With Father’s Day swiftly approaching, my brain started noodling easy breezy gift ideas to share with y’all. It didn’t take long for a lined vinyl dopp kit to enter my brain and, as soon as it did, I knew I had a winner on my hands.

What you’ll need:

• Half yard vinyl
• Fat quarter lining fabric
• Coordinating thread
• Wonder tape
• 14” universal zipper

Products Used:

• Brother SE1900 (AKA Alfonso)
  
• Rolling foot

Fabric Cuts:

Vinyl

• Two 13” x 9” rectangles for exterior
• Two 1” x 4” rectangles for tabs

Lining Fabric

• Two 13” x 9” rectangles

Attaching the Zipper

• Attach wonder tape to the longer edge of the wrong side of one of the vinyl pieces.
• Right side up, affix the vinyl to the top side of the zipper a few millimeters from the zipper teeth.
• Flip over and attach wonder tape to the edge of the same side of the zipper.
• Right side down, affix the longer raw edge of one rectangle of lining fabric to the edge of the zipper. If needed, you can heat set the wonder tape using the edge of an iron on medium heat.

• With the rolling foot attached, top stitch 1/8” from the edge.
• Fold the lining fabric over the stitch line, causing the vinyl & lining’s wrong sides together.
• Repeat all steps for the other side of the zipper.

• Center the foot on the zipper just inside the edge of the panels.
• Using a zigzag stitch at 6 mm wide and 0 mm long, bring the foot down and stitch for a count to five.
• Trim any zipper that extends beyond the raw edges of the vinyl.

Constructing the Pouch

• Bring the right side together of the two vinyl pieces and the two lining pieces.
• Using a 1/2” seam allowance, stitch along the long raw edges of both leaving a 4” gap along the lining stitch pass.

• Wrong sides together, fold over one of the 1” x 4” tabs.
• Center the raw edge of the tab over the seam where the two vinyl pieces meet.
• Baste in place at 1/4” from the edge.

• One on side, center the vinyl seam with the tab and the similar lining seam over the zipper teeth.
• Clip the lining close to the center. Separately and similarly, clip the vinyl.
• Before you begin sewing these closed, make sure that the zipper is at a minimum partially open.
• Using 1/2” seam allowance, stitch up the two lengths of the lining on either side of the zipper, stopping and backstitching before reaching the zipper.
• Clip the lining out of the way. Using a 1/2” seam allowance, stitch the entire length of the vinyl, including the zipper and small bit of lining that is attached to the zipper.
• Repeat all steps with the opposite side.

Squaring Off the Pouch

• Starting with one corner of the vinyl, pull of both sides of the seam, centering it on the newly formed triangle.
• Use a ruler to find the spot where there are 2 inches on both sides of the seam for a total of 4”. Mark this line.
• Stitch along this line, making two or three passes, and trim any excess beyond 1/4”.
• Follow these steps for all vinyl and lining corners.

Finishing the Dopp Kit

• Using the gap in the seam of the lining, turn the pouch right-side out.
• Before stuffing the lining in the pouch, fold over the raw edges of the gap at 1/2”.
• Clip and edge stitch closed. If you had a label, this is the perfect spot to install it.
• Insert the lining into vinyl, push out all the corners and enjoy.

Whether for Father’s Day or not, this is a quick and easy gift that is sure to bring a smile to the heart of the recipient. Happy Father’s Day.