Change Purse Tutorial

Simple Change Purse · How To Sew A Fabric Pouch. Easy Small Zipper Pouch Coin Purse
Free Sewing Tutorial.

You will need: fabric, a zipper, and interfacing (adds weight and stiffness)

if you prefer - I do. I use a heavy iron-on interfacing because I can't stand sewing it in.

1.  Cut out your front and back and 2 lining pieces with a .25" seam allowance - they will be all the same size.

2. Press 1/4" hem on the TOP of each purse piece. This is also where I would attach interfacing, but I was excited about creating the tutorial and forgot - I did it later. I make these kinds of mistakes quite a bit :)

3. Pin both pieces to the zipper leaving the zipper stop about 3/8" from the end of the fabric.

Get the stopper right where you need it and then trim the other end of the zipper to fit exactly the width of your fabric.

4. Using the zipper foot attachment on your machine, sew each piece to the zipper. Remove pins as you go. I sew about 1/16" from the edge of the fabric. I am using green thread to match the cow fabric.

5. When you get near the zipper stop, leaving the needle DOWN, lift the presser foot UP and slide the zipper away from the presser foot. Drop the foot back down and continue sewing. This will give you a nice straight stitching line near the zipper stop (I just figured that out while making my change purses!) My picture should show the foot UP, but it doesn't :) Repeat on the other side (striped fabric here).

6. Trim the other zipper end (you could also do this in step 3). Open the zipper about 3/4 of the length of the purse (being careful not to unzip the whole thing!), this will create the hole you are going to turn the bag through.

7. Pin the purse sections RIGHT sides together and sew. (I ironed on my interfacing right after I took this picture!)

I like to start with the top right and sew down to the bottom, then remove from the machine and turn the change purse over and sew from the top down and across the bottom (see in more detail in steps 9 and 10). This ensures that the upper seams line up perfectly and no shifting of the fabric occurs in the sewing. Trim the corners as shown, including the zipper corners (don't get too close).

8. Turn your change purse and push out the corners - I use a white colored pencil.

It's really coming along now!

9. Press your seams over 1/4" on the TOP of the lining pieces. (I put my label on one of the lining pieces first).
Here's an illustration of part 1 of what I describe in step 7.

10. Here's an illustration of part 2 of what I describe in step 7. There should be a stitching line on the left side, just pretend that there is.

When you are finished stitching, trim the corners (bottom only) and turn.

11. Turn the change purse back (see next step for how I keep my corners out, I forgot that here).

I also like to sew a zig-zag stitch over the hem of the lining (not shown in this pic).

Fit the purse into the lining WRONG sides together. Line up the side seams before pinning.

12. If you pin the 2 sections together with the corners of the change purse pulled up like this, it won't be so hard to get the corners of your change purse back out.

13. Pin the lining to the zipper edge, lining up the side seams first. Make sure the lining is not too close to the zipper so it won't interfere with zippering! (it looks a little too close here, but I pulled the lining down a little as I worked.)

Slip stitch (by hand) the lining to the zipper, careful that the stitches don't go through the purse pieces (catching the zipper but NOT going all the way through). This can be a little tricky.

14. Turn your change purse right side out and feel gushing pride! I like to press it at this point as well.

Put change inside and go buy yourself some candy or other small item so you can show off your new change purse!

Change Purse Inside View