Scallop Zipper Pouch – Free Sewing Pattern

This scallop zipper pouch is a fun twist to a classic quilted pouch with a sweet scalloped panel across the top. It’s just the right size to use as a makeup bag or to tuck small essentials into your purse. Use my free sewing pattern to create one of your own!

Lately I’ve been loving that the handmade, cottagecore look is trending again—mostly because it’s been my style all along. I feel like I’ve been waiting years for it to come back around! Not that I’ve had to change anything, because that’s been my vibe the whole time. This Scallop Zipper Pouch fits right in with that look.

I’ve got a free sewing pattern for you below.

The first thing you see is that sweet scallop across the top. And it’s made even sweeter sewn from a couple of vintage floral prints.

The quilted fabric lends a cozy feel while also giving structure to the small pouch. I added a little flower charm on the zipper pull. I saw it at the craft store and thought it would match perfectly with the little flowers on the scallop panel.

At 8 ½” wide x 5” tall, the zipper pouch is big enough to hold your cosmetics but also small enough to easily toss in a purse or backpack for travel. The pouch is lined for a nice inside finish, and the bottom is boxed to 2” deep to give space for bulkier cosmetics.

If you’re looking at the scallops and thinking all those curves will be difficult, don’t worry. They’re actually not difficult at all in this project. They’re shaped so the curves are not so tight, and a pair of pinking shears makes quick work of trimming and notching all the curved seam allowances.

Finished dimensions are 8 ½” wide at the top (6 ½” wide at the bottom) x 5” tall.

For more zipper pouch sewing ideas, check out my zipper pouch made from an upcycled sweater and my little coin purse with a kitty cat face (and ears!).

Supplies

Main fabric – 2 pieces quilting cotton, 10” wide x 8 ½” tall

Accent fabric – 4 pieces 8 ½” wide x 2 ¾” tall and 1 piece 2” wide x 4” tall

Lining – fat quarter or ¼ yard

Fusible fleece – 4 pieces 10” wide x 8 ½” tall

Nylon coil zipper at least 11” long

Temporary fabric marking pen

Pinking shears

Free pattern – Scallop Zipper Pouch

All seams 1/4″ unless otherwise noted.

Quilt the Main Fabric

Follow manufacturer’s instructions to fuse TWO pieces of fusible fleece to the back of each Main fabric piece.

Place the Main fabric pieces right side up. Use a temporary fabric marking pen to mark vertical lines every ½” across the Main fabric piece.

Sew on those lines to quilt the fabric panels.

Cut 2 Body pieces from the quilted fabric (1 from each panel).

Create the Scallop

Place two of the large rectangle (8 ½” wide x 2 ¾” tall) pieces RST.

Place the Scallop pattern piece on top, aligning the pieces along the top (long straight edge). Trace the scallop on to the fabric using a temporary marking pen.

Sew along the scalloped edge, directly on the line you marked.

Use pinking shears to trim the scallop. Trim closely for a smooth curve. Use a pair of sharp pointed scissors to clip up into the tight corners between scallops, cutting right up to but not into the stitch line.

Turn right side out. Press.

Repeat for the remaining two large rectangles.

Place each Scallop across the top of a Body piece, right sides up. Baste in place around sides and top with a 1/8” seam allowance.

Sew the Tabs

The small rectangle of fabric (2” x 4”) will make the Tabs.

Press the rectangle in half lengthwise and with WRONG sides together.

Open out and then press the sides in to the middle.

Then, press the whole thing in half along the middle crease.

Sew down both sides with a 1/8” seam allowance.

Cut in half to make two Tabs, each ½” wide x 2” long

Install the Zipper

Make a sandwich with your zipper and pouch pieces. Place one of the Lining pieces face up, then the zipper face up along the top edge, and then a Body piece face down.

The zipper will be longer than the fabric pieces. That’s okay because you’ll trim the zipper down to size later. If your zipper is long enough, place it so the zipper pull is on the portion of the zipper tape past the fabric. That way you don’t have to mess with stitching around the pull when sewing the zipper in.

Use a zipper foot to sew along the zipper.

Turn right side out and press.

That thick quilted fabric makes a pretty unruly seam allowance that doesn’t want to lie flat. Give it some good pressure with the iron and maybe use a little bit of gluestick on the wrong side to keep it down.

Top stitch close to the zipper.

Now repeat all of this with the remaining Body and Lining piece along the opposite side of the zipper to create the other side of the bag.

Assemble the Zipper Pouch

UNZIP THE ZIPPER at least halfway.

Set your machine to a wide zig zag and a very short stitch length (as you would to create a satin stitch). Stitch the open ends of the zipper together, 1/8” in from edge of pouch. Sew at least 3 stitches to make sure it’s good and secure.

Verify that you’ve got your zipper unzipped at least half way, then trim off the ends of the zipper even with the edge of the bag.

Now fold those Tab pieces in half, bringing raw edges together to make a little loop. Place one on each end of the zipper tape, raw edges aligned.

Baste in place with 1/8” seam allowance.

Open up the pouch and flatten it so the Body pieces are right sides together and the Lining pieces are right sides together. Mush the extra fabric at the Tabs toward the Lining.

Sew around all 4 sides, leaving corner notches unsewn and also leaving 2 ½” open at the bottom of the Lining for a turning hole.

It will be VERY thick at the sides of the zipper. Take it slow and hand crank where necessary. I found it easier to start the side seams on the thicker (Body) sides and then sew down across the zipper then on to the thinner Lining sides. This makes it where there’s not as big a hump for your presser foot to go up when you reach the thickest part at the zipper.

Box the corners. Open up the corners and flatten so the raw edges are aligned and the side seams go down the middle. Sew along the raw edges.