I started working on a new tote bag tonight. I’ve been thinking about this particular bag for awhile, and I finally decided it was time to actually make it. I’ve still got to make the handle and put the pieces together, but most of the work is done. It’s a simple tote bag, but it does have a zippered pocket inside it. I know zippers can be scary, and zippered pockets daunting, but they really aren’t that difficult, as long as you’ve got a zipper foot for your sewing machine.
If you want to give zippered pockets a try on your own, I’ve found a few great tutorials to gently guide you through the process. Sew, Mama, Sew! has a great tutorial for zippered pockets (with bonus slip pocket and magnetic snap tutorials at the end). There’s also a very nice zippered pocket tutorial on Craftster, and this is actually the one I followed the first time I tried one of these pockets. Both of these tutorials involve cutting a slit into your lining fabric and having the actual pocket dangle between the lining and exterior of your bag. Another clever take on the zippered pocket, also available Craftster, involves attaching the pocket to the inside of the lining and then hiding the edges with strips of fabric, bias tape, or ribbon. I haven’t tried this method yet, but it definitely looks nice and I’ll probably give it a try soon.
Good luck installing your zippered pockets! I will probably finish up my new tote today, so I’ll be sharing it soon.
thanks for the info on zippers! i generally am scared of them, but maybe i’ll try one of those great tutorials… thanks for the comment on my blog 🙂