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taeliac — Tutorial: Centered zippers
Published: 2008-01-02 01:11:26 +0000 UTC; Views: 70960; Favourites: 1279; Downloads: 0
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Oh yeah. Startin' off the new year with tutorial submissions!Well, I had my camera downstairs in my sewing room with me while I was working on my latest, spontaneous Wai-Loli outfit, and I figured, what the hell. More pictures are good by me. I was working on putting a zipper into the pleated skirt, and figured that this was something I've struggled with for longer than you can imagine, until just recently.
I must emphasize, this is just following the instructions that are on the little inset thinger that comes with zippers - that sheet that I used to just throw away! *sigh* I just wanted to do a photo, "step-by-step" in the hopes that it doesn't seem so frightening to do. This is the most basic form of putting in a zipper, and shows the topstitching.
I'll try to do the other types eventually, too. Like, whenever I wind up putting one in next.
And I'm so sorry - it seems like I am always working on red projects when I decide to take pictures for a tutorial - I hope this one is pretty easy to see, though!
The teacup font was made by ~coconut-lane and can be found here [link]
2008 Sam Lemieux/Taeliac Studio Cosplay/`taeliac [link]
Please do not redistribute, reprint or modify this at all without my permission. Don't steal!
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Comments: 174
just like my momma told me
haha she ever insisted in this you're teaching when put zippers on my clothing....awesome yu want to teach that ^^
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Hehe, awesome!
I figure, if I'm in school paying a lot of money to learn this stuff, I mine as well share what I find out
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Zips stink on their own. With a lining involved, they stink more. Even so, I managed to get it right first time... still took ages though.. all that measuring -__-
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Amen. They're just irritating with lining - I just hand sew the lining in place, and don't bother with anything else...that's when invisible zippers are great!
I feel your pain
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Ooohhh..... *trails off*
My gawd, watching this tutorial reminds me of how long has it been since I last made something wear-able...
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Aww! You should do something about that, then
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S'not too bad, but still takes a little (okay, a lot) of practice XP
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Getting hung up on zippers effectively put my sewing mania into remission. Now I have difficulty wanting to try again. When I do, I'll use these tips. Thank you for making this tutorial.
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I've screwed up my fair share of zippers before... I had to put a zipper down the left side of a shirt under the left arm. I cut off the end of the zipper because it was too long, but now every time I wear it, I have to put something cushy over the end of the zipper - it jabs me in the arm! Ouchie... 
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Hrm... I haven't really broken needles on the plastic part, but I do know right towards the bottom, there is a piece of metal that kind of locks it in place - you may have hit that, or it was just a thick zipper!
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Well, I think I may have goofed when I put a new needle in from breaking the previous one too. The old one snapped on something else... oh... the first one got stuck in the sequence on my Renaissance skirt 'cuz the thread got all goofed up - tip: don't force a stuck needle.
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Thank you!! I really need this... I don't know how to sew a zipper on. x.x Great tutorial!
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Oh awesome! I'm glad it will help!!
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Prince of Tennis has taught me to hate zippers with all its damn sports jerseys but, then, that's what I get for loving a sports anime. This will definitely be helpful in future Tenipuri costumes and maybe now I can finally get that St. Rudolph jersey finished
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I'm so happy it could be useful 
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this is really helpful ^^ i have always had problems putting in a ziper in a pretty way, they always end up looking crooked ><
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hehe, i just ignore the zippers, i get too tired to do them over XD i am really lazy sometimes lol
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On my own stuff, however
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hehe ya, i was talking about my stuff, on my things, hehe i can make mistakes and just cover them up with stuff hehe, ya i don't sell my stuff, cus i just started i don't think i am good enough but you, you are magical ^^
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I didn't actually read this yet lol, but I just wanted to say that that is one crazy font.
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I know - I think it's cute, and been waiting for an excuse to use it XP
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Some great tips for people who haven't got a clue or who've struggled putting in zippers!
I usually sew down both sides of the zipper working from the open end, it reduces the possibility of puckering if your fabric creeps a bit because the creep will be in the same direction on both sides of the zipper. It's pretty easy if you've got the type of foot you (and I) have that just pops off and on again with a clip on the back. Much more of a pain if you have to start unscrewing the foot to adjust the position.
I really like the idea of machine basting the opening closed for the duration of inserting the zipper - I wish I'd learned that way, it would have made life so much easier. I've had so much practise now though I can't remember the last time I basted anything!
I love the idea of making friends with your iron - I can't stress enough to people that pressing as you go makes such an immense difference to the final look of any garment - though when I was at school I avoided the iron like the plague!
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I've struggled so much with them in the past, I'm just amazed the last three, now, that I've put in actually worked!
That is a great point - I'll see if I still have the PSD file and add that point in. I had completely forgotten about that stupid creeping that happens XP
I never, ever knew about the machine basting part, either, so I feel you pain! I'm forced to baste things all the time, so I've gotten used to it *hint - by hand, get long milliners needles, they work wonderfully* And, yes, same with the iron. Evil machine before, good, close friends now
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You've got the knack now - once you've cracked it they just get easier.
I still have problems with invisible zippers - and why don't the invisible zipper feet come with machines? I have 9 or 10 feet with my machine, a specialist button holing foot and things I will never use but I had to buy an invisible zipper foot. Grrr. The problem I have is where the zip finishes and the seam begins - I still haven't perfected the technique
I have a pack of milliners needles so I'll bear them in mind next time I need to do some basting - but to be honest these days I rarely need more than the odd pin. I might need to do more basting if I get involved in 18th C costume
As for my iron - I'm odd -very odd - I'm the only person I know who actually enjoys ironing! True I don't do mountains - perhaps that's why!
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Putting a zipper in a dress is a pain. Putting THREE zippers in a dress is a nightmare! Thanks for the tutorial! Should help make my next zipper endever look a lot better then my pink Kairi dress. ^^
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Hehe, I know what you mean!! I really can sympathize with that one
I'm glad it will help! Although, I think you see Kairi's zippers, so you'd put them in a little differently, but not too much -- you'll want to baste the zipper in on both sides, but don't baste the seam closed -- that would hide the zipper too much
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Kairi's dress is said and done (thank gawd!). I'm working on a different dress and I was a bit worried about the zipper, since I haven't really been able to do a good job with them. So maybe now I'll get them to look a LOT better. ^^
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Oh cool!
I just saw the Kairi one in your gallery, and it looks really good - if the zippers are wodgy, you can't tell
What are you working on next, if I may ask?
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Currently, a fo-fur corset. But I'm planning on making a nice summer dress, and it's going to involve a zipper. Granted, my corset I'm working on require a zipper as well....so this'll be fun! ^^
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I think that is pretty much how I did my zipper for my skirt yesterday. But no pins because I'm lazy that way. >.<
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I'm just lazy to pinning but I am tring to train myself there is a time to pin to get things to look nice and other you don't need to bother with.
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I need to repair the zipper on my coat... it stopped working period a couple years ago, then had to use a prong that comes in a nut cracker set to bend a peg down in the zipper casing to allow the end of the zipper go to through...
And now the end of the zipper on that side needs to be sewn back on... it has about three inches of zipper out of the coat now.
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I think, in that case, you wouldn't wind up basting the zipper closed, because you can't, really. Just try to do it as straight as possible, and pin it if necessary
Don't you just hate it when jackets you love do that to you? *sigh*
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Yeah, it shouldn't be all that difficult unless I wanted to repair it the way the factory has it on there... which is a huge no, because then I'd be taking the lining out, and unstitching WAY more than I'm restitching in the first place. o.o; I'll just make it so you can't really see it unless you know it's there, because that's one of the things I'm really good at xD
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Oh awesome - that is a damn good talent to have, that's for sure!
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Yeah, I don't know how to do anything the right way, if I try that it looks awful... But if I make it up, you can't really tell xD
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Ok ok, not only wigs... I luuuuuuuvvvv all your tutorials!
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I have one or two more photographed, just need to steal the time to actually write it 
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Ah, thank you! This will be a big help. Even my poor mom, who's been sewing for thirty or forty years, can't put a zipper in right! XD Now I'm not so scared of doing it myself with my next project.
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