Zippers Creatively Embellished with Decorative Stitching or Machine Embroidery

Written by Cheryl Stranges

Did you know that zippers can be embellished using decorative stitches like vintage, heirloom and quilting stitching to only name a few? I am sure you can go to your sewing machine and find stitches that could turn that plain simple zipper into something spectacular. 

Zipper Foot Style

And if you have an embroidery machine, you can machine embroider many small design styles to fit the zipper width. Lets start with decorative stitching first. 

Assortment of decorative stitches

Cut-Away, Wash Away, and Tear Away Stabilizers all work well

When creating these zippers, you will have so many ideas running through your creative mind at the same time. If you love needle arts like knitting or crocheting, why not  decorate your zippers with yarns and add them to your projects. Sweater fronts, handbags, children's pretty crochet designer sweaters. Now you know I love yarn, so I couldn't resist the temptation of embellishing just a few zippers with yarn using a couching like technique further in this article.

Some of the zippers were decoratively stitched using a stabilizer underneath to add stability for the stitching. Choosing some stitches that were 7mm wide, the stitch width was then reduced to 6mm for the zipper width.

Have fun with the widths. If you cannot reduce your width, simply choose stitches that are within the range of the zipper width and the stitch plate opening on your sewing machine. 


Go through your very pretty yarns, your decorative threads, and choose a variety of colours, and explore every option with the zipper choices.

  

A refined denim jacket with new zipper

Wool jacket    

Choose any style of jacket and refine it.

This multi-colour yarn opens up and spreads.Check it out in Sew News Magazine August/September 2012  issue. Zip to it red jacket P 60.   It is also terrific for creative embellished edges on zipper edges.

So I would like to show you what has been done with zippers that I have been busy embellishing.Remember for decorative stitching a new top stitching needle or even embroidery type needle is great.Stabilizer is placed under the stitching. 60 wt bobbin thread was used to co-ordinate with the zipper colour. Threads, included 30wt, 40wt, and why not try an assortment. See what works best for you. Rayons, Cottons, Blendables, solids, metallics. Stabilizer is removed after the decorative work is complete. However, leave what is left under the stitching. This is fine.

Decorative Stitches and Couching Yarns

   


Seeing all kinds of zippers applied and stitched to the outer surface of garments lately, has been refreshing.  



When you are thinking about sewing an embellished zipper to the front of a garment you have to rethink how it is being placed, and the way the application can be done. There is no lack of information available for figuring out how to do this today. This can be done using many 
types of zippers.

Clear 2-3mm Embellishing Foot and 5 strands of yarn
Even a simple zig-zag stitch will hold the yarns and trims in place on the zipper.

                                                                

Tip *Remember that if you are using metallic thread, place the spool  in a vertical position so that the thread will feed evenly off the spool. 

McCalls 5191
Great Jacket for zipper embellishment
Exchange button or snap application for separating zipper

A zipper foot was used to do the decorative stitching, experiment with your sewing feet. The style of zipper foot worked well, simply because it allowed stitching close to the teeth. 
An embellishment foot was used to stitch the yarns along the edges of the zippers. Go through your sewing feet and look for a sewing foot that would do the same. 

Examples of this would be a 2 to 3mm embellishment foot, or beading foot. Beading feet do come in different sizes to accommodate different yarn and beading thickness.  Choose a decorative stitch to stitch right on top of the yarn. The underside of these specialty feet have a nice little tunnel so that the yarn passes underneath without getting caught. Perhaps even a yarn couching foot. 



















Think about how terrific these zippers will look on jeans, leggings, home decorating projects, make zipper bracelets, and I am always thinking of ways to revitalize classic sweaters in my stash of vintage. Once they are embellished they can be 
stitched onto your project of choice using the zipper foot and a straight stitch. Mono-filament thread for topstitching is great. Or select a thread
colour to match your zipper. Decorative stitches for stitching your yarn varieties  can be found at this web address below. Experiment. See which one is close to your stitch varieties on your sewing machine.This is simply a guide. 


http://www.husqvarnaviking.com/us/14_Quilting_in_Sewing_Mode.pdf

Couching yarns

Stitch on Decorative Ribbon Yarn................Creativity is endless

Find a simple pull over sweater and place an embellished zipper on the front neckline. Stitch it down on the outside of the sweater. Then cut behind the zipper teeth to open it up. Now you have a zipper front sweater. Or select a pattern that has an open front design. 

Kwik Sew 0112

Fold decorative ribbons before decorative stitching

 It is very easy to embroider or decorative stitch from either direction of the zipper length.  As you are getting closer to the zipper tab, stop, leave your needle in the down position, lift up your pressure foot to the highest position, and pull the zipper tab down toward the end, and finish sewing the remaining bulky part of the zipper. (You may choose not to embellish right to the end)  Extra high lift position is a great feature that gives you freedom for moving your zipper tab easily. If your zipper is a separating zipper, you can simply place them onto your stabilizer separately or together and decorative stitch or embroider. Water soluble basting tapes are terrific for holding the zippers  into position on the stabilizer.

Machine Embroidery on Zippers

For a practice run  simply slide a hoop template under your stabilizer and 

mark your zipper placement. Perfect markings with grid every time. 

There are different hoop templates for different hoop sizes.You will now be

able to confidently go the the zipper now after your practice run and position.

Hint* if you have a quarter inch quilters tape or water soluble tape place down before or after you mark your zipper perimeter.Leave the paper on for the water soluble tape. This represents your zipper teeth location.

Hoop template

Inspira Tear N Wash Light Stabilizer was used.
Placed just underneath is one more layer of lightweight cutaway for stability.
The graph on the stabilizer has advantages for lining up the zippers for
machine embroidery.

Shaping the designs or lettering is always a great advantage and saves time for placement.Stabilizers in a variety of styles can be used. All supplies that were used for these zippers is listed below. Machine embroidery needles work best, and if you have a positioning feature on your embroidery machine for positioning your embroidery just in the right starting position for stitching on your zipper side, the guess work is done for you. 
If you are embroidering a zipper for the first time, try a practice run on a hooped piece of stabilizer with the marking positions of where the zipper would be. Line up your needle position to the starting part of where you would like to stitch using positioning feature. Practice, Practice, Practice.

Letter O's taken from Fonts and Lettering
Gold metallic Thread
Look for small built in embroideries or decorative stitches on your sewing/embroidery machine or go to  myembroideries.com
Create your own stitches in 5D software.

Embroidering Fonts with the Q Foot

Hoops that are used can be variation of sizes, depending on the length of the zippers being embroidered.Try to embroider more than one, a variety in fact for future projects. I like to  always have embellished zippers available for projects when I need one at the last minute. 40wt embroidery rayon was used for these embroideries, and a 60 wt bobbin thread was used to match the zipper. Be creative. Embroider the right side, with one style of embroidery and do the left with a different one. Have fun with it.

Tips for embroidery. A water soluble basting tape can be used to position the teeth or the zipper sides or edges to stabilizers. 

Small embroidery designs are terrific

Happy Decorative Stitching and Embroidering. I will be adding more as I go along for you.





My next post will be about decorative stitches that you can use for embellishing your zippers.