Before I was made aware of a fantastic way to tackle this puzzle I literally used to dream about how to solve it (yeah, I do sweat the small stuff). I just couldn’t picture how I could have both zips and linings using the ways that I knew to add them separately. Well there is, in fact, a very nifty way to do it.

Although this is a technique I learned a little while ago I think it is a really important one to share because I’m sure it will help me work my way around other zip or lining related challenges in future.

I can’t take the credit for this, it was actually brought to my attention by Claire and originally came from a tutorial by Heather from Heather Hales Designs.

Like Heather I swap bags all the time and as a result have to change over my diary, lip balm, hair brush, pen and other rubbish that ladies keep in their handbags. So it is useful to have a little purse to keep these things together and throw into to the bag of the day. I actually needed to make a few of these handy zippy purses so I did them all in one go today.

The one with the scary looking lady on the front was the first embroidery I ever did so I have a bit of a soft spot for her. Rather than waste her I thought I’d use her to decorate one of the purses. The matryoshka doll fabric was given to me by Pamela, my friend and one of our Stitched Up ladies, because she knows how much I love them. Isn’t it pretty? I can’t remember where I got the William-Morris-on-acid print fabric but its been shouting for attention for ages.

Here’s a very brief step by step on how to do it but for full details and a much better explanation check out Heather’s tutorial.

1. Cut 4 pieces of fabric all the same size (depending on how big you want your purse to be). Two pieces will be for the lining and two for the outside. I used the same fabric  for the outside and the lining. Fold over about a centimetre at the top of each of your fabric squares / rectangles and press.

2. Place the a lining and outside piece at the top and bottom of one side of the zip and pin them into place. They need to be wrong sides together.

3. Use your zipper foot and sew each side of the zip to the fabric.

4. Place the outside pieces and lining pieces together and sew all the way around the outside of the fabric. Leave a hole in the lining which will be big enough to allow you to turn the whole thing inside out. Do this with the zip half open.

5. Pull all of the fabric through the hole that you left in the lining and then sew that up. Hey presto! You have a purse with a zip and a lining – best of both worlds!