Sweet Fabric Dumplings

My first attempt at making Keyka's Dumpling zip pouch was a bit lumpy but made my 5-year-old very happy. She's holding her coin purse below, made in Riley Blake's Quite Contrary fabrics. Which is fitting since my little Miss can be quite contrary; she resembles the little girl with a curl in the middle of her forehead.... You know, the one whom when she was good she was very good, but when she was bad she was horrid? Sunshine and storms this one.

Anyway, Keyka calls for hand basting the zipper and the outer and lining fabrics. Not gonna happen. I also will not use 2 bowls in a recipe if I can get away with using one. And my result was a lumpy dumpling. I also tried to only interface the lining and not the outer fabric also.
I wonder what tutorial and recipe writers think of those who try to shortcut their directions? I can't seem to follow to the letter of either. But I had to try, especially since the generous Keyka is OK with folks selling their own dumplings made from her tutorial and I think these would be great in my shop if I can make them quickly.

So I tried again, this time with fabric that matches my purse. Success! And still I avoided hand basting. Yay!

The big difference? I clipped the zipper better as Keyka instructed and then applied it with a little tension, so that the zipper laid flat against the curve of the fabric. I also used interfacing on both the inner and outer fabric. Then I added a wrist strap and I am loving it! Thank you Keyka!



I didn't bind the short bottom seams as instructed, but zig zagged them instead. The jury is still out as to whether I'll bind the edges on the ones I make to sell. At the shop I'm in now, nothing is moving, so I want to make these quick and at a low price-point for holiday gift giving. The seams are really inconspicuous. If I can get any of my stuff in a higher end shop in the nearest city, I think I would definitely bind them.


Also, before the seams at the bottom of the zipper are stitched, the dumpling is mostly flat, and I think if I use fusible fleece to interface the outer fabric, it would lend itself nicely to a bit of free motion quilty goodness.

Now I'm off to stitch. What have you been stitching on? Have you made these dumplings before? They're yummy!

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