If You Hate Sewing Zippers, You’ll Love this Clever Pattern
This zippered oilcloth market tote is made in a unique, simplified fashion.
The picture above gives a clue. You can see that the zipper is
sewn in, along with the straps, before the bag’s side seams are stitched. There are several advantages to this method. It’s easier to sew the zipper to a flat piece of fabric than to a finished bag.
By the time you’re done, the straps have been stitched four times for strength. It’s easier to get the zipper perfectly straight because it lines up against the edge of the bag’s hem.
The double-folded hem adds strength and means the stitch line to attach the zipper doesn’t show on the bag’s outside. Finally when the 1-inch hem is topstitched at the top and bottom to give a nice tailored look, the lower topstitching goes through the zipper fabric reinforcing its placement.
To obtain my zippered oilcloth market tote pattern including step-by-step directions for the unique zipper setting, please click here to order.
Make them for yourself, as gifts, or to sell. I sold many of them three and four years ago and a recent resurgence in orders has convinced me these bags are not a fad.
Recommended Reading
These books are excellent resources for sewers of all skill levels.
Subscribe to The Artful Crafter RSS feed
Blink
Del.icio.us
Digg
Furl
Google
Simpy
Spurl
Technorati
Y! MyWeb