Tips for Mastering Zippers

Untangling the mystery of zippers...

When I got back into sewing seven years ago to make my first ever non-clothing project (apart from curtains in Home Ec), my mom complimented me on my zippers. Then she told me that she has never liked doing them. This from a woman who had sewn most of her own clothes back in the sixties and seventies and had to have installed a zipper in virtually every garment.

How did I feel approaching my first zipper in almost three decades? Sewing up the front zippered pocket of the Professional Tote was one of the first steps of the project. I don't recall it giving me any trouble and remember thinking, this feels like familiar territory.

Yes, sewing zippers is a lot like riding a bike. ;-)

Zipper tape by the yard and zipper pull...

That said, until I had installed a few more of them, I was always making sure to read carefully, to ensure that the exterior and lining fabric pieces were oriented the right way.

A few years later, I made my first purchase of zipper tape by the yard and had to learn how to install zipper pulls. As a result of one of my earliest projects using said zipper tape, I also had to troubleshoot what to do when zipper teeth separate behind the zipper pull.

When I came across a tip that made the insertion of a zipper pull onto the tape so much easier a couple of weeks ago, I figured it was high time to write a post about mastering zippers. Hopefully if you're a little wary about zippers in general, the following info will raise your confidence level like it did mine.

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The ABCs of a Zipper Sandwich

Did you think that only quilters talked about "sandwiches"?

Several years ago, I struggled through a project with multiple zippered pockets. While the process of installing the zippers was definitely not new to me, it was painful how many times I had to check to see if I was laying out the fabrics correctly.

Do you remember when you made your first lined, zippered pouch? Do you recall how odd and backwards the steps seemed to be, even though they produced perfect results in the end?

No? Do you still need to have your hand held while making a basic lined zippered pouch? There's no shame in that. But if you take the time to understand a set of rules that you can apply, it clears up the process immensely.

The question is, what exactly needs to be done to install a zipper between two fabrics — i.e., to create a "zipper sandwich" — regardless of any other specifics? Turns out there are three criteria that you can use as a checklist for success.

Making a "zipper sandwich"...

In the pictures above and below, the lining fabric is the paisley print; the exterior fabric is the purple print. (The photos are from a freebie project of mine, the mini retro reticule.)

A. The right sides of both fabrics must face each other

In figures 1 and 2 above, you see a zipper pinned between two fabrics. Figure 1 shows the lining fabric with right side up and the zipper on top of it; figure 2 shows the second piece of fabric right side down on top of that assembly.

Therefore, the right sides of both fabrics are facing each other, with the zipper in between.

B. The right side of the zipper faces the exterior fabric

In figure 1, you can see that the zipper is right side up on top of the lining fabric. Once the exterior fabric is placed right side down on top of this assembly, the right side of the zipper will be facing the exterior fabric, as shown in figure 2.

C. All three raw edges stack up evenly along one side

This third point ensures that you don't sew the fabrics to the wrong side of the zipper tape. As shown in figure 2, all three edges — of the lining fabric, the exterior fabric, and the zipper tape — line up; i.e., if half of the zipper tape is sticking out past the edges of the two fabrics, you've got it wrong.

The photos below show how these three criteria continue to apply to "the other side" of whatever the zipper is joining, whether it be the other half of a coat or a pouch.

Continuing the "zipper sandwich"...

Figure 3 shows the results of sewing the seam from figure 2 above. After sewing, the fabrics are flipped to their right sides and usually, there is some pressing and top-stitching done alongside the zipper.

Figure 4 shows the continuation of the process. The zipper — even though it is now attached to a couple of pieces of fabric — is again placed on top of the right side of the lining fabric, with the zipper right side up.

Completing the "zipper sandwich"...

When the final exterior fabric piece is placed on top of this assembly (as shown above), it will meet the criteria of A) being right sides together with the lining, B) facing the right side of the zipper, and C) having all raw edges stacked up evenly on one side.

So there you have it: the ABCs of making a zipper sandwich!

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Foolproof Zipper Head/Pull Installation

Let's put it this way: this is as foolproof as it gets. (If you're like me and have attached fewer than ten zipper pulls in your lifetime, then actual practice is really what's needed.) I don't want to guarantee anything, but doing it this way will surely improve your chances of success.

This works regardless of whether the zipper tape is currently in two pieces (i.e., completely separated into two halves) or whether it is still joined.

Installing a zipper pull onto a joined zipper tape..

Step 1: Cut a "v" shape into the top of the zipper tape where you will be "loading" the zipper head. (If you want, apply some Fray Check or glue to stiffen the ends.)

Installing onto
separated zipper
tape...

Step 2: Separate the zipper teeth slightly if still joined and ease one side of the zipper tape into the zipper pull. (Make sure you're feeding the zipper tape into the curved end of the zipper pull.) You should feel as though the teeth are "catching" inside. Then ease the other half of the zipper tape into the other side of the zipper pull.

Step 3: Here is where it gets easier. Grasp the two ends of the "v" shape with the fingers of one hand while you pull on the zipper head with your other hand. It should slide on with no problem.

Whether this works for you on the first try or the fifth, you may wind up with some frazzled zipper tape. Hopefully, you have enough length to allow you to cut off the damaged part without adversely affecting your sewing project.

BONUS TIP #1: Always, always start off with more zipper tape than you need if you're going to be fiddling around with zipper pulls.

BONUS TIP #2: If you find yourself just slightly short on usable zipper length, add fabric "tabs" at each end to make up the difference. (They will actually make it easier to sew up the side seams later.)

Troubleshooting a Common Zipper Problem

Zippers are generally self-repairing, right? So if the teeth come apart behind the zipper head, all you have to do is pull it back and it should fix itself.

Or not.

Most of the time, you'll likely resolve the issue by pulling it back and forth, but on the odd occasion, the separation may persist.

Is your zipper separating behind the slider?

The good news is that there's a fix for that. Grab a pair of small needle nose pliers and you'll have the problem solved in no time. Clamp down very gently on both sides of the zipper head as shown.

Tackle it with a pair of pliers...

The problem is likely that the zipper head is not tight enough to join the zipper teeth as it slides over them.

Problem fixed!

When this happens with old zippers, the simple explanation is that over time, zipper heads just wear out. (Depending on how old, the slider may actually break if you try to fix it this way.) If you're dealing with new zipper tape and heads — as was the case with me — it's probably that they're just slightly mismatched in size.

Anyway, those were my tips for mastering zippers. If even one of them is of assistance to you in future, my job here is done!