A bunch of pouches

The members of my sewing group asked to learn how to make little zipper pouches. I said: "of course - no problem!", but later I remembered that I never made a zipper pouch with lining that has been 100% satisfactory and that is because of the lining always building a plead on the two ends of the pouch. Can you see it on the photo below?

This is one of the reasons I am mostly doing leather pouches like this ones (click). The request of my group has been a good reason to develop new skills. 

I started by just making the lining smaller. Simple theory, if there is less fabric in the corner, there can't be a big plead. And, voila, already the first try has been much better than anything before. 

No plead, but still I am not satisfied with the end of the zipper, as it is kind of random how he is disappearing on the ends. I have seen lots of pouches that are having a little crossbar on the end that is covering the end of the zipper. First try with that had been nice on one side but too small the other side. (it's the leg of an old jeans that I recycled here)

The next try (this time recycling the rear of an old jeans) has been much better. 

All those had a lining that is okay for me. Most of the pouches I make with a bottom so they can stay upright. I for myself have not much use of flat pouches. I did one anyway...

I am still trying to bring the zipper ends to perfection. I have to try out some more varying the point until where the seams have to go along the zipper and as well in the vertical. (specialty of the elephant pouch: It has also a padding to add stability to the very sloppy fabric)

Maybe I should buy an instruction how to do the perfect pouch, there a about a 1000 (or so) available. But then I can't use this for giving courses and need a permission for selling them, so I guess I will figure out a method all by myself that is satisfying my standard. Also like all the tutorials I showed you so far, I can vary the size of the bag/case/pouch depending on the fabric I have. If I still have a piece of 25cm but a pattern is only demanding 20cm, I don't like to cut of 5cm that are more or less wasted.

After making five pouches last weekend, I needed a break and made one that has the zipper ends outside. Like this it is not completely closed, as there stays a little opening under the ends of the zipper, but I like it a lot! Looks much more tidy and you can open it wider that all the others to put stuff in.

By the side: the members of my class liked this case best too, but I forced them to make the other one first. We will probably have some more sessions for inserting zippers in all kinds of bags.

And I will continue trying out different techniques and probably everyone in my surrounding will get a pouch as a present in near future - be warned! :-)

A bientôt,
Jane