Sew: Little Zip Bag

I have become obsessed with sewing. Tutorials. Blogs. Flickr pages. Ideas. Bags, mostly, but quilts, baby gifts and more have been on my radar.

Obsessed.

I pulled out my sewing machine 6 months ago because I had to make a whole slew of red vests for my cub scout pack. It was daunting and not fun. And my sewing machine keeps skipping stitches, which annoys me like crazy.  I enlisted help, and with my friend Jenn, we made 31 vests.

But during this time, I started looking at sewing blogs. I have saved about 1,317 tutorials in Evernote. Some of them more than once. ;)

A few weeks ago I sewed gifts for my nieces. I'll show you those after Christmas, just in case their mom or Ama happen across my blog. I doubt it, but I love surprises.

ANYWAY.....

I am also obsessed with bags. Any and all bags. I decided before my last trip to the craft store I would get stuff to make a zip bag. I have read LOTS of tutorials. I made the other gift, with no zippers, with very few problems. I thought I was ready. I found THIS tutorial at one my favorite wood/craft blogs called That's My Letter, and was ready to go.

But I have never sewn a zipper in my life!

I knew you needed a zipper foot. I didn't know what a zipper foot looks like. (It's not what I expected.) I sat down at my sewing machine with my fabric, zipper, and lining all pinned together, and blanked. I had no idea what to do. I pulled out the little plastic box that I hadn't opened in 12 years, since I bought my sewing machine (it was about $120 back then, a Singer.)  None of those little feet look like a zipper foot. So I found the book, which was still in the original box. Thank God for instruction manuals!  I found the zipper foot, changed it with no problems, and started going.

I took a picture of my perfect stitching and sent it to my husband. I was proud!  Lovely job, Nicky! Pat on back! I turned and ironed, and top stitched the zipper.  Then I went to pin the back side.

That's when I noticed I put the zipper in backwards!  (Not that it mattered THAT much- this is just for me, but I wanted the little O's on the outside.

So I took all the beautiful stitching out.... That took longer than everything I'd done so far.  :(

Then it was time to take my son to school.

During construction I had several more questions about how to do what I was doing. Where does the zipper go? How do you sew over the zipper when you sew all around the lining and outside fabrics? My stabilizer is coming off!  Ugh!

I found this tutorial which came to my rescue with the zipper problem. I ended up cutting my outside fabric in half so I could top stitch the second side. (I didn't realize in the first tutorial she didn't top stitch the zipper until I was to this point.) So I found THIS tutorial at Skip to My Lou to come to my rescue.

By the end of the day I had a cute little zip bag, who's stitching is not perfect, whose lining is a little bit larger than the outside fabric, and a satisfied soul. 

Thank you for reliving my first zipper with me. I think... yes, I think I'll make one for my Mom.  :)