How to Sew a Lined Pouch with a Zipper top

Last week on Roxanne's blog she showed a beautiful zippered pouch she'd made, mentioning that she had to hand stitch in the lining. When she asked if anyone could suggest another method, I decided to try my hand at giving a tutorial. Here's a method that has you stitch in the lining at the same time you attach the zipper to the face fabric.

Here's the outside of the pouch, front and back alongside of the lining pieces (the striped fabric). The pins at the top of each piece are place to show the center of the top edge where the zipper will be sewn.
Top edge of the pouch front, center marked. Zipper right side up with center marked.
Zipper is placed right side (which would be the side you see when you grab the zipper pull to zip and unzip a zipper ) down, with pins that mark center matched up. Keep the edge of the zipper tape lined up with the top edge of the pouch's front piece (which is right side up). Feel free to pin the zipper down all along the top edge if you want.
Now, before stitching the zipper to the pouch front, you add the lining piece. Once this is pinned into place, you are ready to sew! I used a zipper foot and sewed 1/4" seam along the top edge. I started and finished this seamline 1/4" in from each side edge. As you can see in the following photo.

The reason why I started and stopped 1/4" from the sides, is to help me with making the side seams. Why 1/4"? That is what my seam allowance is for my side seams. By stopping my stitching along the top edge the measurement of the side seams, I can keep the zipper tape out of my side seams which results in easier sewing and a neater looking finished pouch. *** Oh, and let's not forget that it should prevent you from accidentally busting a needle because you shouldn't encounter the zipper's endstop (that metal staple which marks the end of the zipper) when you stitch your side seams.
After stitching the top edge and attaching the zipper to both the front piece and the lining in just one seam, this is what it will look like with right sides of the front and lining facing up. Now you're ready to do the back and its lining.
Again, you're going to make the centers on the zipper tape and the back piece match up with their right sides together.
Now you will pin the lining on top of the zipper. The right side of the lining is facing down. You can pin all across this top edge before sewing if you want. Remember to start and stop this stitching the width of your side seam (in my case, this was 1/4" in from the side edge).

After stitching this is what my pouch looks like from what will be the pouch's inside.
Here's the outside view.
Now you're ready to stitch the side seams. At this point you must UNZIP the zipper. This step is VERY IMPORTANT. If you do not do this you can end up not being able to turn your pouch right side out after sewing.

Lay your pieces right sides to rights sides. Lining with lining and pouch front on top of pouch back. Stitch each side seam (this will be four seams), making sure to backstitch at the start and end of each. Sew all the way across the bottom edge of just the front/back pieces and then with the lining you only stitch part way in on this because you need to leave an opening for turning the pouch. **In this pattern the corners are left open for the moment.
Here's a close-up to show you that you stitch right to the top edge on each of the side seams. You may prefer using your zipper foot so you can get in as close as possible as you are manipulating the zipper tape out of the way of this seam. You do not want to stitch into your zipper tape. You also must be sure that the zipper pull is located to the inside of your side seam. If the pull is not positioned there at the time you stitch up your side seams, your zipper will not be able zip!
After finishing the side seams, stitching the bottom closed on the pouch's bottom - remembering to leave part of the bottom of the lining open for reversing; it's time to sew the corners. The open corners are folded so that the side seam and the bottom seam match up. This forms a base. Stitch across the open edge.

Here's a shot of the open corners stitched up to form the base in the lining. Note the opening left in the bottom seam of the lining so that I can turn my pouch right side out.
Here it is turned right side out. Now all I have to do is stitch the opening left in the lining. The best part of this pouch's design? No handstitching the lining to the zipper!