Make This:

Fold In Half Wallet Cut + Sew

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I walked you through how to pattern this fold in half leather wallet.  In this post I will show you how to assemble this leather wallet so you can apply the technique to any leather wallet you might design.

Leather wallet with expanding coin pocket

If making a pattern from scratch isn’t your thing yet, you can download the pattern to make this wallet for $2USD.

 

Supplies:
Leather (or plastic vinyl) 10″ x 22″ or 17″ x 13″ | 25cm x 56cm or 43cm x 33cm
Woven Fabric (optional: fusible interfacing) 5″ x 8.5″ | 13cm x 22cm
Zipper 4″ or 5″ long | 10cm or 13cm long
Heavy Duty Thread (ideally thread designed for using with leather/fur)
Paper Pattern (Make your own pattern or buy this pattern for $2USD)

 

Tools:
Rulers
Straight Edge Blade (I used a rotary cutter and a box cutter for this project)
Awl
Cork Boards
Scissors
Leather Needles
Marker or Pen

supplies

 

Layout the pattern pieces in a way that efficiently uses the leather.  Also pay attention to any inconsistencies or blemishes in the leather that you don’t want displayed on your wallet.

layout1

Cut out each piece using a ruler and straight edge blade for best results.  For the coin pocket which has oval shaped cutouts trace the cutouts to the leather with a pen or marker.  Use a straight edge blade for the straight edges and carefully cut the rounded corners with sharp heavy duty scissors.

cuts1

cuts2

cuts3

 

Also cut out the fabric panel for the outside of the wallet (not pictured) and fuse interfacing if desired.

 

Transfer your stitching marks to each piece.  Place the leather on a cork panel (or other sturdy but soft surface you can push into) with the pattern piece carefully lined up on top.  Using an awl, punch through the pattern paper and leather to create a hole for stitching later.

punch1

 

First, we will prepare all the pieces that sew together and then we will assemble all the pieces into the final wallet.

 

With the back side of the Leather Frame facing up center the fabric facing down on the piece.  Using the inside row of stitch marks sew the fabric to the Leather Frame piece with a running stitch with filling stitch.

frame1

 

Filling running stitch:

frame2

 

Attach the zipper in the same way.  The zipper should be centered in the oval opening and sewn in place with filling running stitch.  If the zipper is longer than the oval opening (as mine was) place the zipper so the metal stopper is just inside the opening to reduce strain on the leather during use.

zipper

 

Attach the Top Pocket to the Coin Pocket next.  Place the wrong side of the Top Pocket to the right side of the Coin Pocket.  Using the pre-punched stitching marks as your guide align the pieces and sew them together with a filling running stitch.

toppocket1

toppocket2

toppocket3

 

Attach the Coin Pocket to the Bonus Pocket. Using the pre-punched stitching marks on the Coin Pocket and the Bonus Pocket for alignment attach the pieces together.  The finished sides of each piece should be touching when they are attached.  Use filling running stitch.

coinpocket1

 

Fold the Coin Pocket so the wrong sides are touching.

coinpocket2

 

The ends of the zipper stick out past the edges of the pocket.  Trim these down.  If you own pinking sheers use these to trim the tails.  Otherwise it would be wise to finish the ends with some fray check or an overhand finish to deter unraveling.

coinpocket3

 

Sew the Coin Pocket to itself along the 3 cut edges. Do not include the bonus pocket layer in this step.

coinpocket4

 

The Card Pocket sits on top of the Cash Pocket and there is a line of stitching that separates the one card pocket piece into 2 pockets.  Align these pockets with the Card Pocket wrong side touching the right (top) side of the Cash Pocket and sew this center seam through both layers.

cardpocket1

 

Now we are ready for the final construction.  We will stack all the pieces together and sew everything in place.

 

The wrong side of the Wallet Frame piece should be put against the wrong side of the Wallet Backing.  The wrong side of the Bonus Pocket and the Cash Pocket will be placed against the right side of the wallet backing.  The pieces are stacked in the correct orientation in the photo below – they just need to be lined up and sewn in place.

all1

 

Sew the layers together matching your stitch marks for all pieces.

all2

 

It might be helpful to use straight pins through the holes to help when lining everything up.  Don’t sew the Coin Pocket down as it is already attached to the Bonus Pocket and sewn closed.

all3

 

Sew all the way around the outside edge of the wallet with a filling running stitch.  This is the end result:

 

Leather wallet with expanding coin pocket

 

Leather wallet with expanding coin pocket

 

Here is the first part of how to pattern this wallet yourself.
This pattern is also available for download for $2USD.