Summer colds, allergies, or whatever makes you reach for a tissue might make this a project for you. This project will hold your tissues, and you can use the zipper bag to hold your cell phone or as a cosmetic bag.

Supplies:
Two pieces of fabric 6” x 14”
Two pieces of fabric 5” x 6”
One piece of batting 6” x 14”
One nylon zipper at least 9” long

 Instructions:

1. Using a fabric pen on the right-side, mark lines about 2” apart in two directions on one of the 6” x 14” rectangles. Some artistic license can be applied here – the grid does not need to create squares nor does it need to be parallel to the fabric edges.
2. Sandwich the batting between the two 6” x 14” pieces with the marked piece up.
3. Sew on the marked lines.
4. Press.
5. Cut two pieces 5” x 6” from the quilted rectangle.
6. Fold each of the two 5” x 6” pieces of fabric in half right-side out to form two pieces 6” x 2 1/2”.

7. Place the two folded pieces on top of one of the 5” x 6” quilted pieces with the folds meeting in the center as shown. Serge all the way around the outside edges. The tissue pocket in now complete.

8. Serge all four sides of the other 5” x 6” quilted piece.
9. Unzip the zipper. Align the outside edge of one zipper tape with the edge of one of the 6” sides, right-sides together, and with the pull hanging off the fabric.
10. Using the regular sewing foot, select left needle position. Align the teeth of the zipper with the edge of the foot. Stitch the zipper in place.
11. Stitch the other side of the zipper to the other side of the bag.
12. Open out and press the seam allowances away from the zipper teeth. Topstitch along each seam to secure the seam allowances.
13. Select the Button Sew on Stitch. Set to the widest width. On both ends of the zipper, 1/4” in from the edge of the fabric rectangle, bartack across the zipper teeth. Cut the zipper tape off leaving 1/4” or so extending past the edge of the fabric.
14. Open the zipper three quarters of the length (to provide an opening for turning right-side out). Folding along the zipper, put right-sides of the fabric rectangles together. Stitch the side and bottom seams.
15. Turn through the open zipper.
16. Your One Bag – Two Uses project is complete. Normally, one would say “use it in good health,” but the tissue side is there to deal with the condition of being just slightly not in good health. So, hopefully, you seldom will need the tissue side and only occasionally will need to replace unused but tattered tissue.