Pocket Purse

When I lived in Germany a few years ago, our landlord had given us the keys to the house attached to a small zippered pouch. The key could fit in the pouch, and also my credit card. Instead of lugging a big heavy purse around (and who wanted that when biking or walking to the store?) I just used the key pouch as my purse. It fit in my pocket. It was light and small. I loved it!

When I returned to the U.S., I missed the pouch purse, but had a hard time finding one similar to it in the stores. That has changed over the years, and now you can find small wrist wallets or pouches for purchase.

Recently, I stumbled on cute zippered pouches on pinterest that one can sew up with very little time or effort. I was hooked! I was going to make one of these!

I looked at my stash of fabric remnants I store in a large plastic bin and found the perfect faux fur material leftover from a winter scarf I made a few years ago. I grabbed some beautiful gold material for the lining, and I was on my way! I needed a zipper. I didn't have any new zippers laying around and didn't want to make a run to the store.

Lightbulb!  I have lots of the boys' jeans laying in my sewing closet for refashioning into quilts and rugs and such. I could just remove the zipper from the jeans! Yes! A seam-ripper and about 15 minutes is all you need.

To start, cut your exterior material, lining, and stiff interfacing into 5"x9" rectangles. I trimmed the interfacing to make it about 1/4" smaller on all edges.

You'll also need two small rectangles (1 1/2" x 3") for the zipper tabs.

Trim the zipper, if necessary, to match the width of the exterior material.

Fold the tabs in half (match the small ends), reopen, and then fold the small ends in to meet at the fold line. Insert an end of the zipper, with the folded end of the material toward the teeth of the zipper.  Hand baste and then sew with machine. Do this on both ends of zipper.

Iron the interfacing to the back side of the exterior material.

Next, sandwich the zipper between the materials. Exterior fabric facing up, zipper facing down toward exterior fabric, and the lining face down on top of the pile. I goofed on the next few pictures by forgetting to add my tabs to the zipper first.  I had to rip the zipper out partially and add the tabs. (I won't make that mistake again!)

Sew along the top edge with a zipper foot.

When you open it up, it should look like this (except yours should have the zipper

cut to size with the tabs sewn on!) :

Now set the unsewn edge of the zipper on the top of the opposite end of the exterior fabric, and top with the opposite edge of the lining, facing down. Sew this edge. It should look like this when you are done:

If you would like to have a handle on your bag, tie a knot in a piece of cording.

Insert the cording where you would like the handle to be. Be sure the loop is enclosed inside!

For this next step, be sure the zipper is half open to allow for turning. If you leave it closed, you will be in a pickle. Sew up the sides of the exterior and lining leaving a hole in the lining for turning. I wanted the zipper to be on the side instead of the top, so I sewed the exterior with that arrangement. If you would like to do the same, you need to sew the lining with the same arrangement so it fits well without bunches.

Clip your corners to eliminate bulk and then turn the fabric right side out. Sew up the hole in the lining, and voila! You have a lovely pocket purse!

 I think the repurposed zipper looks pretty good on my pocket purse.  What do you think?