Honestly, I’m not sure why I avoided learning to properly sew a zipper for so long, but I did. Just a few months ago I installed buttons on a skirt- for no good reason other than zippers were scary. Once I realized how silly this was, I bought a pack of random zippers, pulled out some fabric scraps and had beautiful zippers 30 minutes later.
Turns out, zippers are not hard at all. The zipper block requires only one sewing machine foot, and two seams. It is the easiest block in this quilt, making it perfect for getting your feet wet. 😂
Please note: this is not standard zipper technique. I am approaching this as a quilt, where the zipper will be seen prominently rather than hidden like in clothing. So if you are an experienced garment maker, this may be slightly uncomfortable!
Cut:
(8) 2.5″ x 8.5″ strips lightest grey
(4) 9.5″ #3 Coil Zipper tape (other types are fine, but this style balances well.)
Separate zippers. (We will add the pulls on toward the end.) Place half a zipper right sides together with a grey strip aligning edges, exactly like sewing two normal fabric pieces together.
Because we want the zipper to be the star of this block, it needs to be visible. Using the adjustable zipper foot, align so that the right side of the foot is as close to the needle as you can get without them actually touching. Very, Very important: check that the needle has proper clearance by turning the hand wheel for a full stitch. Place the pinned piece under the foot with the left side of the foot against the zipper teeth. Sew down length of block, using the Zipper teeth on the left as your guide. Take care that the outside edges stay aligned. This is where everyone that sews clothing will cringe- but sewing this way gives more color pop to the block.
Press seam away from zipper. Repeat for remaining strips. Pair strips up and add a zipper pull from each end. If you have never added a zipper pull, there’s a few tutorials floating around. I tried the fork method, but as a human I only have two hands and you really need three for that. https://www.thezipperlady.com/ has several good tutorial videos.
Zip block closed and square up to 4.5” x 8.5”. Leave the zipper 1/4 inch longer than the fabric; this will make the finishing steps easier in the end. Squaring up here is a bit different because a ruler won’t lay flat against the zipper. Just do the best you can.
