Defeated by the zipper foot

I'm not a natural when it comes to using a sewing machine. Any use of it is usually accompanied by some rather 'industrial' language. But I decided to finally tackle the tricky business - or would it be easy? - of inserting a zip using the machine. I gave the zipper foot a go, but couldn't get along with it at all. My stitches slid all over the place, and any sewing was followed by copious amounts of unpicking. Sweary unpicking.

Here's one of my errors. Gap should've been left in the lining, not the outer fabric of the pouch. Doh!

However, reverting to a standard foot and following the simplest of patterns for a lined zip-up pouch I managed to get three pouches made and three zips working fine 'n' dandy. They're not 100% perfect - a wee bit lumpy and bumpy - but they're good enough.

I realise other people will be able to knock up one of these in ten minutes flat, but for me doing something like this is a big deal. Making a full sized patchwork quilt pieced from hundreds of hexagons? Yeah, I don't break a sweat. But faced with any kind of machinery my brain generally turns to mush. But I'll soldier on, and hopefully my pouches will look sleeker and I'll progress to more complicated patterns.

As ever, YouTube is my friend in circumstances like this. How-to-make videos can be endlessly rewound, slowed down, they're full of tips and good advice. Honestly, I wonder how we managed before online access became as easy as tapping away at a smartphone. Trips to the reference library and instructional manuals are almost a thing of the past.

These two Christmassy pouches will be used to pop presents in, making them two-in-one gifts. By the way, the zips are upcycled. If you're cutting up charity shop bought clothing for patchwork or other sewing projects, then the easiest thing in the world is to save buttons, hooks & eyes, zips and any decorative trim that might come in useful. Plus, I've been saving cuffs and collars from mens shirts, as well as denim pockets from jeans. Waste not, want not, don't you reckon?

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