choose the size of your zip.  In my case, I made the bag to suit the zip I had handy. A nylon coiled 12" zip.

My zip is just slightly longer than the fabric;
the zip pull and the stopper end at the same points as the fabric, but you can make the bag smaller.  If it is to be made bigger, you will need to sew the fabric at the top at the sides of the zip.

I have decided to line my bag so I need 4 pieces of fabric of the same size;
2 for the lining on the inside and 2 on the outside.

It's easiest if you lay it all out now so you can imagine how it will be sewn together.
The red is my lining fabric and the check pattern is my outer fabric




1.
Let's just work with one set of the fabric with the zip.

Lay the zip in between the lining and the patterned fabric, like a sandwich, like so;

Place the lining on the table first, zip on top -  zip upwards facing the patterned fabric which is facing downwards.

Lay the fabric edges against the zip tape.

Sew a basting stitch (a long running stitch) to hold the zip and fabric together.

Don't worry about the zip overhanging at this point.

2.

Ok, let's talk zip feet for a moment. 

It's simply down to the shape of your zip foot.

 The zip foot is one that has so many different appearances.  Machine manufacturers have their own versions of the zip foot and on top of that, the design has changed through the ages as it's been developed, so it's understandably confusing. (scroll to the end of this blog for some other examples of zip feet)

The essential point to make is that the zip foot is narrower than the regular foot just so you can sew up close to the zip teeth.

In the picture here, the foot on the left has 2 grooves at the bottom - they look like holes here - The groove sits on the zip teeth and as you sew, the teeth are rolled away from the needle so that the machine can sew right underneath the teeth to get an invisible finish.  This foot is designed to be used with an invisible zip (sometimes known as a concealed zip). 

The foot on the right is a much more recognised shape.  The design allows the foot to sit on the teeth and the cut out bit allows the needle to sew very close to the zip teeth.  The finish will have some of the zip tape showing on the good side when you're done.

We're using the foot on the right for this project with the standard zip I'm using.

3.

Insitu; The picture below shows the zip foot sitting on the fabric, you can you see how the foot is resting over the teeth. There's no real weight on the teeth; the groove underneath allows room for the teeth to fit under there as it's fed through the machine.

Note: the width of the foot at the front is the same width as the space between the zip teeth and edge of the fabric.  

The reason is that the distance between the middle of the zip teeth to the edge of the fabric is 5/8", (although now we are becoming more used to the metric system, some zips are 15mm).

This is to work with the commercial pattern industry which states that a 5/8" (and some 15mm) seam allowance is required when sewing with their patterns to you get a perfect finish to their design.

The groove where the needle has pierced the fabric in the image is there to allow you to sew up close to the zip teeth. You can adjust the needle with the width selector on your machine.  I have adjusted my width so that the needle is a bit closer to the zip teeth.  Otherwise I think too much yellow zip tape in my example will show.  You can alter this for your preferences.

Leave the basting stitches in and sew along the zip and fabric edges, use a stitch length of 2.5.  

I don't like pins when sewing in zips, you leave a series of bumps which also lead to wobbly lines.

4.
When you have sewn one side down, repeat the steps for the other side of the zip.

Push back the fabric you've already sewn down onto the side of the sewn zip (press so it stays) and lay the second set of lining and pattern fabric as you did for the first side.

Again, baste then machine sew.

Basting is preferable to using pins.















5.

Let's just check you've sewn it all correctly...

Open everything up and lay it all out on the table.

The patterned fabric and the zip should be facing upwards.  The lining should be facing the table, with the wrong sides od the lining and pattern facing each other.  Test the zip, make sure you've not sewn too close.

It's all good? Good... ok, leave the zip half open.

6.
Here, we want to sew right sides together and turn through for a clean finish.

Match the patterned fabric pieces right sides together and the lining pieces right sides together.

 Match the corners and you will find you have a bump where the zip is, you want the zip to poke upwards and the zip tape to fold with its tape, wrong sides together, into the lining.  It's a bit bumpy and therefore a bit tricky, but persevere and you'll get it.

I have pinned this down, ideally, you should also baste, but this is a larger bag and the bumps aren't too big, relatively speaking.

Start sewing from the lining, about a third of the way along the bottom.  Sew along all the sides, stop to leave a 3" opening in the lining as in the picture.











Don't worry about sewing over the zip teeth, unless you've used metal zip; and you should be okay if you are using good quality needles,

 (I use Prym needles - or Schmetz) you should be fine.

7. 
Snip off the ends of the zip flush against the fabric

8.
Pull the bag through the hole that you left in the lining.
Tuck the seam allowance inwards and top stitch this opening closed.

Push the lining through the opened zip to complete your bag shape.

Press.

I glued the owl design on the front.  You can use bondaweb or even appliqued (sewed) it on before sewing the zip into place.

That's it!

 Challenge yourself a bit further, see what you can come up with, like including it in the roll I made here.

Abi x