Hi Everyone!

Inspired by Sew Mama Sew, and National Sewing Month I'm sharing a sewing tool and tip with you today on Centered Zipper Application!

The Tools:

• 1/2″ wide frosted cellophane tape
• plastic 1/8″ see-through ruler
• waxed paper
• pen or permanent marker

The Process:

• Machine-baste your zipper opening closed as per most zipper directions and press the basted seam open.
• Next, open the zipper and placing teeth along basting, machine baste the zipper to the seam allowance only (usual zipper directions)
• Using your zipper measurement as a guide, stick that length of the frosted tape to a piece of waxed paper.
• Draw a line down the center of the tape using the ruler.

Preparing the tape

• Now, carefully creep the tape along the basted opening so that the line drawn is right on top of the basting line.

• Topstitch your zipper, peel off the tape and re-stick the tape to the waxed paper for the next time!

Top stitching

All stitched

Finished

A Few Programming Notes:

• Selecting a zipper which is longer than what you need (as I did here) will eliminate “zipper gymnastics” of trying to get around the zipper tab at the top. You will cut-off the extra zipper tape AFTER you sew across the top of the zipper.
• The top-stitch length is 3-3.5 mm, and I used a lighter thread color for illustration.
• As far as which direction to sew the zipper, there are two schools of thought: Stitch from the bottom to the top, or just stitch all around starting and ending at the top. Whatever works for you and your fabric is what is important!

The first picture above shows the beginning of “Stitch from the bottom, etc.” When I did the second side, I was not happy with how it looked so I took it out and re-did it using the “Start and end at the top” method.

In choosing to start at the bottom, it is crucial to pull your threads to the inside and hand-tie them so no one knows where you stopped and started!

Take a look at other tips shared at Sew Mama Sew and celebrate National Sewing month with a new tool or technique!