HOW TO SEW AN INVISIBLE ZIPPER - A Full Beginner's Guide + tips for a perfect finish, by Coraline Street on YouTube. 8 min 31 s.
- Video length
- 8 min 31 s
- Time to do it
- 20 minutes
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Steps
- 8
What you need
Steps
Press the zipper coils flat with a warm, dry iron so the teeth curl back and open up. Do this before you pin anything, as it makes the stitching line easier to see.
Mark the seam line on your fabric with chalk, usually 1.5 cm or 5/8 inch from the raw edge. Mark where the zipper stop will sit at the top.
Open the zipper and place it face down on the right side of the fabric, lining the coil up with your chalk seam line. Pin or hand baste along the tape.
Fit the invisible zipper foot so the needle sits just to the inside of the coil. Stitch from the top down to the zipper stop, keeping the coil in the foot's groove.
Close the zipper and check that the fabric folds over the teeth with none showing. Unpick and move the stitching closer to the coil if any teeth peep out.
Pin the other side of the zipper tape to the opposite fabric edge, matching notches and any pattern. Stitch it the same way from the top down.
Change to your regular foot and sew the rest of the seam below the zipper, starting just under the stop and overlapping the last few stitches.
Place the lining right sides together with the garment around the opening, stitch, clip the corners and turn through. Slip stitch the lining to the zipper tape by hand for a clean finish.
Tips and common mistakes
Always press the coils open first; skipping this is the main reason teeth show.
Sew slowly near the zipper pull and stop with the needle down to raise the foot if it gets in the way.
Test the foot position on a scrap of the same fabric before sewing the real garment.
Do not backstitch over the coil; tie the thread ends instead so the zipper does not jam.
Questions
Can I sew an invisible zipper with a normal zipper foot?
It is possible but fiddly. A normal foot holds the coil too far from the needle, so the stitching sits away from the teeth and the zipper shows. An invisible zipper foot has grooves that push the coil open as you sew.
How do I make the bottom of the zipper look neat?
Sew the main seam below the zipper so it starts just under the zipper stop, overlapping the last two or three stitches. Press the seam open and the join will look continuous.
Do I have to line the garment?
No. The same method works on an unlined garment; just neaten the zipper tape ends by hand or with a facing instead of stitching the lining in place.
This guide was drafted from the video's details and general task knowledge. It has not been checked against the full video. Check the video and relevant product instructions before following a procedure. Report a correction.
