On Zippers in Knits – Modern Daily Knitting
Kate’s Guide to Knitwear Zippers is a book for seamstresses and seamstitutes, and it took her four hours to finish the first six-inch sleeve zipper.
Lesson 1: Choose the Right Zipper
The one at the top has a coil-style closure, rather than teeth. These are too light. The one at the bottom is plastic pretending to be metal. The center one is the best choice for a heavier weight knit fabric.
A zipper with traditional metal teeth rather than plastic teeth is generally heavier for a knit jacket; for lighter fabrics, choose plastic teeth or a coil-style zipper.
Lesson 2: Consider the Fabric You’re Sewing To
If the knit fabric relaxes after the zipper is installed, puckers will appear. Use a tighter and more stable edging where the zipper will be installed, or work a picked-up i-cord edge on your knit fabric if you want the zipper to be hidden.
Lesson 3: Wash Before You Put the Zipper In
Lesson 4: Pin and Baste and Sew
Open/separate the zipper and carefully pin the tape along the edge of your garment in the right direction, about every inch or so.
The zip is pinned along a slipped stitch edge, ready for basting.
The knit fabric’s edge is about a quarter inch away from the teeth, but it does pull away slightly once sewn in, so don’t worry about it sticking too tight.
In this case, I want the zipper to be hidden when it’s closed, so I’ve worked i-cord at the edge.
To work in the right side of the garment, use long stitches, about half an inch (1 centimeter) or so, and work in the space between the first and second stitch of each column.
I’m working in the column between the first, slipped, stitch and the second stitch of the row.
If you’re using ribbon, sew it on the inside of the knit fabric, just inside the edge stitch, and then sew the zipper to the ribbon; the ribbon stabilizes the edge of the knit fabric and gives you a wider base to pin to.
Lesson 5: Wash/steam After It’s In
If you’re going to wear a zippered top, you’ll need a special kind of zipline; it’s worth another steam or wash to make it gorgeous, tidy, and perfect, because you’ll wear it with pride and everyone will want to admire your accomplishment.
How do you sew a zipper into a knit fabric?
How to Sew a Knit Garment with an Invisible Zipper
Can you use a sewing machine on knitting?
Although I wouldn’t use a machine on particularly special or delicate knits, I’ve discovered that you can use a sewing machine anywhere you need a quick, strong finish, and that you should have swatches of knitting ready for practice before you begin the project itself.
Can you hand stitch a zipper?
After tacking the zipper tape to the seam allowance with a couple of stitches for extra security, the needle is brought to the right side of the garment and the zipper is stitched on with a prick stitch, or a hemming stitch if the zipper will be under strain.
How do you fix a misaligned zipper?
Common Zipper Issues and How to Fix Them
How do you fix a zipper that separates on a bag?
How to Repair a Split or Broken Zipper
- Position the Zipper Pull.
- Realign the Zipper Teeth.
- Reposition the Zipper Pull.
- Thread the Sewing Needle.
- Create a New Zipper Stop.
- Repair Above Damaged Teeth.
- Secure Thread.
How do you shorten an invisible zipper from the top?
Measure and mark the length of a non-invisible zipper (closed bottom or separating) from the bottom stop. Cut and pull metal zipper teeth from the zipper tape with cutting pliers (“nippers”). Cut away the plastic zipper teeth heads with nippers.
Can I use woven fabric for a knit pattern?
Can you sew a knitted sweater?
Sweater knits aren’t the only type of knit that can be used to make a sweater; depending on the look you’re going for, you can use wool or cotton jersey, rib knits, novelty knits, and even lingerie fabrics to make sweater-like projects.
How do you keep knit fabric from curling?
To keep your knits from curling, add an edge of a stitch pattern that includes both purl and knit stitches. The number of rows of stitch pattern you need to add to the top and bottom edges will vary depending on your yarn and tension.