Having the right tool for the job can be invaluable and sewing is no exception to that rule. This episode is all about feet… zipper feet!

Each sewing machine brand has different types of zipper feet but for this podcast Zede and Mal will be focusing on the different types of Babylock zipper feet since that is what they are most familiar with.

Zipper Foot I

First up is zipper foot letter I, a two position snap on foot. You can snap the shank to one side of the foot and be on the right hand side of the zipper or snap it on the other side and be on the left hand side of the zipper. This foot does not require you to change the needle position which is very useful because not all machines allow the needle to move at all or in multiple positions.

Mal confesses she had a longtime misconception about this foot and how it’s used. She thought it didn’t really get close enough to the zipper and didn’t enjoy using it because she would place the edge of the foot next to the zipper teeth. However, when you look at the bottom of this foot there are steps/grooves cut out on the edges that allow the foot to accommodate the zipper teeth. Zede explains part of the foot rides on the zipper tape and the grooved part rides over the teeth. This allows you to stitch nice and close to the zip teeth.

Narrow Zipper Foot

Another foot in Babylock land, one that Mal really likes, is the narrow zipper foot. This foot has grooves on the bottom too. The center bulk of the foot rides on the fabric and the cutout rides over the teeth. This foot has one shank position not two and allows very close access to the zipper teeth while stitching.

Zede notes the intended purpose of a zipper foot is to get super close to the teeth. This may not always be your desired need or look. Exposed zips and decorative applications are becoming increasingly popular and a regular presser foot can be used to apply these. Zede says most home sewing machines will come with a standard type zipper foot – so chances are you will have one if you need it.

Zede and Mallory have been in the sewing machine world  a while and encourage you to look at the bottom of your presser feet, this will tell you how it can be used – sometimes feet can pull double duty and be used in multiple ways.

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THE SELF SEWN WARDROBE PLANNER

The planner is available in a universal style as well as a monthly theme that follows along with The Self Sewn Wardrobe Group on Facebook. Both planners offer helpful guidance in planning out your next wardrobe make as well as thoughtful prompts to keep your makes relevant to your likes, style, and wardrobe needs.

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This planner is a guide to planning and finishing any wardrobe project.  You define the project, evaluate your current wardrobe, and follow our guide to form a plan of attack.  You ll be on your way to a Self Sewn Wardrobe in no time.

This 17-page planner can be customized and printed over and over again.  You may want to print some pages more than once, depending on your project, for example, you ll probably make more than one pair of underwear in a month, but most likely only one coat in that amount of time.

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A new, themed planner will be published every month!  Each month’s planner will follow along with the theme in The Self Sewn Wardrobe Group on Facebook and include relevant planning and goal setting information as well as hand drawn sketches by none other than Mallory herself.

This planner is included in the Zig Zag SewHere Membership level. If you re interested in becoming a Zig-Zag member, the themed planner will be automatically delivered to the Downloads section of your SewHere profile each month!

This is a printable PDF file that will be immediately available after purchase when you log in at SewHere.com/Profile.  You will not receive a physical planner.

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Invisible Zipper Foot

Before Mallory and Zede were Babylock exclusive dealers they also carried Berninas. The Bernina invisible zipper foot looks like a little heart from the front view and she thinks this is cute. Zede thinks the Babylock one looks like a little bunny with a tooth that hangs down, awww.

Mallory says inviable zipper feet are “special lovely things that should be used and not feared”.

Zede says to purchase an invisible zip foot, it’s not a big deal.

Of course you can put an invisible zipper in without the invisible zipper foot but Mal and Zede use this foot and recommend using it. The foot allows the teeth to coil nicely and the zip to function as intended and to actually be invisible.

You can drive a nail in with the side of a pair of pliers, but it’s not efficient and the nail might get bent or the pliers get damaged. Again, having the right tool for the job just makes sense.

The invisible zipper foot allows you to get as close as possible to the zipper coil which allows the zipper to appear invisible and just look like another sewn seam.

On the bottom of this foot are two little channels separated by a center ridge. When you use this foot you will first press open the zipper coils because you followed the package directions and keep the needle in the center position. The coil rides in a channel on the foot and is held to one side by the center ridge. When you are done sewing, the zipper coils will roll back toward the fabric part of the zipper (tape) and when you zip it up the two sides of your fabric roll together and meet up. This foot allows you to stitch extremely close to the coil and get that invisible look from your zipper. The only thing that should be visible is the pull at the top. Mallory and Zede use nail polish to paint the pull to match the fabric. They don’t let the zipper color stop them from putting it in a garment where it doesn’t match the fabric. After all, that zipper is invisible.

Zede and Mal are also not limited by the idea that the invisible zipper foot can only be used for placing invisible zips. When they look at the bottom of that foot and see those grooves their minds wander with possibility. They use those two grooves for couching cords, mini piping, wire, pearl cotton, crochet threads and whatever else they can think up.

Don’t have this foot? Mallory and Zede suggest going to a machine dealer for your brand of machine. If you can’t find a dealer for your specific machine brand you may need to bring your machine in to make sure the fit is right. Or you can order a plastic universal fit kind that is sold with multiple shank options.

Adjustable Universal Zipper Foot

This style of zipper foot is meant to be used with all types of home sewing machines. It looks like a long slender little spatula with small cutouts on each side of the center spatula part. This foot attaches to the presser foot bar by hooking around it and being held snug with a screw. This foot is great for single needle position machines because you slide the foot to the desired position.

Zipper feet serve their purpose well and can also be used to apply trims with flanges, pipings, bulky home dec trims and so many other unintended uses. Do you love using zipper feet? What unexpected ways do you use them?

Tangents This Week

• Zede has been around (aka she old) – like the zipper foot. She says the concept of the zipper foot is older than her

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