Australian Homespun — October 2017

break the needle when you sew

over each short end of the zipper.

31

Turn the panel over to the

wrong side. Match the other

6 x 8in pocket rectangle, right side

facing down, with the one that’s now

been sewn to the lining. Stitching

only through the two layers of the

pocket rectangles, not through the

lining panel, sew the left, top and

right edges of the pocket using a^1 ⁄ 2 in

seam. Leave the bottom edge open.

Zipper panel

32

Lay the closed chunky/long

pull zipper right side down on

the table. Make small marks^3 ⁄ 4 in in

from the zipper teeth on the open end

of the zipper (the end with the zipper

pull). Turn the zipper over so that it

is right side facing up. Open it 2-3in.

Working on one side of the zipper

tape at a time, fold the zipper over at

the marks, right sides together, and

fi nger press to crease the tape. Fold

the tail end of the tape away from

the teeth at a 90-degree angle. See

Diagram 10. Hand stitch or glue the

tape at this angle – keeping it as

close to 90 degrees as possible.

Repeat for the other side of the tape.

33

Turn under^1 ⁄ 2 in on each short

end of the four 1^3 ⁄ 4 x 9^1 ⁄ 2 in

rectangles you cut for the zipper

panel and press.

34

Lay one of these rectangles that

has interfacing attached, right

side up, next to one side of the zipper,

also right side up. Flip the zipper over

onto the rectangle so they are right

sides together and the raw edge of the

zipper tape is matching one long edge

of the rectangle. Align the open end of

the zipper^1 ⁄ 4 in in from the folded end

of the rectangle. See Diagram 11. Glue

or baste the zipper in place along the

length of the rectangle using a^1 ⁄ 8 in

seam allowance.

35

Match a 1^3 ⁄ 4 x 9^1 ⁄ 2 in fabric

rectangle that does not have

interfacing attached with the fi rst one,

right sides together, sandwiching the

zipper tape between them. Sew them

together along the raw edge that has

the zipper tape sandwiched between

the layers. At the open end of the

zipper, where you’ve folded over the

tape at 90 degrees, trim the zipper

tape just outside the edge of the

fabric, as shown in Diagram 12. Fold

and press the fabric rectangles away

from the zipper teeth.

36

Repeat Steps 34 and 35 to join the

remaining two fabric rectangles

to the zipper on the other side of the

teeth. Top stitch around all four sides

of each assembled fabric rectangle.

Zipper tab

37

Fold the 3^1 ⁄ 4 x 2in rectangle of

fabric cut for the zipper tab in

half, right sides together and short

edges matching. Stitch the short edges

together using a^1 ⁄ 4 in seam allowance.

Finger press the seam open. Roll the

tab between your fi ngers to move the

seam to the centre back of the tab.

Diagram 10

Diagram 12

Diagram 9

Diagram 11

Top view of zipper panel on bag (closed)

92 Homespun

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