Molly's Sketchbook: Zippered Dopp Kit

I love my dopp kit! (I also love the phrase "dopp kit" which Joelle and Page just taught me, It's an old fashioned term for a toiletry bag). I think of my dopp kit as a little piece of home that I can carry with me wherever I go. I like to keep it well stocked with travel shampoo, toothpaste, and maybe an extra pair of earrings so I can just toss it into my bag when I'm packing and be ready to go.

Materials

• 3/4-yards of Far Far Away 2 Yellow Roses (or any other upholstery weight fabric)
• A 12-inch separating zipper in Fuchsia or any other bright color.
• 2-yards of Polka Dot Bias Tape

Cutting

Cut a 20-inch x 24-inch rectangle from the fabric.

Mark a 3 1/2-inch tall by 8-inch wide rectangle at each corner of the fabric as shown above.

Cut out these rectangles.

Additionally, cut out a 9-inch by 2-inch piece of fabric for the the handle and put it aside for the handle.

Attaching the Zipper

Arrange the cut fabric so that it's wrong side is facing up and then fold the longer  sides over toward the middle so their right sides are facing up as pictured above. These long sides will form the top pf the bag.

Arrange the zipper so that its bottom is 1/2-inch above the bottom edge of the fabric and pin it to the edge, with the zipper teeth facing out as pictured above.

Above is a more closeup picture of the pinned zipper. Make sure that both sides of the zipper are oriented in the same way so that the top, where the zipper pull will be when the zipper is closed, is at the top and the bottom, which is where the pull will be when the zipper is open, is at the bottom.

Sew the zipper using a zipper foot. Make sure to backstitch at the beginning and end of the seam.

Now try to zip the top shut. If the zipper is closing smoothly and seems straight move on to the next step. If it isn't just rip it out and start again, it won't take long and it will be worth it in the long run!

Making the Handle

Press your 9-inch by 2-inch handle piece flat.

Press seams along the long sides a 1/4-inch to the wrong side of the fabric as pictured above.

Press the handle in half length-wise and sew it with a 1/8-inch seam allowance along its long open side.

Sewing Together

Pin the short sides of the dopp kit piece to the long  sides, right sides together, so that a box shape is formed as shown above.

Sew the short sides to the long sides with a 1/2-inch seam allowance, stopping the seam a 1/2-inch before the end of the short side.

Here is a close up showing the the seam stoping a 1/2-inch before the end of the short side.

Now fold the long top flaps towards the middle of the kit, with the wrong side of the fabric facing up, so that the zipper meets in the middle. Press straight creases along the left and right sides of the top. Pin the bottom side (where the zipper pull will be when the zipper is open) together along it's raw edges so that the zipper meets neatly in the middle.

The corners of this side should look like this, with the the raw edges all following each other around the corner.

Pin the top side together in the same manner only this time also insert the handle 1-inch from either side of the middle of the zipper. The handle should be in between the two layers of fabric with it's two raw ends pinned into the top edge.

Once both raw edges of the top side are pinned then pin along the creases you ironed along the sides of the kit as well.

Sew the top and bottom raw sides closed stopping a 1/2-inch from the ironed side creases.

Then sew along the ironed side creases a 1/2-inch from the fold starting and stopping a 1/2-inch from each edge.

Your corners should now look like this.

Finishing

Pin the binding tape around the raw edges of the zipper encasing the zipper tape and the raw edge of the fabric. You will have to rip out a few stitches using a seam ripper to free the ends of this edge but don't worry because you'll sew it down again in the next steps.

Edge stitch the bias binding in place and then sew back over the stitches you pulled out along the 1/2-inch seam.

Next pin the binding tape along the top and bottom raw edges.

Fold the sewn side crease down over towards the side of the bag as you pin the binding tape over it. Tuck the ends of the binding into themselves to encase their raw edges.

Edge stitch the binding on these sides as well.

Turn the dopp kit right sides out and press its corners out and you'll be all done!