Lesson three

Small makeup bag with lining

Variant 2
In this lesson we will make another makeup bag, in smaller size. It also has a lining
but no bias tape required to cover the raw edges.
Plus I will show you here how to use the original jeans’ seams as a design element.
If you are not bothered about the decor seams, simply follow the instructions, ignor-
ing cutting around the jeans’ seams, but pay attention to which side the zipper goes.

Step 1. Preparation and cutting

To make this makeup bag you
will need:
* Two jeans legs with nice
straight seams, large enough (refer
to pattern).
* Fabric for lining.
* 5mm zipper. If you use open-
end zipper, 26cm (10”) is enough. If
you have closed-end zipper or
zipper sold by meter, take 30cm
(12”). It must be 5cm (2”) longer
then your pattern, you will see later
why.
* Tab. It is optional and it can
be a jeans belt loop or it can be
made out of piece of thin denim.

Small makeup bag. Page 1

 When choosing the jeans for this
project, watch out for the seams to
be good looking and going straight.
That means that the seams have to
go parallel with the denim texture
lines. You will find this with straight
jeans, not flared and not narrowed.

The pattern for this size

pouch is 24cm x 28cm (9,5” x
11”). BUT for this particular
tutorial we will need two
separate halves of this
rectangle! So, prepare a piece
of paper 24cm x 14cm (9,5” x
5,5”).

Cut the jeans legs off larger then the paper pattern. Then along the leg seam to open
it flat, keep the pretty seam uncut. Iron.
Place the paper pattern onto the jeans’ leg so that the decoration seam is laid
parallel with the zipper line and within the pattern (from top give it 1cm or so).

Cut out two rectangles, adding

a seam allowance. They should
look like this, with the original
jean seam along the zipper side.

Cut out two the same size rectan-

gles out of the lining fabric.

Small makeup bag. Page 2

 Step 2. Inserting the zipper

For this method of good-looking lining, we will be using the most common way of
inserting zipper, the one that is usually used for make-up pouches and handbags.

Place the zipper on top of the body piece, as

shown on the picture, right sides together, starting
at the very edge and with the zipper’s open end.
Pin in a few places.
You need the closed end of zipper hanging over.
Sew along the edge. This is just to secure the zip-
per in place, so this stitch doesn’t have to be in a
certain position, just do it rather nearer to the edge.

Then add the second half of the denim. Level up the two
body halves and the zipper and sew along in the same manner.

Make one seam along the zipper at a distance of 7-9mm from the edge.
When I sew 5mm zippers I prefer to use the zipper foot for the machine.
Remove pins just before they get under the foot.

Small makeup bag. Page 3

 This is what it
should look like
by now.

Step 3. Adding the lining

Place the lining

onto the denim body
right sides together,
covering the zipper.
Level it up and pin.

Now sew along

parallel to the seam
we‘ve just made, but
nearer to the zipper
teeth.

When using thicker zippers,

it is convenient to use a zipper
foot. It just helps the foot to
stay in place without jumping
off the track.
Small makeup bag. Page 4
 Add the second lining piece.
When you turn it to the right side, pull fabric away from zipper and press it flat by fin-
gers. You should have something like this by now.

Now finish it off with a

top-stitch along the zipper,
securing all the layers.

Trim off the sides:

Small makeup bag. Page 5

 Step 4. Folding

First, stitch up the

bottoms of the body
and the lining,
securing each start
and finish.

Leave an opening
in the lining!!!

Press seams flat

open.

Unzip the zipper about half way, so that you get inside later.
Now bring the bottom of denim body to the zipper. Flip over. And bring the lining
bottom to the zipper also.
They all should meet in the middle (A).

B
B
A

Mark all four “wings” in their middle (B).

Small makeup bag. Page 6

 Keep hold of the
middle and tuck in
one side of the body
(bring the B to the
A), so that it all
meets together in
the middle.

This bit is tricky at

first, but you can
manage!

Secure in place by
clips.
Then do the same
with the other half.
Make sure it is all
flat and straight.

Then flip over and

do the same with the
lining.

Small makeup bag. Page 7

 The same as with
the other two lessons
(Pencil case and Large
make-up bag)
straighten and flatten
all those folds so that
you have a neat rec-
tangle of folds. It’s
like origami...

Tab is optional and the

pouch will look good without
it too. But if you are having
one, it’s time to insert it.
You can see how to make a
tab in the tutorials for Pencil
case and the Large make-up
bag.
Insert it between the
zipper and the folds,
as on this picture.

Now all what’s left to do is to sew along the

two raw edges. Go with a straight stitch, better
twice and don’t forget to secure thread at the
start and the finish.

Small makeup bag. Page 8

 Through the opening
in the lining turn the
pouch right side out.
And reveal the magic!

This is how nice

and tidy the lining
looks on the inside!

If you decide to implement

this lining option into
another size of pouch from
other lessons, keep in mind
that it will only work if the
lining was originally cut in
two halves with seam
allowances added. It must
have the opening for turning
out to the right side.

Finish off
the lining by
stitching the
opening up,
right along
the edge.

Small makeup bag. Page 9

 Turn the pouch to the
right side. Straighten the
corners.
And admire your crea-
tion!

Now, after seeing all the three lessons,

you can mix and match the sizes and lining
options and make many more “bow-tie”
pouches! You can decorate them and
change sizes too. Check out my Denim
Recycling School for lots of fun décor ideas:
[Link]
And if you are proud of your creation,
please feel free to share it with me on social
media:
Instagram @makeitindenim
[Link]/makeitindenimschool

Small makeup bag. Page 10