Invisible zippers have been around for years. They work like regular zippers, except that the teeth are made of grommets and the zipper pulls are made to look like grommets.
The grommets are so small that they blend in with the fabric and the zipper itself is not visible. The first and most important step in creating an invisible zipper is to find the right fabric that won’t fray.
There are many different kinds of fabric used for invisible zippers, including:
- canvas
- cotton
- leather
- polyester
- linen
- satin
- velvet
The right fabric makes all the difference in the world. A good choice may be polyester canvas, which is sturdy and durable and is worn by many military and law enforcement professionals.
This fabric works particularly well for invisible zippers because it has a high denier, which means it is harder to tear and easier to sew.
Sew an invisible zipper with a regular zipper foot
The invisible zipper is a type of invisible zipper foot, often used for making invisible zippers. It was invented by Tiago Correia, a Portuguese engineer.
Correia’s first invisible zipper was a mechanical design and was patented in 2006.
We all know that some zippers pull too far, others don’t quite close enough, and some even pop open at the bottom.
If you want a zipper that works 100% of the time, you need to sew it with a special zipper foot.
Seam allowance for an invisible zipper
An invisible zipper is obviously not a visible zipper. But where does the “invisible” part come from? Well, it’s not a matter of making the teeth of the zipper invisible: the zipper actually closes right into the fabric.
But the system we use to make zippers is very clever. It keeps the teeth just outside the fabric so that even if you cut the fabric, the teeth won’t show.
There are several ways to achieve this, but none of them are foolproof.
The best option is to measure the length from the front of the fabric to the back of the fabric (e.g. the stitches on your sewing machine needle).
Then you can add that length to your pattern piece without affecting the final appearance.
When sewing with invisible zippers, it’s necessary to understand a few of the basic principles of forming a zippered seam:
- When you use a conventional zipper foot, you are usually sewing through a piece of fabric with a visible zipper in it.
- When you use an invisible zipper foot, you are sewing through a piece of fabric with no visible zipper in it.
- When you sewing an invisible zipper, you will first sew the seam allowance up to the invisible zipper.
At that point, you will need to remove the invisible zipper and you will be able to continue sewing the seam allowance/visible zipper up to the top of the invisible zipper.
Do you need a zipper foot to sew a zipper?
Wondering if the zipper foot is the right tool for the job? It seems that everyone has an opinion about whether a zipper foot is necessary.
While it may be true that some people can sew with just a needle and thread, a common problem is that stitches are uneven.
If you have a machine that can sew with an easy-to-use standard stitch, you may be wondering if the foot is necessary.
Wobbly zippers can be a nightmare for a sewer. Especially when your zipper foot is not sturdy enough to hold the foot steady and allow you to sew around the foot without warping it.
For this reason, a zipper foot with a riser is almost essential for sewing a zipper. A riser is a small piece of wood, metal, or plastic that extends above the foot to help hold the foot in place.
If your foot does not have a riser, the pile of the fabric against the foot can easily cause the foot to wiggle out of place and ruin your project.
Using the zipper foot is often required, and your machine’s manufacturer will usually include it in their sewing machine. Or you can always order the foot and add it to your sewing machine.
Can you use a regular zipper foot for an invisible zipper?
Have you ever tried an invisible zipper foot? If you have you know that the top of the foot is metal and can be used for zig-zag stitching.
The top of the foot also has a curved foot that ships with the foot so you can use it for a regular zipper foot.
Sewing a zipper is a tricky process at times. Some people think sewing zippers is a difficult skill, but it can’t be as hard as people make it out to be.
The truth is, sewing a zipper is a skill just like any other, and you can easily learn. To start, you need to take the time to learn how to sew a zipper, and not just how to make it look pretty, but how it actually works.
The zipper-making process is one of the most mundane sewing processes, but also one of the most misunderstood.
Most people think they know how to make an invisible zipper, but they end up with a regular zipper foot and a zipper that doesn’t work!
Difference between a zipper foot and an invisible zipper foot
We often overlook the zipper foot as a tool of the sewing industry. Sure, we know that a zipper foot is used to sew on a zipper, but rarely do we think about what we can do with the other type of foot.
Sewing machines are confusing—they all have the same basic parts but they come in different models with different functions, can be programmed differently, and have different foot designs.
One popular type of foot is the zipper foot, which is designed to work with automatic sewing machines and is good for sewing invisible zippers.
The other type of zipper foot is the zipper foot that can be seen, and is designed for hand-sewing. There are many differences between these two types of zipper foot.
A standard visible zipper foot is about the same size as a standard invisible zipper foot. They both have the same number of rows and columns of teeth.
Where they differ is the way the invisible zipper foot’s teeth are positioned.
A visible zipper foot has the zipper teeth positioned directly in line with the needle, but an invisible zipper foot has the zipper teeth positioned slightly off line with the needle (this is called “dipping”).
How does an invisible zipper foot work?
The invisible zipper foot has come a long way since its humble beginnings in the early 1900s. First, it was a foot designed for creating a zipper in something like a shirt.
Then a zipper foot was invented that could be rolled up like a ball beneath the needle, and then a foot with a cord that pushed the thread through the middle of the foot.
It wasn’t until much later that the invisible zipper was invented. This invention was designed to allow the user to easily and invisibly stitch through the hidden zipper in a garment.
While we all know the invisible zipper foot makes the process of sewing faster and easier, the true function of the invisible zipper foot is often unknown to the sewist.
The invisible zipper foot is used to make those pesky invisible zippers that look like never ending stair cases. It also helps smooth out the fabric and keeps stitches even.
Are plastic zippers better than metal?
For about as long as the zipper has been with us, people have had trouble making up their minds about metal zippers vs. plastic zippers.
First, the metal zippers were not the kind that had the metal sliders in their teeth, and the metal teeth were not ‘breaking’ like the plastic zippers. Metal zippers went on and on and on and on, and it wasn’t long before they were breaking.
Metal zippers are more durable and resistant to wear and tear, they’re more difficult to accidently zing up or down, and they don’t easily snag in clothing.
Some people also question the marketing behind plastic zippers, which is that they can’t be accidentally opened.
Metal zippers also are not as durable (and therefore not as safe) as plastic zippers in general.
However, there are a few caveats: stainless steel zippers are actually stronger than metal zippers, but are more expensive; and plastic zippers can be made from various polycarbonates, which are up to 1000 times stronger than steel.
Sew an invisible zipper on a pillow
A hidden zipper is a great way to add a little extra style to your decor without spending money on a new piece of furniture.
The zipper is used to add a zipper entry to the pillow and hides the zipper in the middle of the pillow body.
How do you sew an invisible zipper on a pillow? Well, you don’t sew it. At least not right away. You first need to pick up the pillow and check out its seam.
It should be hidden underneath the pillowcase. If you’re a regular sewer, you probably wouldn’t even see it.
Take a look at the underside of the pillowcase and you’ll see a seam that runs along the top edge of the pillow.
Satin stitch is a decorative stitch that looks like a regular stitch, but it is not visible on the pillow. When sewing, there is no need to worry about the hidden zipper, as it’s all done in one step of the hem.
Sew an invisible zipper on a skirt
A zipper is a great way to add a little bit of extra height to a skirt or dress, and it looks so much nicer than a regular seam.
But, if you’ve ever done a project where you had to sew an invisible zipper, you know that it can be a royal pain to do.
You could just sew the skirt completely flat, and sew the hem at an angle. But this will leave the zipper unfinished, and the pocket will show.
There are a few methods of hiding zippers that solve this problem, but they all involve sewing the hem at an angle, and sewing the zipper opening where you don’t want it.
