Bucket Bag - Inside Zippered Pocket Luxurious Leather

I added an inside zippered pocket to the lining. If you'd like to try this, here are the steps:

Cut the zipper facing template out of leather. Round the outer corners slightly. Cut out the center opening of the facing. Cut two pocket pieces out of your lining fabric. Chalk the opening, which is the length of the zipper by 1/2" wide.

Zipper facing

Chalk pocket opening

Place a pocket bag, which is 2" wider and longer than the finished pocket, behind the chalked area. Position the pocket bag so it sits at least 1" above the opening. Sew through both layers around the chalked rectangle opening.

Cut through both layers around the inside of the rectangle, close to the stitching.

Stitch around chalked line through
both the lining and one pocket bag

Trim pocket opening
close to stitching

Position zipper behind pocket opening and apply double sided Wonder Tape to the right side edges of the zipper. Center the zipper behind the cut opening. From the wrong side, stitch close to the outer edge of the zipper.

Stitched zipper.

Wrong side showing stitched zipper

Position the facing over the prepared zipper. Topstitch around the inside and outside edges of the pocket facing through all layers. The inside stitching will catch in the zipper a second time.

Finished topstitching

Finished topstitching - wrong side

Turn the lining over and attach a second pocket bag to the edges of the first pocket bag. Sew around all four edges of the pocket bags with a 1/2" seam allowance, keeping them free of the lining.

Attach the second pocket bag by sewing around all four sides

Finished zipper pocket with facing