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Tutorial: Easy Wristlet

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In case you missed my guest post on FairyFace Designs, here’s the tutorial I posted over there. I LOVE wristlets/zipper pouches of all kinds. They’re easy to make and depending on what fabrics you use, can suit any outfit, from casual fun to formal. I made this one out of some fun London by the Henly Studio for Makower fabric I bought recently – I’m always a sucker for anything with London or a Union Jack on it. This wristlet ends up being about 8.5″ x 5.5″, and you could easily make it smaller or larger according to your own needs. I’m currently using mine to house all my little knitting stuff.

For this wristlet you’ll need:

  • {2x} 6″ x 9″ pieces of exterior fabric and {2x} 6″ x 9″ of interior fabric
  • {2x} 5.5″ x 8.5″ of fusible fleece or fusible wadding
  • {1x} 2″ x 12″ for the wristlet handle
  • {1x} 11″ or 12″ zipper
  • Optional: 1 shape for applique – I drew around a cookie cutter onto Bond-A-Web and ironed it onto the back of a piece of fabric before cutting the shape out.
  • Basic sewing stuff – thread, machine, pins, etc.

Ok, I need to interject here – I forgot to trim my fusible fleece down to 5.5″ x 8.5″, so this is a case of Do What I Say, Not What I Foolishly Did. What you want to do is centre the fusible fleece onto the back of your exterior fabrics. Your exterior fabric should be 1/4″ larger than the fleece on all sides. Trust me.

If you want to applique a shape to an exterior piece, do that now by ironing it to the front and sewing around the edges to secure it.

Make the wristlet strap by first ironing it Wrong Sides Together (WST) in half, lengthways. Then open it up and carefully fold and press the edges in to meet in the middle:

 Pin and edgestitch along both edges:

Set the strap aside for now. Take an interior piece RSU (right side up) and lay the zipper RSU along the top edge. Pin in a couple of places to keep everything straight. Now place an exterior piece WSU (wrong side up) and line up along the top edge with the interior piece. Pin carefully and adequately to keep it all in place, then edgestitch with about a 1/8″ or so seam allowance all the way along the top.

 Press the fabrics away from the zipper, as shown below. 

Now repeat that process along the other edge of the zipper. Interior right side up, then the halfway done unit (the exterior you’ve just pressed will be facing up), then place the other exterior WSU along the edge. Pin and carefully sew along the edge. When you’ve pressed it away, it’ll look like this:

Pin the strap according to the instructions on the picture below, with raw edges aligned with the raw edge of the exterior. Make sure you only pin it to the exterior piece, NOT both the exterior and interior!

Now OPEN THE ZIPPER. Seriously. Do it now. Then, place the exterior pieces RST (right sides together) and the interior pieces RST and pin all around:

Start sewing with a 1/4″ seam allowance where it says Start and finish where it says Finish. Backstitch at both ends so it doesn’t unravel. Trim the ends of the zipper. Then press seams open. Now you can fold it all right side out by placing your hand through that little opening.

Make sure you edgestitch that little interior opening closed so your stuff doesn’t fall through!

 Done! You’ve made a lovely little wristlet!

© Copyright J C Excell, 2012. You are welcome to use any SewHappyGeek tutorial for personal use. You are even welcome to make a couple to sell, but you are not given permission to use my pictures or my words without giving me credit and linking back to the original. You are NEVER allowed to copy an entire tutorial or post.
Sometimes my pictures have my family in them and they are never intended for public use. Also, I work very hard to provide free tutorials for my lovely readers, and anyone copying or selling my tutorials is guilty of copyright infringement.

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10 thoughts on “Tutorial: Easy Wristlet

  1. Still love this wristlet, the fabric is so cool! That first photo totally baffled me for a second, then I realised it was on its side, ho hum!

  2. Oh heavens, I just (seriously, 30 minutes ago) finished making a tote bag from these fabrics. DH & I are going to London in July & now I do believe I need a wristlet to match! Great tutorial, thanks

  3. I really need to make one of these for this summer. We go to a lot of beer festivals and having a big purse is quite cumbersome. Something small like this to keep my ID and some $$$ in would be perfect! And I have just the right fabric too with beer bottles and beer glasses 🙂

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