Simple zipper bag: How many mistakes can one person make?
I’m a veteran zipper bag maker. I’ve sewn and documented a total of 360 zipper pouches, and I still make mistakes now and then. In fact, I seem to be very creative when it comes to making mistakes because I’ve managed to invent at least twenty different ones.
If you’ve ever wondered whether you are the only one unpicking seams from a seemingly simple project, this post is for you.
But of course I’ve made the rookie mistake and sewn around the bag and lining pieces and forgotten to open the zipper. This happened, for example, when I was making the Grandma/Mummi zipper bag, which poses here in its finished state:
The only way to recover from this mistake is to say hello to the seam ripper! One must unpick enough of the stitching so that one can open the zipper at least partly – to be able to turn the bag right side out.
I had cleverly used a pin on an applique that I’d attached on the patchwork piece. And then I forgot to remove the pin in time. I only noticed this when I was turning the pouch pieces right sides out. Ouch! There was something sharp underneath the applique piece.
Nothing else to do but to carefully unpick enough of the applique stitches to be able to tease the pin out of there – and then carefully redo the stitches.
I’d grabbed two top pieces by accident, thinking there was only one, and sewn the zipper between them and the lining piece. In the image, you can see that there are indeed two top pieces:
At least once, I’ve forgotten to include the lining layer in the quilt sandwich (because I often quilt the patchwork onto the batting only), which meant that I had to add a separate lining piece. I have no picture of the mistake itself, but in the photo, you may see that the lining looks loose instead of quilted.
Not to mention when I’ve attached the rectangular lining piece to the zipper and top – complete with the upside down pocket! (Of course this has happened to me!) Nothing else to do about it than to take the pocket out and put it back in, the right way up.
No image of the mistake itself, but this is the finished zipper bag after I’d corrected the mistake:
The symptom is clear: when the zipper is almost ready and right sides out, I will see that the zipper has become twisted around itself. No matter how I turn it, it stays twisted. This feels stupid.
This time, fixing things won’t require the use of a seam ripper – but I may need a fork. The zipper pull has to come out first and then it will be insterted back into the zip ends. A form may be helpful in this part of the process.
I don’t have an image to share of the twisted zipper, but this is the finished zipper bag:
That way, when one carries the bag on one’s wrist and starts opening the zipper, the contents will stay inside the bag with more certainty.
But sometimes, I will sew in the strap to the other side of the pouch – making the side strap mistake. Like this:
When I’ve noticed that the tab is missing before I’ve turned the bag the right side out, I have usually fixed this mistake. I’ve taken my seam ripper (well hello again, ripper) and unpicked a bit of the side seam, enough to slip in the tab. Then I’ve closed the unpicked part of the seam.
I had two tabs for the bag, and I basted them on the edges as usual (I thought). After sewing around the bag, I felt around the edges.. and there was no tab on one side. Where did the tab go?
I had accidentally attached the tabs on the opposite sides of the two top pieces, and they ended up on the same side of the finished bag.
The designer will be disappointed and call this a design mistake.
This mistake is relatively easy to fix: I can just sew in the label in by hand, but it does take more time and effort.
At least the Tilkunviilaaja brand was extremely visible there!
Fortunately, most (if not all of them) can be fixed, as long as you have the seam ripper readily available!
And every so often, I will make a zipper bag from start to finish without a single mistake. Like this Bestness / Parhaus zipper bag, for example:
If you’ve ever wondered whether you are the only one unpicking seams from a seemingly simple project, this post is for you.
1 – The rookie mistake
Whenever I make this mistake, I think that a person who has sewn so many zipper bags really should know better already.But of course I’ve made the rookie mistake and sewn around the bag and lining pieces and forgotten to open the zipper. This happened, for example, when I was making the Grandma/Mummi zipper bag, which poses here in its finished state:
2 – Pin mistake
Sorry! No image of when this happened – and luckily, I’ve made this one only once.I had cleverly used a pin on an applique that I’d attached on the patchwork piece. And then I forgot to remove the pin in time. I only noticed this when I was turning the pouch pieces right sides out. Ouch! There was something sharp underneath the applique piece.
Nothing else to do but to carefully unpick enough of the applique stitches to be able to tease the pin out of there – and then carefully redo the stitches.
3 – Double error
This mistake is unlikely to happen when the top pieces are quilted patchwork, but for a simple zipper pouch sewn of single fabric pieces, it is a possible mistake – at least for me.I’d grabbed two top pieces by accident, thinking there was only one, and sewn the zipper between them and the lining piece. In the image, you can see that there are indeed two top pieces:
4 – Quilting mistake
This mistake may not happen to other sewers, but I’ve made this many times. As a rule, I quilt the patchwork pieces for zipper pouches with the batting as the bottom layer. Sometimes the batting can attract a fabric remnant from the sewing table, and I will unknowingly stitch it in permanently while quilting.5 – Lining omission
My Dumpling series quilted bags have a different construction method than my other pouches: I build the pieces in the quilt-as-you-go method and with a complete quilt sandwich. This means that in a properly constructed Dumpling pouch, the lining gets quilted at the same as the patchwork piece.At least once, I’ve forgotten to include the lining layer in the quilt sandwich (because I often quilt the patchwork onto the batting only), which meant that I had to add a separate lining piece. I have no picture of the mistake itself, but in the photo, you may see that the lining looks loose instead of quilted.
6 – Lining orientation mistake
The lining orientation mistake happens when I sew the lining in with its wrong side out – so that its right side is not visible.7 – The more embarrassing lining orientation mistake
The lining orientation mistake gets even more embarrassing when the wrong-side-out lining piece has the Tilkunviilaaja maker’s label sewn in. The only thing showing of the label were the stitches.8 – Zipper orientation mistake
It is also possible (for me!) to sew in the zipper with its wrong side towards lining/top. This means that the zipper pull would be inside the finished bag, not on the outside. Hello, seam ripper!9 – Wrong side up mistake
The patchwork top of the bag can also have pieces that have been sewn in wrong side up. This is a minor mistake because it usually adds a bit of quirkiness to the patchwork piece, that’s all.10 – Pocket upside down mistake
I’ve also sewn in the pocket piece on the lining piece, upside down. When the pouch pieces are even rectangles, this is easy to fix, but I usually cut the pouch pieces narrower in the top. So, if the top edge is narrower, then: hello seam ripper!Not to mention when I’ve attached the rectangular lining piece to the zipper and top – complete with the upside down pocket! (Of course this has happened to me!) Nothing else to do about it than to take the pocket out and put it back in, the right way up.
No image of the mistake itself, but this is the finished zipper bag after I’d corrected the mistake:
11 – Stupid twist mistake
This is the weirdest mistake. I haven’t figured out how this happens, but luckily, I can fix it, thanks to the many tutorial videos in the Internet.The symptom is clear: when the zipper is almost ready and right sides out, I will see that the zipper has become twisted around itself. No matter how I turn it, it stays twisted. This feels stupid.
This time, fixing things won’t require the use of a seam ripper – but I may need a fork. The zipper pull has to come out first and then it will be insterted back into the zip ends. A form may be helpful in this part of the process.
I don’t have an image to share of the twisted zipper, but this is the finished zipper bag:
12 – Patchwork piece upside down when sewing zipper
As said, I usually cut the patchwork top and lining pieces narrower on top and wider on the bottom. Sometimes, one of the pieces will be upside down when I’m sewing in the zipper – and one of the pieces will be shorter and not meet correctly at the other end. Hello, seam ripper!13 – Alignment error
I have also managed to position the zipper itself on the upper edges incorrectly so that the ends do not align. Again: hello seam ripper!14 - Side strap mistake
This mistake may not be apparent to other people but me. The correct place for the long strap in my Street series of bags is on the same edge where the zipper pull ends up when the zipper is closed. Like this:15 – Side seam mistake
The side seam mistake happens when I’m sewing the pouch pieces together and accidentally sew the edge of the zipper into the side seam.16 – Side tab omission
Sometimes, I forget to add a side tab (or two) to the zipper bag. Side tabs are useful, so a bag without them is not ideal.When I’ve noticed that the tab is missing before I’ve turned the bag the right side out, I have usually fixed this mistake. I’ve taken my seam ripper (well hello again, ripper) and unpicked a bit of the side seam, enough to slip in the tab. Then I’ve closed the unpicked part of the seam.
17 – Double tab mistake
While a zipper bag may be acceptable with no side tabs, it would look strange with two tabs on the same edge. I’ve nearly made such a bag once.I had two tabs for the bag, and I basted them on the edges as usual (I thought). After sewing around the bag, I felt around the edges.. and there was no tab on one side. Where did the tab go?
I had accidentally attached the tabs on the opposite sides of the two top pieces, and they ended up on the same side of the finished bag.
18 – Design mistake
When one sews a pouch with a flat bottom, the patchwork top becomes that much shorter in the finished pouch. If there is a focus element placed in the middle of the original patchwork piece, the focus element may be end up too low down once the pouch has been constructed.The designer will be disappointed and call this a design mistake.
19 – Branding mistake
Genuine Tilkunviilaaja zipper bags have a label inside. Sometimes I still forget to sew in the label on the lining piece. Here is the Aaltoileva zipper bag from both sides, and you can see that there is no label sewn in the lining:
20 – Double branding mistake
The double branding mistake is the opposite of number 19, and it happened once when I sewed a Tilkunviilaaja label in the correct position on a lining piece. And sewed a label in the correct position of the other lining piece as well.Final words from the veteran mistake maker
A simple zipper bag comes together rather easily, with relatively few steps – and still, it offers many opportunities for mistakes. And I’m proof that even extensive experience from hundreds of zipper bags sewn does not prevent mistakes!Fortunately, most (if not all of them) can be fixed, as long as you have the seam ripper readily available!
And every so often, I will make a zipper bag from start to finish without a single mistake. Like this Bestness / Parhaus zipper bag, for example:
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