Zippers, most people are afraid of them or hate them. I have a beautiful friend who showed me years ago how to put them in and I am no longer afraid. In our fast paced world zippers are one thing that you just can't hurry through putting in. I have found a zipper foot essential. I have also found basting a HUGE time saver. You can manipulate hard places easier with a hand needle and have the zipper ready to sew in. Another wonderful mentor to me once said that when zippers are on sale she buys them in the longest length she can get. That way in future you don't have to worry about have the exact length. You can cut off a zipper at the bottom after making a bar tack across to keep the pull from coming off.

I learned some new things about zippers this weekend. I have put zippers in coats and jackets before, but never a reversable jacket. The lady who ask me to do this didn't tell me it was reversable. She told me she purchased the zipper already and it was in the bag. It was a normal 22 inch zipper. A jacket needs a seperating zipper to open up on the front. I spotted that right away and told her I was going to purchase a seperating zipper and I would add it to my fee. I measured the coat and the original zipper that was in it. It was 24 inch. I spent one week going to several different stores trying to find a light pink 24 inch seperating zipper. Impossible. I couldn't even find seperating zippers in some stores. I finally found a brown one, thankfully her jacket was pink and brown. Oh, and I never found a seperating zipper with the double sided pull for the reversable part. Thankfully, she was ok with that.

You know I try to patronize my local shops. It makes me sad because we are loosing our local Hancocks. That's where I found the zipper. I see why a lot of people are going to internet buying for their sewing needs. I just can't buy material this way yet. I need and love to feel it.

Sew Long for Now.