Inserting a Zipper
What You Need
Zipper foot attachment
Seam ripper
Iron
Straight pins
Zipper
Glue stick (optional)
1 2
Line up the raw edge of the fabric with the right
sides facing each other. Straight stitch
1
2
inch
(1.25 cm) from the fabric edge.
Use your iron to open the seam and press it flat.
Zippers can be both functional and add personality
to lots of projects. Don’t let a fear of zippers keep you
from adding a professional finish to what you’re creating!
Sewing a zipper is not difficult at all; it just requires a bit
of patience. Try it a few times on scrap fabric, and before
you know it, you’ll be ready to add one to your next
purse or pillow. You can learn many different methods
to insert different types of zippers, but for now,
here are the basics for inserting a centered coil zipper.
106 Part 3: More Techniques
Notice the right and
wrong sides of the fabric.
Stitch with large basting
stitches (usually 5).
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Place the zipper facedown on the seam. Line up
the top edge of the zipper with the top edge of
the fabric.
Pin the zipper to the fabric. You can also use
a glue stick to hold the zipper in place; just be
careful not to get it near the coils and to let it dry
before sewing.
3
4
5 6
Lower the zipper foot so it sits next to the zipper
coils. Pull out the pin and backstitch a few stitches
to secure the seam.
Continue to straight stitch from the base of the
zipper up to the top. Pause with the foot down to
remove the pins as you sew.
107Chapter 8: Fasteners
Pull out the pins
before sewing.
Notice the needle is
moved to the far left.
Don’t sew over a pin;
you could break your
needle.
The zipper coil should line
up with the center seam.
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Stop with the needle down. Raise the foot and
carefully slide the zipper open so the zipper pull is
behind the foot.
Lower the foot and continue stitching to the top
edge. Raise the foot and needle, pull the fabric
out, and cut the threads.
7 8
9
10
Starting at the base of the zipper, sew across the
bottom and up the left side. Stop sewing 2 inches
(5 cm) from the top edge.
Pull the fabric out of the machine. Use a seam
ripper to remove the center basting stitches about
3 inches (7.5 cm) down. Unzip the zipper.
108 Part 3: More Techniques
Notice the needle is
moved to the far-right
side.
Be sure to keep the coils lined
up with the center seam.
Stop sewing 2 inches (5 cm)
from the top!
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Continue sewing the remainder of the zipper to
the top edge. Be sure to keep the coils lined up
with the fabric edge.
Using the seam ripper, remove the rest of the
basting stitches along the center seam. Unzip and
zip the zipper to test it.
11
12
It’s Easy to Shorten a Zipper to the Perfect Length!
Place the zipper under the standard sewing foot, or
one that works with a zigzag stitch.
Be sure that the zipper coil is face up and centered
under the machine sewing foot. You want the needle
to go back and forth over the coil.
Using your widest zigzag stitch and with your stitch
length set to 0, sew several stitches to keep the zipper
closed.
Trim the zipper about 1 inch (2.5 cm) below the
stitching. Don’t cut through the coils with your fabric
scissors—this will damage them! You can use pinking
shears or cut at an angle to create a point and prevent
fraying.
109Chapter 8: Fasteners
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