Pyramid Power Bag Class

Three weeks ago I took a class called Pyramid Power Gift Bags. We were to learn how to use a Jelly Bean zipper in a funky shaped bag. The instructor was a school teacher who does sewing classes as a side-job. She was a very pleasant instructor with the right demeanor and temperament to teach us old-lady-set-in-our-ways quilters. (OK maybe that's just me I'm talkin' about!)

I liked getting some good instruction on when to use which stabilizer and how to make bags have lots of body. In this project we used different weight stabilizers in both the outside of the bag and the lining. It never occurred to me to do both.

I chose not to use a Jelly Bean zipper but instead use a Jelly Freedom zipper, where you cut the zipper to your specific length then add the zipper pull later. We were supposed to cut the pieces prior to class but I did not do that because my fabric is directional. I did not want to end up cutting everything sideways, if that makes any sense. 

Since the class was small, I worried needlessly about taking up the instructor's time just to get my pieces cut. I cut them during the class then waited for instruction to install the zipper. The instructor showed me how the zipper goes in and I stitched it down. Once I had it installed and top-stitched in place, I sewed the rest of the seams to complete the project. Only there was a problem...

The fabric was directional! I got it cut in the right direction but when I put the zipper on, I did it upside-down. Arrrgghh...Even though it was my fault, I do wish the instructor would have taken notice and mentioned that the finishing seam directions mattered. Oh well...it was a learning experience for everyone.