The Jungle Jalopy Zippered Pouch ~ Free Pattern & Tutorial

The Jungle Jalopy Zippered Pouch tutorial was originally shared at Skip to My Lou during last November’s Bake, Craft & Sew-along. I’m re-sharing it at home now, and I’ve added a downloadable easy-to-print PDF version that you can grab over on Craftsy,too!

I’m so excited to share this fun little zippered bag with you! I’ve been sharing some ideas recently for ways that you can combine a quick handmade project with a small store-bought item to put together a thoughtful gift that will be appreciated by the receiver. This little bag goes right along with that theme. Stitch up a Jungle Jalopy Zippered Bag, add a package of toy animals, and you’ll make any little one happy!

Supplies:
2 fat quarters (one each for inner and outer top)
Scraps for the outer bottom and windows
1/4 yard lightweight fusible interfacing
Steam a Seam or another fusible web
One 9″ or longer all-purpose zipper

Print the pattern pieces found here: The Jungle Jalopy Zippered Bag. (Be sure to print “actual size” and check the measurement of the 2 1/2″ square.) Cut out two of each pattern piece. Be sure to cut one, then cut the second reversed. You’ll also need a 9″ or longer all-purpose zipper. The included seam allowance is 1/4″.

Sew the bottom panels to the top outer pieces. Press the seam allowance open.

Iron the windows to each side using fusible web. I used Steam a Seam 2.

Once the windows are ironed on, topstitch around each side about 1/8″ from the edges. Iron the finished front pieces to lightweight fusible interfacing.

To prepare the zipper, place the top edge of the zipper right side down on the shorter zipper tab so that the right sides are facing.

Pin in place and stitch across several times about 1/8″ beyond the metal zipper stop.

Trim the seam allowance to 1/4″. Fold the fabric out at that end of the zipper and lay it out flat with the top facing you. Trim the tab to 1 1/2″ in length. Measure 8” from the seam and trim zipper at that point.

Line your second zipper tab up at the cut point with right sides facing. Sew across, back- and forward-stitching a few times to secure the end of the zipper. Fold the fabric out away from the zipper.

Place the outer piece that faces to the right (the one shown in the photo) in front of you with the right side facing up. Place the zipper right side down along the top edge of the outer piece with the zipper stop facing the front of the jalopy. Line up the raw edge of the zipper 1/2″ from the center of the curve.

Place the matching inner right side down on top of the zipper and outer piece, sandwiching the zipper between. Line up the raw edges and begin pinning along the top edge.

Clip the edge of the zipper when you get to the curve.

Continue pinning the pieces together.

Using your machine’s zipper foot, sew the zipper in using a 1/4” seam allowance. Be careful not to get too close to the zipper. (For the easiest installation, position the zipper pull about halfway down the top edge. Sew to just before the pull, backstitch, remove the fabric from the machine, then pull the zipper pull past where you’ve already sewn. Backstitch across where you stopped stitching and stitch all the way to the end.)

Turn these pieces right side out so that the wrong sides are together.

Topstitch 1/8″ from the edge of the zipper. (It’s tempting here to wait until the other side of the zipper is attached so that you don’t have to switch out the foot so many times, but topstitching this side is much easier before the other side is attached.) It’s a little tricky topstitching around the curve. Go slowly.

Place the remaining outer piece in front of you with the right side facing up. Flip the zipper and first two pieces over, and place the free side of the zipper right side down on the second outer piece. Line the zipper up at the same point that you did for the first side.

Place the remaining inner piece right side down on top of the zipper and outer piece, sandwiching the zipper between. Pin in place following the same steps you used for the other side of the zipper. Sew in the second side of the zipper.

Flip the pieces right side out.

Pull the front and back pieces away from each other, and topstitch the second side of the zipper 1/8″ from the seam.

Open the zipper before moving on to the next step.

Flip the pieces around so that the outer pieces and the inner pieces are right sides together.

Pin all the way around.

At the end of each zipper tab, fold the center towards the inner pieces, as shown, and pin in place.

Stitch all the way around 1/4″ from the raw edges. Leave a 4″ opening in the stitching on the bottom edge of the inner pieces. Be careful to go around the curves neatly.

Trim the corners, clip the curves and turn through the opening, then through the zipper. Push the curves and corners out neatly. Press, but be careful to keep the iron away from the plastic teeth of the zipper.

Pull the inner out through the zipper. Pin the opening and topstitch it closed. Push the inner back down inside the outer.

And you’re all done!

Fill it up with fun toys and give it to someone you love!