Facebook Email Pinterest Twitter X Instagram Tiktok Icon YouTube Icon Headphones Icon Favorite Navigation Search Icon Forum Search Icon Main Search Icon Close Icon Video Play Icon Indicator Arrow Icon Close Icon Hamburger/Search Icon Plus Icon Arrow Down Icon Video Guide Icon Article Guide Icon Modal Close Icon Guide Search Icon

Threads Project Guides

Learn to Sew

Guide Home
Chapter
Video Series

Sewing Zippers 101

Find out what makes up a zipper, how a zipper works, and how to choose the right one

Threads

Discover the parts of a zipper and how zippers work in this informative primer. Garment sewing expert Judith Neukam explains zipper tape, zipper teeth, sliders, pull tabs, and zipper stops.

She also recommends how to choose from among metal, molded, and coil zippers for your next sewing project.

Judith offer two important tips about zippers, as well. One deals with zippers that stick, and the other offers advice for what to do prior to laundering any item with a zipper closure.

This detailed tutorial is one episode in the comprehensive Teach Yourself to Sew series.


Teach Yourself to Sew

Judith, the series host, got her first taste of sewing when she took the free lessons that came with her mother’s sewing machine purchase. Judith was 9 at the time. Soon after, she was sewing her own clothes and feeding her passion for the craft. In her Teach Yourself to Sew series, Judith shares her enduring love of sewing and her invaluable years of sewing experience.

Getting started

She starts with discussing the equipment and the essential sewing notions for anyone who sews. You’ll learn about shopping for fabrics, choosing patterns (including selecting the correct size), and planning the perfect pattern layout. From machine-sewing simple seams to inserting zippers and stitching buttonholes, Judith demonstrates the key steps to making a custom garment.

Discover methods for clean-finishing seam allowances and applying facings so all edges are neat. To add shape to garments, Judith explains how and why to sew darts, and how to gather fabric for volume. Other garment elements, such as sleeves, pockets, and elasticized waistbands, are shown in easy-to-follow video tutorials.

Advancing your skills

When you’re ready to challenge yourself further, tune in to Judith’s overview of couture garments and sewing techniques. Even if you never intend to become the next Coco Chanel, you’ll learn methods that add quality to your everyday wardrobe. Find out how to perfectly match stripes, plaids, and prints; baste seams; and insert underlinings and linings.

Finally, Judith shares the basics of pattern fitting and adjustment. Her method begins at the shoulders, ensuring the garment hangs properly. Follow along as Judith shows how to create a shoulder template that you can use again and again to adjust patterns before cutting the fabric. As a bonus, you’ll even learn how to create a custom dress form so you can fit garments on a body that truly represents your true body shape.

Previous: Three Options for Modifying Pockets | Pattern Hack Next: How to Install a Zipper | Video
Discuss

Discuss

  1. User avater
    cjbuerer | | #1

    Very nice, basic introduction to zippers.

Log in or create an account to post a comment.

Learn to Sew

Learn to Sew

Discover the tools and techniques for successful results.

View Project Guide

View All Project Guides »

Become a member and get unlimited site access, including the Learn to Sew Project Guide.

Start Free Trial

Getting Started
Construction Basics
Garment Details
Fitting Fundamentals
Easy Projects