Easy To Sew Zippered Pouch Tutorial.

These are so easy to make and are a great project for learning how to put in a zipper!

Once you grasp the concept, you can make them in any size or design.

Plus, they are practical and useful and make a really great gift, and you can make them in a camouflage fabric for the guy in your life!

Materials required:

5 x 7 rectangle paper pattern
Outer fabric - 1/4 yard
Lining - 1/4 yard
Cotton batting or felt - 1/4 yard
7" zipper
Clover Wonder Clips or pins

Now we will start to assemble the pouch:

Cut out outer fabric, lining fabric, and cotton batting using the 5 x 7 paper pattern(makes a 4 x 6 finished pouch).

*We are sewing with 1/2" seam allowances*

Put lining right side up and lay zipper right side up on top like this. Make sure your zipper pull & stop are 1/2 inch in from each side of the fabric.

Place the outer fabric right side down over the zipper.

You will have both fabrics right sides together with the zipper in the middle.

Place cotton batting or felt on top of the outer fabric, and clamp or pin together.

With your regular foot on your machine, move your needle into the far left position(use a zipper foot if your machine does not have this capability)you will stitch right along the zipper. When you get to the zipper pull, put your needle down and move the pull so that you are not sewing around it, then continue sewing the seam.

Flip your outer fabric back, and top stitch making sure you have even tension on the outer, and lining fabric.

You can add a second row of top stitching if you like, and than repeat the process again for the other side of the zipper.

Next we are going to sew the pouch together. Open the zipper up half way so you can turn the pouch when your finished sewing. Pull out the outer fabric and match it up right sides together, then pull out the lining fabric and put right sides together, forming a large rectangle with the zipper in the middle.

The zipper teeth should be towards the lining side of the fabric.

Start sewing on the lining side, sew all the way around the rectangle, leaving a 3" opening in the lining fabric to turn the pouch through. Clip all the corners and snip off excess zipper tabs.

Turn pouch to the right side through the opening left in the lining fabric, and push out your corners from the inside.

Simply stitch shut the lining fabric, and tuck inside of pouch.

This is what the finished product looks like.

If you want a stand up pouch!

Before you turn your pouch, take the corner and match the seams on the front and the back and pull it out into a triangle. Your going to stitch 1" to 1 1/2" from the point, what ever your personal preference is. Make sure the seams line up, and it is smooth with no wrinkles. Trim to 1/4" when finished.

These are perfect for gift giving! You can add a food safe plastic lining, and its a great snack bag!

Happy sewing!

XOXO
VM

New Gown Construction

My client changed her mind throughout the design process, and I was simply bewildered given the time frame to finish this project. We have known each other for years, and she is always unpredictable. LOL During the final fitting she decided a fuller bottom would offset her wide hips, and the front bow would draw too much attention to her bust.

I showed her what we could do with the bottom, and than decided to go with an oversized shoulder bow to counterbalance the bottom fullness.


The gown panels were marked, and than stretched on a frame. I did all of the beadwork with a tambour needle.


I hand stitched on over 20,000 glass bugle beads, and several thousand rhinestones on the gown. Thank’s to my friend Tracy for sourcing the beads for me at the last moment!

The vermicelli beadwork is actually graduated in color from silver at the top of the dress, to pink at the waist, and than fuchsia at the hipline. It is very subtle, and does not show up on the finished photographs. The scroll work was all done in silver lined bugles.


I was working on the gown until it went out my door for delivery, and did not have time to photograph the finished dress. She returned the dress to me last week, and I was able to get the needed photographs.




The last minute understructure of the gown. I made in about 4 hours, and covered it with a million yards of ruffled tulle.


she now wants extensive revisions to remake this into a straight front gown with a thigh high slit. She will only wear a gown once, lucky me!

XOXO
VM

New Gown!

Sorry loves , but sometimes life just gets in the way. I have been super busy with new clients, and I have a bunch of new thing to post in the upcoming weeks, so stay tuned.




This is a gown I am currently working on, for one of my favorite past clients. She changes her mind throughout the entire process, and that is why I thought her to sew for herself, and it saved my sanity! I did however give in on this project.

XOXO
VM

Emma's New Winter Coat II

After consulting my 1943 Sears catalog, I have decided to go with a completely different fabric than what I thought I had in my stash. I have chosen a red & black flocked silk taffeta for the dress, and a black silk velvet for the coat. The bottom photograph is closest to the actual color.

I pre-washed both fabrics, I can hear the screams coming from around the world, WASHED! Yes, I wash all the fabrics that I use, I never pay for dry-cleaning. If you per-wash your fabrics before you make a garment you have sized the fabric, and it should never shrink again.

Not to mention you may get a completely different looking fabric when the washing & drying are complete. Hey, everyone has their own method of madness.



I have completed cutting out the dress, and the coat. I will show the construction photos tomorrow. We are snowed in, so it is time to sew!

XOXO
VM

Emma's New Winter Coat

I have debated on whether or not to dress my daughter in vintage looking clothes, and have heard all the debates about making her an outcast, and it may effect her relationships with other children, etc.

Hogwash!

Emma is 19 months old, and everyone that see’s her always has a lovely comment about how cute she looks, and she is so well behaved. Kids love her! The focus is never on what she is wearing, but I do get the occasional, where did you find that dress?

So I have decided to make her a vintage 1940's winter coat complete with embroidery. I have to purchase the fabric, and than I can blog about the construction. I purchased the pattern from a dear lady on Etsy.



XOXO
VM

My Christmas Ensemble

This is a recent pattern acquisition, a vintage 1940's classic ensemble. I think it will make a lovely addition to my winter wardrobe, and may wear it to at least one of the many Christmas parties that we plan to attend. Due to the extreme cold this time of the year, I will have to make the dress with long sleeves. Now, I need to search through my stash of fabrics, and choose the right one for my delicate sensibilities. A.K.A.- Im A Freeze Cat!


I would love to find some white & red polka dot silk in my stash, oh the joy of searching........ It's like shopping for free.......

XOXO
VM

Plus Size Corsets

I am currently working on 4 plus size corsets for a wedding in October of 2011. I tried to make them as fun as possible, since they might want to wear them as outerwear after the wedding. Mind you, the corsets were made to fit the person, and not the dress forms they are displayed on. This one is B 49"- W 44" - H 49".






We need to get the girls gowns made and fitted early on so I can concentrate on the monumental task ahead of me, making the most extremely detailed wedding gown to date. Did I mention it is a Steampunk wedding!

The bride wants to keep her gown, and reception ensemble completely secret, she wants shock factor, be careful what you wish for! I will post the entire construction process on my blog after the wedding, you only have to wait 10 ½ more months.

I am going to try, and update this blog daily, but with my crazy schedule who knows.

XOXO
VM