Okay, here are my instructions for making a pouch with a zipper on the front. These were the best I could do, I hope they make sense. Let me know if you have questions and I will try to answer them or clarify the instructions.

Or, if just looking at this makes your head hurt, you could just buy yourself one of my pouches all ready made!

Materials:
one 7″ zipper
From outside material: one rectangle 8.5″ x 5.5″, one rectangle 8.5″ x 8″
Contrast (optional): one rectangle 8.5″ x 3″
Lining: one rectangle 8.5″ x 5.5″, one rectangle 8.5″ x 8″, one rectangle 8.5″ x 3″

To begin, lay out your medium sized front material, right side up. Lay the zipper on top of this, right sides together, matching the edges. Then lay the medium sized lining rectangle on top of this, right side down. Pin along the zipper edge.


Sew this seam, making sure to sew ONLY between the beginning and end metal stops on the zipper, not to the very end of the zipper. This creates a seam allowance along the edge of your fabric.

Then, flip both pieces right side out. Press flat and top stitch the wrong sides together, again, leaving the seam allowance on both sides.


Lay out the small lining rectangle right side up. Lay the zipper on top of this, matching it to the top edge, right side up. Then lay out the small contrast rectangle, right side down, matching the zipper to the top edge. Pin and sew this seam, only in between the metal zipper stops.

Flip both pieces up, press and top stitch along the outside of the seam, leaving the seam allowance on both sides.

Congratulations, you have finished sewing the zipper!

Lay the piece out with the lining side up. Lay your large lining rectangle on top of this, right side down. Pin only to the other lining pieces.

Now stitch the top lining piece to the bottom lining pieces, keeping the front fabric pieces out of the way.

When you get to the zipper, pull back the zipper cloth and the front fabric, and stitch as close to the zipper seams as possible. There will be a gap in the lining fabric small and medium rectangles, this is okay.

Go around all four sides of the pouch, but leave an opening. This is important so you can turn it right side out at the end.

Lay out the piece with the right side up. Make sure the zipper is open part way before proceeding. Lay the large front rectangle on top, right side down. Pin to just the front fabric.

Sew around all four sides, holding the lining out of the way. You don’t need to leave an opening this time. When you get to the zippers, this time sew over the zipper fabric, as close to the metal stops as possible. Make sure not to sew OVER the metal stops, or you will break your needle and possibly damage your sewing machine (I speak from experience here, can you tell?)

Now you are done sewing, it should look like this. Reach into the opening in the lining fabric and pull everything through the open zipper to the right side.

And magically, you will see you have made a beautiful pouch!