Triangle Zipper Coin Purse

After being inspired by the wrapped glutinous rice dumpling (Zòngzi) of a Chinese traditional festival, DuanWu Festival, I sewed some triangle zipper coin purse recently. In fact, today is the actual date of DuanWu Festival which falls on every 5th day of 5th month of the Lunar calendar.

[To read more about DuanWu Festival, click here. To read more about Zongzi, click here. Related sport for the festival: dragon boat competition. Source: Wikipedia.]

This 3-D Triangle Zipper Coin Purse is actually in the form of tetrahedron shape with 3 triangles on the sides and 1 triangle on the base, other names of a tetrahedron is “triangular pyramid”. The tetrahedron shape makes a good coin purse that is suitable to keep small change and also for the ease of getting the correct coin at a quick glance.

I used brown as the main color for the purses to resemble the color of the cooked bamboo or reed leaves of the wrapping. And, add a cord or ribbon to mock the tying string to hold the filling in the wrapping. To mimic the triangle zipper coin purse even further, I quilted diagonally on the purse to make it looks similar to the reed leaf grain.

If you look closer to the main photo of the triangle zipper coin purse, I sewed 2 different positions for the zipper, one on the triangle slope (left) and one at the center of the triangle (right). Both of them are basically made from the same method, the only difference is how to sew the sides of the purse (step-by-step photo #14).

Triangle Zipper Coin Purse

Materials:
1. Fabric – 2pcs. of 5″ x 5″
2. Lining fabric – 2pcs. of 5″ x 5″
3. Zipper end covers – 2pcs. of 2″ x 1 1/2″
4. Batting – 2pcs. of 4″ x 4″
5. Zipper – 3″ (I used 4″ metal zipper shorten to 3″)
6. Decorative cord or ribbon, approx. 18″

Tools:
1. Sewing machine with a normal presser foot
2. Zipper foot
3. Sewing kits
4. Erasable fabric marker
5. Ruler
6. Knitting needle or something blunt but pointy for adjusting the corners.

Cut fabrics & batting according to the dimension above.
For fabric & lining, 5″ x 5″ size is already included 1/2″ seam allowance. Draw sewing lines on the wrong side of the fabrics with a fabric marker or pencil.

Draw a diagonal line on the center of the fabrics with a ruler and erasable fabric marker.

Pin batting on the wrong side of the fabrics. Trim the batting to follow the fabric sewing lines if necessary.

Stitch diagonally on the right side of the fabric with a sewing machine.
Use the presser foot as a guide, sew parallel lines across the entire piece.

Finished diagonal quilting on both sides of the purse fabrics.
Set aside.

Cover both zipper’s ends with the 2″ x 1 1/2″ fabrics.
Fold the raw edges on the 1 1/2″ side and sew a narrow hem before covering the zipper’s end.
Fold the 2″ length into half and cover the end (trim the raw edges on the zipper end if necessary), pin to secure the position.

Change your presser foot to zipper foot, sew on the other 3 sides, except the one across the metal zipper.
Repeat the same to the other end.

Now you have 2 pcs. of quilted purse fabrics, 2 lining fabrics, and a zipper ready for sewing into triangle purse.

Pin the zipper on the purse fabric with the right side together.
Normally, I don’t draw any sewing line on the zipper, I use the grainline on the zipper as a guide, which is normally between 3/8″ to 1/4″ from the center.
Sew on the seam allowance to secure the zipper in place. Remove pins.

Now, pin the lining on the zipper and purse fabric, with the right side together.
Sew on the sewing line with a zipper foot. Remove pins.

Turn the purse fabric and lining down, and zipper up. One side is done.

Repeat the above 3 steps to the other side of the zipper.

Bring the purse fabrics together with right side facing each other, do the same to the lining.
Bend the zipper’s edge down to the lining’s side.
Pin both sides of the purse’s fabric and lining.

Cut 3″ cord as a purse loop and place between the purse fabrics, on the zipper head side.
Sew both sides and leave a 2 1/2″ opening on the lining for turning the purse right side out.
Tip: if you want to do make the one on the right-hand side of the main photo, sew base and zipper head side. Instead of 2 parallel sewings, it becomes a ” ] “, aka base-side-base.

Grab the unsewn side (which is the base for this instance), turn the purse with sides meeting at the center. Pin it to secure.
Do the same to the lining and bring the lining to the purse fabric.

Sew both purse fabric and lining fabric together, with lining opening facing up.

Turn the purse right side out from the opening. It may seem a little too chunky to go through the small opening, as long as you turn each fabric through one by one, you will be fine.
Use a knitting needle or something pointy but blunt to shape the corners.

Fold the balance of the cord into half and stitch the center to the center of the purse bottom.

Tie a knot or ribbon to the purse loop. Trim the cord to your liking.
A triangle coin purse that looks like a wrapped rice dumpling is completed!