Zipper Adjustment

You’re in a hurry to get dressed and wouldn’t you know it, your zipper gets caught in the fabric of your outfit. You know you don’t have time to get it unstuck, so you change into something else. What do you do with the outfit with the stuck zipper? You might need to have the zipper replaced but can you do a zipper adjustment yourself? Many people have problems installing zippers. In fact, if they’re in the least bit interested in sewing, they may entirely avoid making any clothing which requires a zipper. While installing a zipper can be frustrating, they shouldn’t keep you from making something you want. Zippers can be found in a many colors and sizes to match nearly any type of fabric you could imagine. Of course, installing a zipper requires you to have a sewing machine and know something about sewing. The job can be done more easily and cost effective by someone experienced with these types of clothing alterations. When it’s time to put the zipper in, your seamstress may do something similar to the following: turn your fabric inside out. Draw the fabric together as if the zipper were already placed. Lay the zipper down with the top exactly where it’ll be when the clothing is finished. Place the pins on top of the zipper going through the cloth of the zipper, through the clothing, and then back up through the zipper fabric. Turn the fabric over and place pins over the top of the other pins. Then remove the pins from the inside of the fabric so the only ones you see are on the right side of the fabric. Be sure to leave the zipper pull at the top as if the zipper were zipped. Start at one side of the zipper near the top pin. Sew along the zipper as close as possible to the teeth sewing down one side of the zipper. At the bottom reinforce the stitching by going forward and reverse several times before going up the other side back to the top. Once the zipper is installed, take the pins out. Sew as close to the teeth without sewing into them, your clothing should be ready to place the waistband on it. Of course, if the job requires making a lined skirt or slacks, there’s a little bit more work to go, but at least the zipper is in place. Fixing zippers is similar to installing them. Start by finding the problem with the zipper. It may be a missing tooth, a place where the zipper is stuck in the fabric, or the zipper can’t be fixed and needs to be replaced. To fix a missing tooth at the bottom of the zipper, open the zipper until you’ve reached just above the missing tooth. Sew around the broken tooth through both sides of the zipper and create a new zipper stop. While this is one way of fixing zippers, it won’t work if the problem is at the top of the zipper. Repair a missing pull tab quickly by placing a safety pin in the hole of the zipper. This fix will work for some clothing, but it may not be the best choice for fine clothing. These instructions are part of making zipper adjustments, installing zippers, and fixing them. Take your clothing to a professional alterations business and they can do the repairs for you.

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