Zipper Challenge

I don’t think I really had a good tag for this post, which means I will probably never be able to find it again. 😉 It is all about zippers.

I am faithfully following the pattern for the Poolside Tote. This is the third Poolside Tote I have sewed.  I am not sure why, but I always have trouble with different parts.

This time I struggled with the facing. I also wondered about the zipper. On mom’s version and on my knitting bag, I just used slip pockets. On this version, I cut zipper pockets, which I didn’t remember. I guess it forced me to make pockets with zippers.

Zipper pocket
Zipper pocket

The directions for the pockets were pretty good. I didn’t have much trouble except for lining up the stitching. One side is hidden, so I leapt that hurdle. The only question I had was about the size of the zipper. The pattern called for a 10 inch zipper and that just seems weird to me. It seems too small. There are holes at the ends and no directions for zipper tabs. Obviously, I can make my own zipper tabs, but I just wonder why the designer asks for such a small zipper. I wonder if a 12 inch zipper would be better?

Are there rules for the size of zippers one includes in patterns??

This is not the end of the world. The zipper works fine and nobody will put something so small in the pocket that it will fall out if the bag falls over. This is just a puzzle about which I am curious. I might try the bag again with a 12 inch zipper.

Author: JayeL

Quiltmaker who enjoys writing and frozen chocolate covered bananas.