Now, there’s a leading title for a thread. Heh. We all just flashed on Madeline Kahn from “Blazing Saddles”.
I need to make a futon cover, to match decor in a room that’s new in the house. Moon 'n Stars. Deep blue, nice stars everywhere. That’s the idea, anyway. Most of the room is a pale blue with dark blue trim, but here and there we have a chance to have some fun and so we are.
Glow in the dark stars for the ceiling, futon cover, some wallpaper borders and whatnot.
I know how to sew. I mean, I cannot make a shirt but I can surely use my machine carefully. I’ve never attempted a zipper, and now I have to find a zipper that’s…almost 6 feet long? No doubt I can find one on the Internet.
Any tips on sewing in a zipper to a new item ( opposed to replacing a damaged one ) and on how to keep it aligned and neat looking?
I’ve done some cushion covers with zippers, although none quite that long. However, same techniques apply.
I would recommend that you start out with the two pieces that will be zipped together before you sew them to anything else. Stitch them together where the zipper will go - use the largest baste stitch you have. Then iron the seam open flat.
Set the zipped zipper in place on the seam, making sure the little pull thingie will be on the correct side when done and the teeth are centered along the seam. Pin it in place.
Starting at the unopening end of the zipper and using a zipper foot, stitch along the length, removing pins before you go over them. When you finish that side, go back to the bottom and holding the zipper flat against the fabric, stitch down the other side. Rip out the baste stitches, and there you are.
Hell. I gotta find a separate foot for my machine first?
Grrrrrrrrr. I’ll hop on down to the local Hasidic woman’s fabric shoppe and ask her if she can order me one. She glares, I smile. She glares, I smile. At some point she started smiling. I need a foot, she’ll find me a foot.
I will say that I’ve put zippers in without using the special zipper foot, but it’s not easy, and for such a long zipper, I consider it worth switching. Now, if you’d had the good sense to live in Northeast Florida, I’d let you come over and use my machine, which already has a zipper foot. But you live in the wrong place, so that’s that.
Most machines come with a zipper foot as standard equipment…it’s the one with only one toe, so check your parts box first. The Singer series of “Sewing For The Home” books, available at any library, give really great, clear pictures of how to do what you want to do…check them out! No, really, use your library card and check them out!
I have had to buy long zippers for futon covers in the past, and have gone to a fabric shop and asked for them to make one for me. They have zipper on a roll, you tell them how long you want it and they cut it, add a bottom clip thingy and there you are.
This is in Japan, but if you can get it here, where craft materials are not widely available or numerous, then I am sure you can get it in the States which is where I am assuming you are.
Now, there’s a leading title for a thread. Heh. We all just flashed on Madeline Kahn from “Blazing Saddles”.