More Zipper Bags – Carol Wilhoit
Supply List and Preparation Instructions
Zipper bags are quick, fun, and useful, and they make lovely personalized gifts that don’t take a lot of time to
make. Learn to make five bags with some unusual materials: a bag with a clear plastic front, a bag made of
polyester screen, a bag with the zipper inserted between the outer fabric and the lining, a small duffle bag, and a
lunch bag. By the end of the day, you’ll have some of the bags finished and you’ll know how to complete the rest.
This class requires that you have basic sewing skills. All of the bags and some of the techniques are different than
those in Zipper Bag Day, so the class will be of interest to those who have previously taken Zipper Bag Day as
well as those who have not.
I encourage you to do some preparation before of the class so that you will have more sewing time in class.
Patterns:
The pattern for the lined zipper bag will be provided in class. The patterns for the other bags are:
 Bridget’s Bagettes by Atkinson Designs
 Wine and Dine by Atkinson Designs
 Zip It Screen Play II by Nancy Ota Patterns
 A Little Duffle Do It by For the Love of Fabric
Fabrics and Other Materials
The quantities listed are adequate for one bag from each pattern. You may wish to purchase larger quantities, if
you plan to make more after class.
 4 coordinating fat quarters will be adequate for the four smaller bags. In addition, you will need the fabric
listed for Wine and Dine.
 Fusible woven interfacing – 2 yards (3 yards if you plan to use interfacing on both the outer fabric and
lining of Wine and Dine)
 Fusible fleece – ¼ yard
 Heavy plastic (20 gauge) – ¼ yard
 Polyester pet screen – 9” x 10”
 Fast 2 Fuse – ¼ yard
 Wonder Under or Steam a Seam – ½ yard
Zippers should be polyester (not metal) as they will be cut. You will need five zippers: one at least 7”, one at
least 12”, two at least 14”, and one at least 20”. Details are below. You may want zippers that contrast in color.
Tools and Other Supplies
 Thread: several colors to coordinate with your fabrics. Some threads will show.
 Sewing machine in good working order
o Be sure that you know how to operate your machine, as the class will focus on making the zipper
bags rather than on machine operation.
o Bring all of the feet that you have. (You will need a regular sewing foot. If you have them, a ¼”
foot, a walking foot (or even feed foot), zipper foot, an edgestitch foot or “stitch in the ditch” foot and
a Teflon foot may be especially useful.)
 Basic sewing supplies (scissors, pins, machine needles, bobbins, seam ripper, safety pins, scissors,
tape measure, etc.)
 Rotary cutter with a sharp blade, cutting mat
 Quilters’ rulers: bring several sizes, including short and long rulers. If you have a large square ruler,
bring it.
 Pencil
 Fabric marker (I like the chalk wheel called a Chaco Liner, but you may prefer washout marker.)
 Point turner, such as a bone folder or other object with a rounded point
 Scissors for cutting mesh screen (you may want scissors other than your fabric scissors)
 Wonder Clips, small binder clips, or large plastic coated paper clips (6 - 8 will be adequate)
 Size 12 or 14 sewing machine needles
PREPARATION BEFORE CLASS
You can make better use of class time and will have more time to sew if you prepare and cut some of the
fabrics prior to class.
Lined Zipper Bag
No advance preparation is needed. You will need the following fabrics and zipper:
 Two fabrics at least 8” x 10“
 Fusible woven interfacing - at least 8” x 10“
 The zipper should be 7” or longer.
Bridget’s Bagettes – “Long” size
BEFORE CUTTING, FUSE THE FUSIBLE WOVEN INTERFACING TO THE WRONG SIDE OF THE MAIN
FABRIC AND COORDINATING FABRIC.
 Main fabric – cut one 6 ½” x 11”, two 1 ½” x 9 ½” and one 1” x 5”
 Coordinating fabric – shows through the plastic - 5” x 9 ½”
 Fusible fleece – 5” x 9 ½”
 Heavy clear vinyl – 3 ¾” x 9 ½”
 The zipper should be 14” or longer.
Zip It –
 Cut the polyester pet screen 9” x 10”, following a row of holes in the mesh for a straight cut.
 Coordinating fabric – cut one piece 12” x 1¾” and one piece 1” x 5”
 The zipper should be 12” or longer.
A Little Duffle Do It - “Large” size
 Fast 2 Fuse –cut one piece 7 ½ x 4”
 Two fabrics – cut one of each, 13” x 17”.
 From the outer fabric, also cut one piece 2 ½” x 5” and one piece 1” x 5”.
 From the lining fabric, also cut six pieces 1 ¼” x 5”.
 Wonder Under or Steam a Seam 2 – cut one 13” x 17”
 The zipper should be 20” or longer.
Wine and Dine
 The class sample in the shop is the lunch bag, made of two layers of quilting-weight cotton. Slicker was
fused to the outside fabric, and iron-on woven interfacing was fused to the lining.
 Refer to the pattern, and select either the wine bag or the lunch bag. You may want to make your own
laminated fabric by adhering Slicker to a cotton fabric.
 Follow the “Prepare Fabrics” directions at the top of the instruction sheet to adhere the woven interfacing
and/or iron-on vinyl (Slicker) before you cut out the fabrics.
 Cut the fabrics as directed on the pattern.
11.10.13