Zipper purse tutorial

What you'll need:

2 fabrics

Interfacing or fusible batting

Thread

Zipper

Basic sewing supplies (sewing machine, zipper presser foot, iron, pins, scissors)

Cutting:
Lining fabric - 2 pieces of 23cm x 19cm
Outer upper strip - 2 pieces of 23cm x 9.5cm
Lower upper strip - 2 pieces of 23cm x 12cm
Zipper tabs (same as upper strip fabric) - 2 pieces of 2.5cm x 7.5cm
Interfacing or batting - 2 pieces of 21cm x 17cm (with the corners trimmed off)

1. Cover the zipper ends:

Take the two zipper tabs and fold in the short ends by 1/4inch and press. Then fold in half and press.

Place the end of the zipper tape up into the fold, and do 2 lines of stitching across to secure. If using a metal zipper, be careful that the needle does not hit the zip as it will break. To sew across the side with the zipper pull, you will need to open the zipper. Use some pins to secure the tape so it doesn't come apart whilst you are sewing.

Trim the excess fabric from the sides in line with the zipper tape. Then cut the tab along the fold line. Fold the two sides of the tabs back and trim the zipper ends. Don't cut too close to your stitching as zipper tapes fray easily and it will come away from the stitching.

You zip should now measure exactly the same as your fabric (23cm). If it doesn't, trim either the zip or the fabrics to match.

2. Sew the outer strips together:

Place one upper outer strip and one lower outer strip right sides together along the 23cm side, making sure the raw edges match. Sew across, leaving a 1cm seam allowance.

Press the seam to one side. With the right side facing up, topstitch (increase the stitch length slightly for this) approx. 2mm from the seam line, catching the seam and one strip. This keeps the seam flat. I chose bright pink thread as a decorative stitch. Repeat for the other 2 strips.

3. Fuse batting/interfacing:

Trim the corners off the batting or interfacing. This is to de-bulk so you can get sharp corners at the end.

Fuse to the wrong side of the outer panels. The interfacing/batting is cut slightly smaller than the fabric so place it in the middle of the fabric. This is so the seams are less bulky. The rough side of the interfacing/batting is the adhesive side and so should be placed onto the back of the fabric. Light weight interfacings can melt easily under the iron so use a pressing cloth or turn the panel over and iron on the fabric side. Some interfacings need quite a lot of heat to fuse so don't give up if it's not sticking. Interfacing or batting is not essential but gives the purse a bit more stability.
Note: I fused my batting to the lining fabric as my outer fabric is heat sensitive.

4. Sew the zip on:

Attach your zipper foot onto your machine now. Notice that the zipper foot has two bars (one on the left, one on the right) that can attach to the machine, unlike the normal presser foot. This is to sew on different sides of the zip. Attach it on the left bar for now. When you have the foot attached on the left side you should always sew with the zipper teeth on the left side of the foot. This is so the foot runs alongside the zipper teeth and not on top. Be careful that your needle is in the correct position and doesn't hit the foot or the zipper teeth.

Place your zip, right side down onto your upper fabric strip so they are right sides together and the edges are aligned (the zipper pull should be on the right hand side). Then place the lining fabric on top, right sides down. Pin along the edge. Using a fabric glue stick is also quite handy here.

Stitch the three layers together. You should aim to stitch about 8mm (very precise!) from the raw edge. If you stitch too close to the zipper teeth, the fabric will get caught in the zip and won't open. When you get about to about 7cm from the edge, stop and open the zip, then continue stitching to the end. The reason for this is that you won't be able to stitch straight past the zipper pull as it gets in the way.

Once you have done this flip the fabrics over so they are wrong sides together and press the fabric along the seam. Topstitch along, catching the 2 layers of fabric and the zipper tape, approx. 2mm from the seam. Again, you can increase the stitch length slightly for this. Repeat for the other side of the zipper - remember, the outer fabrics should always be right sides together and the lining fabrics should be together. If they are not the. Something is in the wrong place.

5. Sew around the edge:

Open the zip to half way.

Flip the fabrics over so that the lining fabrics are right sides together and so are the outer fabrics. The zip should now be in the middle. To flatten the zipper you need to push it into a U shape, with the bottom of the U coming towards the lining. This is important. Pin to secure all the way around. If you haven't sewn both sides of the zip exactly the same, the fabrics might not be lining up perfectly. You can trim them slightly but try not to trim too much off the sides as you need the tabs to stay the size they are to get nice corners.

Sew around the four edges with a 1/4inch seam allowance (don't make the seam allowance too much bigger than this). Leave a 2inch gap in the bottom of the lining piece so you can turn it the right way out later.

* If you want a flat purse, skip the next step.

6. Square off the corners:

To create a flat base, you need to square the corners.

Pick either one of the lining or outer corners and make a triangle so that the side seam and the base seam are matched up and in the centre of the triangle. To match the seams up perfectly, snip the seam allowance at the corner to allow the seams to be pushed in opposite directions then pin.

Measure 1.5inches from the tip of the triangle and draw a line across (the deeper into the triangle you stitch across, the wider the base of the purse). Trim the excess fabric off, leaving a 1cm seam allowance. Repeat for the remaining 3 corners.

7. Turn through:

Open the zipper the whole way and turn the purse through the hole that you left in the lining so that it is right side out.Stitch the hole closed. Push the lining inside. Use your fingers to pop out the top corners where the zipper ends are (it will feel stiff)

Done! Try with laminate fabrics to make a washable makeup bag!

Applique Tutorial

What you'll need:

• Background fabric (Something quite plain so your applique will be clear)
• Fabric for applique (This can be more patterned)
• Fusible web
• Co-ordinating thread (I usually go slightly darker than my applique fabric to create a strong outline, but you can blend with your fabric so mistakes are less visible!)
• Template (Draw your own or print a picture from the internet. Remember you will have to sew around this so keep it simple! Another reason to keep it simple is so that it is easily recognisable from an outline.)
• Basic sewing supplies (Sewing machine, scissors, pencil, pins, iron)

Template tips

1. Once you have chosen your template, trace the outline onto the paper side of your fusible web (remember your image will be reversed). Then trim roughly around the outline. Iron the fusible web onto the wrong side of your applique fabric (the rough side of the fusible web is the adhesive side). Cut your shape out, peel the paper off the back, place it on your background fabric and iron it in place.

2. You have a few choices when it comes to selecting a stitch. You can use straight stitch to stitch around the shape (about 2mm  from the edge, inside the shape)to get a messier look as the raw edge is still visible. You can use a zig zag stitch so the needle drops equally on either side of the raw edge (you can adjust your stitch length so it is very small so that the raw edge is completely sealed under the stitch), or you can use a blanket stitch, which is what I've gone for. Blanket stitch gives a neater finish as the raw edge is sealed in the stitch.

3. I have chosen a slightly brighter thread than the colour of my fabric so it gives the shape a bolder outline. When using blanket stitch, try to keep the straight line part of the stitch perfectly in line with the raw edge of your shape. When sewing curves, make sure that your machine has finished one full stitch and your needle is back on the raw edge of the fabric. Then make sure your needle is in the down position, raise the presser foot and pivot the fabric. 

You can adjust the size of the stitch according to the size of the shape by altering the stitch width and length. I made the stitch length and width smaller when I was going around the paws and tail of the dog to get a neater finish. Try a practice piece first - blanket stitches are different on each machine! 

To secure your threads, either do a couple of back stitches at the beginning and end, or thread your top threads into a needle, take them to the back of your fabric, tie them in a not and trim.

Finished!

'Monsieur Saucisson' and 'Movember' Quilts

'Monsieur Saucisson' Quilt

Today, I thought I'd share a couple of quilts I've made recently; 'Monsieur Saucisson' and 'Movember'. They are both made using the applique technique, which is perfect for making something super fun and personal.

I had the best photoshoot ever the other day with the most gorgeous model...

'Dash' with matching quilt!

Look at that tongue!

Picture perfect!

'Blue steel'

'Movember' Quilt

The idea behind the 'Movember' quilt is 'if you can't grow one, sew one!" (and thankfully, I can't grow one!) 

The passers-by who took this photo were a little stunned!

Both quilts are made with cotton applique on a linen background. Linen is my new favourite fabric for quilting!

'A View From Above'

This collection is called 'A view from above' and is based on a birds-eye view of the earth. I used everyday objects to create 'mini scenes', reminiscent of landscapes and cityscapes as seen from above.

Inspiration photograph

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Inspiration photograph

Inspiration photograph

For the first fabric samples, I wanted to capture a sense of relief and texture. I used marbled organza and tinfoil to achieve different weights within the surface. I then manipulated the areas with the foil to create peaks and textures which I then embroidered around, following the marbled pattern of the organza.

Marbled organza, tinfoil, cotton

Marbled organza, tinfoil, cotton

For the second collection of fabric samples, I focused more on pattern. I used hand-dyed latex to create the marble-like surface of the organza in the previous samples and made marbled clay beads to embed in the latex. I wanted to play with the juxtaposition of materials and the texture of the clay, latex and embroidery together.

Hand-dyed latex

Hand-dyed latex on lycra

Clay and latex

Latex, lycra and cotton

'Inside/Outside'

This project was for Burberry, London. The brief was set by Christopher Bailey, the design director for Burberry Fashion House. It was called 'Inside/Outside' and entailed designing a collection of fabrics that would make the most of the qualities in the chosen discipline (my discipline was 'stitch'). The project emphasis was on sustainable luxury and an awareness of craft skills and new technologies.

The inspiration for my collection was a series of photographs that were about looking through something, so you only get a feeling of what you are looking at and not the whole picture. I wanted to achieve a feeling of dipping in and out of focus, an atmosphere rather than an object. The photographs were about contrasting textures and layers and I achieved this in the fabric designs by combining materials and working in layers so that when you cut into the top layer of fabric there is something unexpected beneath.

The designs were made by felting layers of silk together, then embroidering onto the felted surface with wide stitches. These stitches can then be partially cut through so you can see the felted surface underneath.

Inspiration photograph

Cotton and silk

Cotton and silk

Plastic and cotton

Plastic and cotton

Silk, cotton and felt

Plastic, silk and cotton

Experimenting with hand-printing and cutting.

With these samples, I wanted to experiment with hand-printing and cutting. I chose a light but stiff paper cotton so the fabric would keep the shape I manipulated into it. I made the printing templates out of freezer paper and printed a simple geometric design onto the fabric. The top layer is then cut into with the same geometric design but at a different angle and fused to a backing layer of fabric made by fusing threads together. When the finished fabric is manipulated, the cut triangles create an intricate, jagged, three-dimensional surface.

Hand-printed and cut paper cotton

Hand-printed and cut paper cotton