Welcome to Episode 6 in the How to Sew A Skirt Sew-along series. The subject for today is: All about Zipper Feet
What do those Zipper Feet do?
If you plan to sew any kind of woven garment you will usually need to include a closure of some sort to allow you to get it on and off. Usually a dress or skirt will have a zipper.
There are three basic types of sewing machine zipper foot.
- The standard fixed zipper foot that may have come as standard with your sewing machine. (left)
- The adjustable zipper foot. (middle)
- An invisible zipper foot. (right)
All zipper feet allow you to sew one side or the other and get your stitches up close to the teeth of the zipper. You might sew on the outside rather than the center of the foot. Let's look at each of them in more detail.
Standard Zipper Foot (left)
May come as standard when you buy your sewing machine. The fixed zipper foot has a little notch on either side for your needle so you can use it left or right-handed to sew either side of your zipper tape. Best used for regular zippers with the teeth visible on the outside. This is my least favorite foot because you have to move it to the left or the right and so the pressure from the presser foot is always off-center one way or the other and I find the fabric doesn't feed through so well and the foot doesn't always sit flat to the zip and fabric. It will work if this is the only one you have.
Adjustable zipper foot (middle)
The most versatile of the three. The adjustable zipper foot has many applications and can be used to sew almost any type of zipper. Also good for top-stitching and sewing in areas where the regular foot might be too wide. The foot can be positioned left or right, and you can adjust the positioning of the needle to exactly where you want it to be to allow for very close stitching.
You can also use the adjustable foot with an invisible zipper – simply flatten the zipper teeth as you sew just in front of the presser foot to sew as close as possible to the zipper teeth. If you don't have an invisible zipper foot, this one can work instead.
Invisible zipper foot (right)
In some ways, the least versatile because it can only be used for invisible zippers. However, if you give this foot a try you will love it! Sews invisible zippers with ease, again using a left or right hand channel and creates a beautifully close stitching line which will make your zippers truly invisible from the outside. Centers the pressure from the presser foot and uses a central needle position so feeding through goes smoothly and accurately too. Well worth adding to your sewing toolbox.
How to use your Zipper Feet
In the next post, I will be showing you a step by step photo tutorial for how to sew an invisible zipper into our skirt project.
Our next steps
A quick recap of what we have completed so far –
- Overview, tools and equipment and choosing your fabric
- Drafting your custom fit pattern, and all about ease and seam allowances
- Cutting your fabric and pattern matching
- Marking darts perfectly
- Sewing darts perfectly
- All about zipper feet
Join me soon for the next step in our Sew A Skirt series – Sewing an Invisible Zipper.
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So sad that I lost the snap on zipper foot that came with my Singer 9410 (oh so many years ago!). It was VERY basic: snap it one way to sew on the left side, take it off and snap it on the other way to sew on the right. Now what they sell is a foot that slides across a bar–but the slot it leaves for the shank is too wide for my shank: it lists to the side when down (I got it to work once by jamming a pin in the extra space).
I am going to try the universal foot so I have something that doesn’t wobble . . .
Ahhhhh! so true, what is available for Singer now wobbles. I feel your pain.
Where did you get the universal zipper foot? When I looked on Amazon it said it was a Singer product. Is this type foot available on other brands of machines.
HI Marilyn, I think most work on most machines. The attachments are usually pretty standard but certainly look for one that says it works on your brand machine. Did you look at this one: https://amzn.to/3uwlesK
Thank you for the basic refresher on zipper feet with clear explanations. If you donot routinely use them, you sorta forget and almost go at it backwards.
Just wanted to add: I had lent out my zipper foot and live out of town. The local big store was sold out, but the knowledgeable salesperson told me to use the quarter inch seam foot. I did. It took a longer time to measure, prep and pin and carefully and slowly sew. But she was right! It did work.
Bc there are more layers and thickness, it helps to loosen the tension when you sew a zipper.
You donot want your stitching too close, so the zipper does not catch in the fabric.
[…] a zipper foot. Should you feel the same way, here is an article from So Sew Easy explaining the different types of zipper foot you can get. I’ve just got the basic one that came with my machine. It’s a very […]
I have a zipper foot .. and I have been too scared to use it! Great post … I cant wait for the next one!!
I love my zipper foot and I was planning to buy an invisible one, but now, thanks to you, I’m craving n adjustable zipper foot!!!
MammaNene @ SergerPepper
Great post! I am going to share it on my facebook page!!! Thanks for sharing this information and helping us all get beyond the fear of zippers!
I bought a zipper foot a while back but I’ve never used it because I was so intimidated by it! But this makes it look easy!
Ah, I could have used this post a couple weeks ago when I was crying over having to install a zipper in a giant floor pillow! I was def using that standard zipper foot, and I agree – it gave me so many problems. It was just too wide. Live and learn, I guess.
Oh dear, yes I’m not a big fan of that regular zipper foot myself – its too wide! The back bit sticks out wider than the front so it still doesn’t get in as close as I would like to my zipper. But your pillow looks great and a good idea to get all that fibrefill for a good price. Thanks for sharing.