I sew on zippers all the time and believe it or not, I can sew a zipper on a bag/project in less time than it takes to Velcro a closure!!!
Granted, I'm not talking about a zipper on a dress or pants, because those can be a little tricky and way more complex, but to sew a zipper on a bag or pouch is SEW easy!!! (Pun intended)
I like adding zippers to my kid projects (Train Quilt) because they like the hidden treasure aspect and it also teaches them how to open and close a zipper. Did I mention my daughter is a teacher - hence the teaching thing is important to us!!!
I also like sewing a zipper on pillow covers for wash ability purposes like this Cushy Career Doctor pillow that my daughter and I make. We used a zipper on top of this Doctor Pillow below to change out the covers and to wash!
To sew a zipper on projects like these, a bag, etc. are really pretty simple and all follow these same basic instructions:
Put your zipper foot on your sewing machine. You might need to get out your manual if you don't know which foot is your zipper foot. This step is important.
Sew zipper to fabric - sewing close to zipper teeth. This is why you need the zipper foot - to allow you to sew close to the zipper's teeth. Note: I always have trouble sewing close to the zipper head so to alleviate this problem, I zip and unzip zipper so I never have to sew by the zipper head.
1 side finished. Now just repeat the process on the other side.
This completes your zipper!!! I top stitch, but that step is optional. Now all you have to do is sew your sides and bottom seam of your bag/project. Sew them with right sides facing each other. Make sure your zipper is 1/2 way unzipped so that you can turn your project/bag right side out once it's complete.
This completes your bag/project with a zipper!!! Wasn't this easy? Congrats!!! I'd love to see some of your projects with zippers or hear if this helped your or not!
Zippers aren't scary once you give them a go - and the possibilities are endless. Thanks for sharing.
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