my new green wallet

After finishing my Charlie Bag earlier this week, I just had to make a wallet to go inside.  I used some leftover fabric from this messenger bag.  It was simple to put together really.  It just stole some extra brain cells.  I may have thought more on this little project than on anything else I've made.  But I often have a pattern or visual inspiration, but this one came totally from my head.

I included plenty of slots to hold my cards, but I do wish I had a few more.  I just have so many cards to carry these days and my insurance cards are hiding behind the top slots where I really want my receipts to go.  But I'll figure it out . . . probably by adding a small pouch that attaches to the wallet (notice that I planned ahead by attaching a D-ring to the side).

But my biggest success with this project was the pocket zipper where I keep my coins.  I've never sewn a zipper quite like this before.  Well, I did give it a go with a gym bag that I made for my sister last Christmas but I didn't know what I was doing then.  I think this one looks pretty sharp and I'm really proud of myself.  I even put lining on the inside of this zippered pocket so the zipper seams wouldn't show.  Pretty fancy if you ask me.

The only thing that I would have done differently with this wallet is to add more interfacing.  I put one lightweight layer in the middle because I knew I would add extra bulk and stability with the pockets.  Those parts of the wallet are very stable, but the top flap is super flimsy and it takes me a few extra seconds to unvelcro the opening.  This small issue is not a deal-breaker.  I still really like the wallet, but I know myself well enough to forsee slight annoyance in the future (like when I drag two active little kids to the store with me, stay too long browsing for nothing, and then have to try and quickly pay before one wonders off and the other yells at me for taking too long standing in one place).

So this project definitely goes on my wall of successes.  And I do think it goes well with my new Charlie Bag.