Cash Envelope Sew Along! Day 3: Zipper Pockets!

This post is part of the Cash Envelope Sew Along, tutorial segment.

You can read more about this here, along with all with the list of all other related posts.

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If you are just joining us, or find this at a later date,

 we are using the pattern from Walter & Veronica. You can find it on Etsy or Craftsy.

A great place to find great zippers at a great price is Zipit on Etsy (use coupon code "fromblankpages" and receive 15% off your order), 

and pick up some great fabric from Fresh Squeezed Fabrics and you will definitely be saving in style. ;)

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Please share any of your photos in the from blank pages... flickr group!

Have you seen Ice Age 2? If you have, you'll know what I mean when I say that I have been having BAD sewing JUJU!!! (I blame it on skipping yesterdays post.) Today as I went to finish sewing my wallets everything went wrong. First I realized that my idea of putting zipper ends on my zippers was not going to work. I had to unstitch a bunch of stuff. Then I zipped the zipper pull thing right off my zipper! It took me an hour to get it back on! (I didn't have any more zippers in that color so I couldn't trade it.) It worked out in the end, except that it zips closed on the wrong end... I ended up just zipping it in the other direction and that did the trick. Then I broke a needle when I turned my machine back on after a sewing break - the needle always goes back to center position when it's turned on, and I had my zipper foot on. I put a new needle in and instantly broke that one because I still didn't change the needle position before trying to sew. Then I forgot to put my vinyl windows on my pockets before sewing them together.... and I think that's about it. It was not a good day at the sewing machine. BUT I am happy to say that I have one wallet finished, and enough pictures of the other to finish up this tutorial!! :) Then I have to take a break to finish up a few other projects before I finish my second wallet. Which is probably a good idea anyway so I can get a break from the curse of the wallet! :O


Anyway, how are your wallets coming along? Has anyone started sewing yet? If not that's cool... because I have a few changes/suggestions that I want to make to previous posts, just if you want. :) But everything still works, so no worries if you've already started. :) (Mostly I think I would just make the cover a smidge larger. But I do also really like it how it is. It's hard to tell.)


Today is all about Zippers and finishing!!!

Pieces Overview:

Style A, with single fabric pockets:

Your pocket pieces with the fusible interfacing fused on (it's not in this picture.) And your zippers.

6 pieces of fabric and 6 zippers.

If you are doing Style B with multi-fabric pockets:

12 pieces of fabric, 6 zippers, 6 fusible interfacing (which has NOT been fused yet. and don't cut it smaller.) Ignore the zipper ends (those small pieces of fabric).

Oh! And for either style, your vinyl windows for labeling your pockets in the different categories (not pictured here.

Basically we just follow the pattern, so I will show you a few tips that I have, and do a run down of the order. Otherwise you're basically finished! :)

Style B Pocket Assembly:

I'm going to start with Style B, because once you do the first few steps everything is the same after that. If you are doing Style A, just skip down to the next heading.


First arrange your fabric in the order that you want it to be in your wallet.

Here is mine. I wast the orange flowers in the front and so on.

Next pair up your fabrics with the fabric it will be connected with. The front and back fabric go together, the two in the center, and then the last two.

You can compare this with my first photo to see how they relate.

Next, sew one of each of the fabrics together. If you have a directional print, so them so the UP direction is going out towards the edge that you are now sewing.

Press the seams open and fuse the interfacing onto the back.

That's basically it! Now you have pieces that are basically the same as the Style A.

Sewing on your Windows:

To find the placement I fold my pocket in half and crease to find the center. Then measure down 1 inch from the edge.

I place some fabric under one side of my sewing foot. It helps so everything will still slide. A small piece, or some tissue paper/kleenex, works great because you can easily adjust it while you sew so you aren't actually sewing through it. Sew around three sides, leaving the top open. These are great so you can categorize your pockets and know which monies are for what. :)

Repeat this process with all 6 pocket pieces. If you have directional print fabric, sew it on the top of each piece, with the fabric in the correct orientation for the print to be right side up.

Attaching the Zippers:

Originally I was going to do zipper ends because I think they look really nice, but they don't fit well. When you use zipper ends you need to have the end of your zipper come in about 1/4" from the edge of your fabric, and for this project it makes the opening too narrow. But you can still do it if you want. :)

First, lay your fabric so it's going in the right direction, with the window closest to the zipper.

Then flip the fabric up so it's on top of the zipper, with the window still closest to the zipper, and the edge of the fabric lined up with the bottom edge of the zipper. Pin it in place.

Now sew the zipper on. If you have an extra long zipper like I do, it works well to have your zipper pull way out so you don't have to worry about sewing around it. When you are done, flip the fabric back over and press it flat. Then do a small stitch across to secure it to the zipper. (This also gives it a nice finished look.)

Next take your next pocket piece and place it at the top of the zipper, with the window at the end opposite the zipper.

Flip the fabric over and pin in place just as you did before, but with the fabric edge lined up to the top of the zipper. Make sure your window is now at the bottom, furthest from the zipper.

see, no window.

Repeat the process of folding it back and doing a top stitch.
Now open your zipper so it's open inside your pocket area.

Hold the two loose ends together and stitch over them to keep them attached (and so you don't pull your zipper off like I did after cutting off the extra.) :)

You can sew it more than this to keep it more secure.

Now you will attach your next zipper in the same manner to the top portion of your top pocket piece.
*** If you want your zippers to alternate, which is really nice, then make sure that the second zipper is going the opposite way. I don't think I have them like that in this picture... because I messed up. But it'st he best way to go. :)

see the zipper at the top

Fold back, press and top stitch.
This time when you go to sew the fabric on the top half of the zipper, instead of adding a new pocket piece, fold over the bottom pocket and sew it to the top of that zipper.


*****The only thing you want to pay attention to here if you are making Style B, is that your match up your fabrics AT the zippers like this:

Repeat with the other 3 pockets.

Finishing the Pockets:

Once your zippers are all attached, lay them flat, folding at the zippers and pin (pinning is especially helpful with Style B so you can make sure your fabrics line up in the right spots). OPEN AT LEAST ONE ZIPPER!!!

Then sew down the one side.

MAKE SURE at least ONE ZIPPER IS OPEN!!!

(so you can turn your pocket right side out)

and the other side

So you aren't constantly getting little strings in your pockets, finish off the edges with a zigzag stitch.


Turn it right side out. Push the corners out. Repeat with the other pockets and you should have three pockets that look like this:

and now for the Big Finish:

Line up your pockets, making sure your zippers are alternating if you wish, and center them over your wallet cover.

Now carefully sew right down the center going through 3 pockets and the cover. Make sure to backstitch at both ends.

And you are finished!! :)

It is definitely thicker than my first attempt, but I REALLY love the stiffness that it has with all the interfacing. A lot nicer. If I were to change something I would make the cover just a little bit bigger - so I had more room to do some top stitching around the edges, and so that the pockets didn't stick out so much. Otherwise it's great!! :) I love this pattern!

Thank you Walter & Veronica! And thank you for letting me host this Sew Along!

I'll be back tomorrow with a finale post and the link up for the last giveaway. :) Thanks for sewing with me! And be sure to share your photos in the flickr group! :)

P.S. if something doesn't make sense, or you still have questions, PLEASE ask or let me know!! I try to over explain things, because there is nothing worse than getting to the middle of a pattern and going from step E to step Z and not having any idea what is supposed to be in between. That's why this might be long and boring, but it might also make it confusing. So let me know if you have any tips or advice on how I can improve the process as well. :) Thanks!