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How to Sew a Zipper: Helpful Hacks
National Sewing Circle EditorsDescription
Sewing zippers can be one of the most intimidating, and sometimes frustrating, part of a sewing project.
It always seems like the zipper or top fabric – or both – want to move around.
Here are some tips and tricks that can make sewing zippers a little easier:
1. Pin, Pin, Pin
Pin the zipper to just the first layer of fabric, and put pins in every 4 to 5 inches.
Then, lay the other fabric on top as your pattern directs and pin it to the zipper and first fabric. It will look like you’ve over pinned, but that’s okay!
The more you can do to keep the zipper in place, the better.
2. Keep Left!
While sewing, keep your fingers on the left side of the zipper. Don’t push though, just keep your fingers there firmly so that the zipper does not slip to the left.
Also, keep your right fingers pressed firmly on the right side of the zipper. Again, this helps it not slip from side to side.
3. Have Good Pin Karma?
If you have good pin karma, don’t remove the pins while sewing! Just sew right over them, and then take them out when you are done.
If you do not have good pin karma, try putting in your pins horizontally instead of vertically so that they’re parallel to the edge of the fabric. Just make sure that the pinhead will be facing you as you sew so that they are easy to pull out.
4. Go slow. No Rush Here!
Unless you are in a speed sewing contest, there’s no need to rush when sewing zippers. Going slower will allow you to watch what is happening and stop if things get wonky.
5. Utilize Basting Tape
Basting tape is always a great option for really pesky zippers that just don’t want to stay put.
Basting tape is a thin, double-sided tape that you put on the zipper tape or fabric first. Then, you remove the paper backing from the other side of the tape and place the zipper where you’d like it.
6. Firmly Press
Once you have the zipper placed, press it firmly with your fingers.
Do the same thing with the other layer of fabric so that your zipper is sandwiched however your pattern directs. No pins needed, your zipper will not budge, and you will not have bubbles!
That’s It!
So whether you decide to jump right off the zipper cliff and start tackling projects that include tons of zippers, or you just go out and buy a bunch of zippers on sale to use for practice, the best way to get better at this intimidating skill is to start playing with the tricks listed above and practice, practice, practice. You’ll soon realize there is no need to be afraid – you can do it!
Related Videos:
- How to Install a Zipper
- How to Shorten a Zipper
- Sewing a Lapped Zipper
- Sewing Zippers: Zipper Projects and Fun Ideas
- How to Sew a Zippered Pouch
Get in touch! Leave a comment or email editor@nationalsewingcircle.com
When installing a center zipper there's many ways and methodologies to do so. The basic is to go ahead and do your basting stitches for the length of the zipper. So you kind of lay this down on your seam allowance you know how far to baste. And then you go back to your normal seam stitch length after the zipper and you open it up and iron this flat. This is the easy part, right?
You're getting your zipper in evenly, your seam allowance here. But now it's really applying the zipper on top. That can be fun and or frustrating sometimes. I've heard of people pinning their zippers in and then flipping it over to sew and then pulling the pins out as you go, or hand basting it. I have a trick that I think really cuts out the time in any of the bulk you can get from pinning, and that's using good old, transparent tape.
So what you do is you lay your zipper down right in the center of your seam allowance, and we're going to make sure we have it starting right up top like we'd like. We double check that the teeth are in the center of the seam and we just roll it down. And we lay a piece of transparent tape right over it. And we use that to secure it down. And don't be stingy with your tape.
And sometimes I am stingy with my tape but, it always helps to have more tape than not because you have 5/8 to catch, plus a little of the fabric. As you can see, I'm still need to cut my tape a little bigger. Just keep rolling this down in the center and taping it down. And what we're going to do, make sure the end is right. You roll it down.
Tape yourself. It's like taping a Christmas present. So now all we have to do is flip it over and sew it down. We're going to sew right through the transparent tape and you can sew whatever distance you want from the teeth. The teeth will be in the center.
Use your zipper foot. Stitch down. And once you're done stitching, flip it back over and all you have to do is peel the tape off, and you're done. Just don't iron the tape to the fabric. Make sure before you do any ironing you're not ironing the tape down.
And otherwise [Indistinct] there'll be no stick left on your fabric, and it's a nice, easy removal and a quick way to get a zipper in.
your an angel, thank you so much, 40 years of sewing and i have struggled with zippers, that is the easiest way i have ever put in a zipper. Many Thanks my dear.