Make a Quarter Moon Bag with Liz of Missouri Star!

Today Liz is going to create a fun zippered pouch using fancy vinyl!

The first step is to cut out a piece of vinyl 9" x 16" using a ruler and rotary cutter. Be sure to clean up your edges and trim down to 9". Now you'll cut out your quarter moon shape. Line the corners and crease the side - only finger press! Never iron because the vinyl will melt, but if you need a little hit use a hair dryer for a few seconds to make the vinyl soft. Line your Drunkard's Path template and line up one of the straight sides against your crease. Once cut, you'll have a half moon shape.

Now you're going to add your zipper. Start adding your zipper at the halfway crease at the top of the moon, and clipping downward along the curve, to the corner. Use as many clips as you need, and ease it in gently.

With the zipper towards the bed of the machine, you're going to sew your seam. Liz has switched to a zipper foot and a 3 stitch length, and added a bit of masking tape to the bottom of the zipper foot, allowing it to glide smoothy over the top of the vinyl. Use a coordinated thread if you don't want to notice it at all. She's using a denim needle so that her stitching is neat and accurate and not pressing any large holes. Back stitch at the beginning and end, sewing slowly and gently following the edge of the vinyl. Now stitch it again, about 1/8" from the first line, to add some stability.

Next, pull the other half of the zipper around to the other half of the moon. Repeat clipping at the same distance as on the other size, easing it in. Keep the zipper towards the machine, which means you'll start stitching at the top this time.

Trim away the excess zipper tape, and you'll position your handle over where the pieces of the zipper tape overlap. Sew across the handle, back and forth, a few times echoing the two lines at the zipper.

Now it's time to sew up the open seam of the bag (forming the quarter moon shape). Using contrasting thread at the bottom with the vinyl is fun because you get a pop of color. Trim all your threads!

Clip the zipper and grade the tip to give it a little bit less bulk when you turn it. Unzip the bag and flip it right side out, using your fingers to push out corners. Don't use anything sharp because it will poke right through the vinyl! If you need to, use a bit of heat from a hair dyer (on the low setting) to make the vinyl a little more easily molded.