Zippers 2a

 Top opening zippers

I found this small piece of embroidery in an opportunity shop and thought I could use it as a pencil case.  That meant a top opening zipper with a lining.

The zipper was inserted the same way as No 1 a,b,c, but I didn't have room for error because of the size of the peice of embroidery. Also I find that some students do not feel confident enough to stitch the zipper between two pieces of fabric, the main fabric and the lining, so I have broken this down into easier steps.

Centre you zipper with the motive on the front, in this case the embroidery, and with right sides together stitch the zipper in position.

Pin the lining piece in position and turn your work over and stitch using you last row of machine stitching as your guide. Repeat these steps for the back.

Turn to the right side, iron flat.

Outside

Inside

At this point square up your piece , making sure your zipper in open a short way first.

Turn you piece to the wrong side, with the right sides of the main fabric together and the same with the lining.  Pin the ends of the zipper so that when you sew around the perimeter, leaving an opening at the base of the lining, the zipper ends match up. When you reach the zipper reverse stitch over the teeth to make sure the opening is secure.  (Remember that zipper should be partly open.)

Before you turn it through to the right side and stitch closed the opening in the lining, snip out the teeth of the plastic zipper up to the one before your stitching at the pull end.    This end has a lot of bulk and buckles when turned to the right side.  Removing these teeth will reduce this.

Press flat and attach a pull to the zipper for decoration.

Comments

[Rachel]

Charming - a good use for the fragment you found, and a delightful beaded pull to finish it off!

[Carolyn Foley]

It is an easy method to use.

Sent from my iPhone

[Carolyn Foley]

Thanks. It makes a nice little bag.