How to make a coin purse

1. Materials & tools

Materials (one purse, standard size)

• Outer (canvas or Oxford cloth) — about 30 × 15 cm
• Lining (light cotton) — about 30 × 15 cm
• A zip, 12 cm or longer — 1
• Lightweight fusible interfacing — about 30 × 15 cm
• Sewing thread

Tools

• Sewing machine (or needle and thread)
• Fabric marker or pencil
• Ruler and scissors
• Iron
• Pins or clips

2. Make the pattern (auto-generated in Katagami)

With the Katagami pattern tool, you just enter the finished size and it drafts a seam-allowance-included pattern, tiled to print at actual size on Letter or A4.

1. Open the tool
   Open the pattern tool and choose “Bags” → “Coin purse” from the tabs at the top.
2. Enter the size
   Enter the width, the height and the gusset. Presets cover small, standard and large.
3. Set the seam allowance
   Use the slider at the bottom (beginners: 1.0–1.5 cm / about 3/8–5/8 in).
4. Print
   Press “Print (actual size)”, then in the print dialog set Scale = 100% and turn “Fit to page” OFF. Check the 50 mm calibration box on the first guide sheet with a ruler.

3. Cutting the fabric

1. Trace the pattern
   Lay the pattern on the wrong side and trace both lines.
2. Cut the pieces
   Two outer and two lining.
3. Fuse the interfacing
   Fusing the outer stops it going out of shape.
4. Transfer the notches
   Mark the zip position on the top edge.

4. Sewing

4-1. Sandwich the zip

1. Lay an outer piece right side up, the zip face down on top, then a lining piece face down.
2. Sew the top edge through all three. A zipper foot lets you sew close to the teeth.
3. Repeat on the other side of the zip with the remaining pieces.

4-2. Turn out and topstitch

1. Fold outer and lining away from the zip and press.
2. Topstitch beside the teeth so the fabric does not catch in the zip.

4-3. Sew round the outside

1. Open the zip halfway first. Sewn shut, the purse cannot be turned.
2. Match outer to outer and lining to lining, right sides together, and sew round.
3. Leave about 6 cm open in the base of the lining.

4-4. Box the corners and turn

1. Pinch each bottom corner and sew across at the gusset width — four corners in all, outer and lining.
2. Turn through the gap and close it with ladder stitch.
3. Push the lining inside and shape.

✏️ Open the zip halfway before you sew round the outside. Sewn shut, you cannot open the zip to turn the purse through — and there is no way out of that except unpicking. It is a mistake worth guarding against every time.

5. Tips & variations

• Use a longer zip: at least 2 cm longer than the width; the excess is caught in the side seam.
• Interface it: even light fabric holds its shape once fused.
• From scraps: 30 × 15 cm is all it takes.