Camp Sew N Sew - Box Bag project

This project for Camp Sew N Sew 2012 is based on several tutorials I have read online, blending the techniques and adding a few of my own to keep it simple. Here is a PDF of slightly modified instructions for easy printing.

Materials:

• One 12.5 x 17.5 inch piece of quilted fabric (outisde fabric, batting, inside fabric), available at most chain sewing stores. You may want to cut this with pinking sheers or zigzag the edge so it won't fray.
• One zipper - must be at least 12 inches long. I prefer a 22 inch zipper even though it finishes at 12 inches.
• 10 inches cotton twill belting about 1 inch wide for the tabs.
• 5-6 inches of narrow ribbon for zipper pull

Directions:

Figure 1

1. Open zipper completely and place one side of it, face down on one short side of the fabric, aligning raw edge of fabric with zipper tape. Align the top of the zipper with the raw edge of the fabric. Excess zipper will hang off the other end.
2. Put the zipper foot on your machine and position it so that you can sew closely to the zipper teeth. Double-check that the zipper tape, not the zipper teeth, is next to the fabric edge. Sew this side of the zipper down.
3. Close the zipper and make sure the first side is sewn correctly.
4. With the zipper closed, wrap the other side of the fabric around and place one pin in the other side so you can see where to begin sewing the other side. The pin is there just to make sure you don't twist the zipper when you sew the other side.
5. Now with that one pin in place, open the zipper completely. Finish pinning the zipper to this remaining side, aligning zipper tape with edge of fabric. Also align the top of the zipper with the edge of the fabric so that it matches the other top of zipper.
6. With the zipper foot still on machine, stitch the second side of the zipper in place. Close zipper and admire your work. There is still a long tail of excess zipper hanging off one end. Don't trim yet.
7. Turn zipper to the wrong side and, using the zipper foot still, top stitch on the outside about 1/4 inch away. You may need to change the zipper foot to the other side. Zipper teeth will be exposed. 
8. Your bag is now a tube. With the wrong side on the outside, flatten out the tube so that the zipper is in the center. Pin the open ends of the tube in place. Open the zipper just a little.
9. If you want the little tabs on the end, cut the belting into two 5 inch pieces, fold in half, and insert them into each end, centered under the zipper. Make sure the raw edges of the belting is aligned with the raw edges of the bag. That is the folds should be hidden from view.
10. Sew the ends together with about a 1/2 inch seam allowance.
11. Make sure the zipper is still partially open.
12. With the bag still wrong-side-out, pinch each corner, creating a boxed effect. See red stitching line in Figure 1. Stitch this red line - it is about 3 inches long. Repeat for each of the four corners.
13. Turn bag right-side-out and make sure that everything is complete. 



Inside of box bag

14. Now you may turn the bag wrong side out and trim off the triangles of each of the 4 boxed corners. You may also trim off any excess zipper now.
15. Thread a small ribbon through the opening in the zipper pull and tie in a knot.

Finished box is about 3 inches high, 9 inches wide, and 5 inches deep.