Sewing zips looks a lot more difficult than it actually is. I used to avoid sewing zips by using buttons, elastic, ties, and other notions. I am now a zipper convert! Here’s my tutorial on how to attach zips. Simple and neat, no?

1. These are the seams you want to join with a zip. Skirt, purse, cushion, whatever.

2. With right sides of the fabric facing each other, sew the seam with the longest straight stitch function of your sewing machine. It doesn’t make sense that you’re closing the seams you want to open with the zip but just do it.

3. Press the seams open with a hot iron.

4. Position teeth of zipper on top of the seam and attach by basting, or use basting glue.

5. With right sides facing up, position side of zipper foot as close to teeth of zipper as possible. Sew one length of zipper! When you get to the end of one side, pivot your fabric by 90 degrees and sew 2-3 perpendicular stitches, across your zipper. Do this very slowly, you don’t want to break your needle!

Pivot again and sew the other length. You’ll soon realize that you can’t sew all the way to the top because the zipper head is in the way. All you have to do is use your seam ripper (fig. 6) to undo a couple of stitches, lift your zipper foot (with the needle still poking through the zip), unzip a couple of inches, lower zipper foot, and continue! Pivot and sew perpendicularly! You get a rectangle. Secure by backstitching.

Your sewing machine should come with a zipper foot, otherwise, try John Lewis in Edinburgh. If you’re in Singapore, there are shops in People’s Park Complex and Toa Payoh Central selling sewing machine accessories. (I’ll tell you where exactly if you’re interested. It’s hard to describe in a post.

6. Rip all the basting stitches and stitches above the zipper. And viola, a zip!