Are you afraid of zippers? Do you shy away from patterns that use them because you “just don’t wanna”? Do you deprive yourself the gratification of structured wovens because they require closures? If you answered “yes” or even “yeah…kinda” to any of these questions, then by golly this post is for you!
Sewing zippers is a lot simpler than most beginner sewists believe. Which is very unfortunate because there are so many reasons to love zippers. They open an entire sewing world to you that is otherwise shut without them. You can wear structured clothing – giving yourself all the controlled curvature you could ever dream of. You can sew custom jackets so you don’t have to smear makeup down your face pulling a hoodie over your head. Heck, you can even put on a dress or a pair of pants without having to do the hokey pokey.
With a little coaching and a lot of awesomeness, you’ll be adding this suckers to your projects left and right!
The Anatomy of a Zipper
Before we really break down the anatomy of a zipper, you’ll need to understand the two basic classes of zippers – closed bottom and separating.
Closed Bottom – A closed bottom zipper has a bar that goes across both sides of the base of the zipper (called the bottom stop), which keeps the zipper in one piece.
Separating – A separating zipper, well, you guessed it – separates. These are typically found in jackets and coats.
Now that we know the difference between those two, let’s take a look at the anatomy of a zipper:
Pieces Explained
- Top Stop – Prevents your slider from coming off the top of the zipper
- Slider Body – Joins and separates the teeth as it slides up and down
- Pull Tab – What you use to move the Slider Body up and down
- Teeth/Chain – Hold the zipper together
- Tape – The fabric that the Teeth/Chain is attached to
- Bottom Stop – Prevents your slider from coming off of the bottom of the zipper (closed bottom zippers only)
- Insertion Pin – Secures the opposing side of the zipper in the Retainer Box (separating zippers only)
- Retainer Box – Secures the zipper together and prevents your slider from coming off of the bottom of the zipper (separating zippers only)
Editor’s Note: Enjoying this zipper lesson? Put it to use on our Bravado Jeans!
Different Types of Zippers
There are three main types of zippers that you will come across – coil, stamped plastic, and stamped metal.
Coil
Coil zippers are a popular lightweight zipper. The teeth are made of coiled nylon or polyester that is either stitched or woven into the tape. The way it is constructed makes is very flexible. This makes it a great choice for knit jackets or other lightweight projects. The texture of the teeth is a lot more subtle than the plastic or metal zipper teeth as well which may make it a good choice for bags and pockets where you don’t want your zipper standing out.
Molded Plastic
Molded plastic zippers have the teeth molded and melted directly onto the zipper tape. This construction uses very cheap materials which usually make them the most cost-effective option. The shape of the teeth makes them a bit stiffer than the coil zippers. Molded plastic zippers are great for children’s clothing, tote style bags and more.
Metal
Metal zippers have metal teeth that are clamped onto the zipper tape. This makes them incredibly durable. They are perfect for heavy-duty coats, duffle bags, and leather projects. While you might like the statement the metal teeth make in your apparel, be careful of the weight! They are far heavier than their nylon, polyester and plastic counterparts. Another thing to be cautious of is that they tend to “stick” a bit more than the others. Meaning the slider doesn’t move as smoothly up and down the teeth as the other two, especially when compared to the coil.
Invisible Zippers
Invisible zippers are a little different than the others. The teeth of an invisible zipper are on the backside of the zipper. This means that once it is sewn into your project, the zipper itself should not be visible from the right side. These are commonly used in formal wear and many styles of dresses.
Let’s take a look at the different types of zippers in action:
Zipper Size
When you are shopping for zippers you may see a little # symbol with the zipper size next to it. This number is referring to the size of the zipper teeth, measuring from one outer edge of the teeth to the other.
The width between these two edges in millimeters is the zipper size. In the picture below I have two different metal zippers in different sizes.
| Zipper Number | General Size | Good For |
|---|---|---|
| 1-4 | Small | formal clothing, cushions, handbags, skirts, dresses, pants. |
| 5-7 | Medium | jackets, duffel bags, tents, purses, backpacks, luggage, boots. |
| 8-10 | Large | industrial clothing, vehicle covers, upholstery, canvas tents. |
Weight Considerations
When choosing a zipper, weight should be a consideration. For example, I put two 24″ zippers on the scale – one nylon coil and one stamped metal:
As you can see, the metal zipper weighs just over 4 times as much as the nylon coil. If you are sewing garments with zippers, you will want to factor in this weight. If you are sewing with a lighter weight knit fabric, a metal zipper may be too heavy and pull down on the fabric. This can make it sag throughout the day.
Tools Necessary for Working with Zippers
If you are ready to sewing yourself some zippers, there are a few things you’ll want to snag first.
Zipper Foot
The only absolute necessity for sewing with zipper is a zipper foot. There are two different types of zipper feet – regular and invisible. These feet are necessary because they allow you to sew close to the teeth. An invisible zipper foot are made specifically for invisible zippers and are not necessary for other zipper types.
DO NOT USE A UNIVERSAL FOOT when sewing zippers. A universal foot will force the teeth away from the needle. It will result in curse words and tears.
Pliers for Shortening
Coil and molded plastic zippers can be cut through with scissors if you need to shorten them. Metal zippers, however, require you to snip and pull off some teeth prior to shortening.
I love the look of metal zippers, so I have a stash of 26″ lengths in a variety of colors and keep my zipper snippers and pliers close by to shorten them to whatever size I need.
Invisible Tape
Yes, tape. The clear tape you use to wrap your presents with. Tape those zippers down to keep them from slipping around as you sew.
Stabilizing Tape
If you are sewing a zipper onto a knit fabric, you will want to stabilize it with stabilizing tape (also called wonder tape, wash away tape or stay tape). This will keep the fabric from stretching as you sew it on.
So what do you think? You ready to sew up a zipper yet? Leave any questions or comments below!