The Easiest Zipper

What’s the hardest part of sewing a cushion? It’s those dang zippers!

I hear this so often. It seems zippers are intimidating! Now I was never really afraid of zippers, but I did struggle to get them sewn nice and neatly. No matter how I tried, My zipper flaps would be messy and crooked!

That is until I learned what I call the double folded zipper panel. Now when I first read the instructions for this zipper panel, I thought no way is that going to work. And I immediately sat down to sew one following the instructions intent on proving this process wrong. But y’all, it turned out perfect on the very first try. I’m a convert!

How To Measure

For this zipper panel, you cut two panels the length and width the back edge of you cushion boxing. So for example, let’s say we have a 25″ square cushion that is 5″ thick. For ease of getting cushions into the cover, you want the zipper panel to wrap around to the sides of the cushion on each side by about 6″.

So in this example the we need a zipper panel 25″ long plus an additional 6″ on each end to wrap around the side. So our zipper panel will be 37″ long by 6″ wide. The 6″ width allows for a standard 1/2″ seam allowance. For this process, you want two panels that are both 37″x6″.

Next Step – Serging 

I always serge all my cushion pieces. Besides giving a professional finish to the cushion, serging serves a very important function. It prevents the cut fabric edges from freying. Let me just say, freyed threads and zippers do not play well together. There is nothing more frustrating than trying to zip or unzip a cushion that has freyed threads in the way. Unless it is actually having the zipper break because of the freyed threads stuck in the zipper. 

So once I have the zipper panels cut, the first step is to fold the panel in half and serge the 3 raw edges. This creates a nice folded panel all neatly serged shut. If you don’t have a serger, you can iron or steam the panel and even run a quick seam down the length of the panel to keep it closed.

Zipper Talk

We’re ready to sew the zipper, but first let’s talk about zippers. What’s the best zipper to use? You don’t want to skimp on zipper quality. Choosing the right zipper for the job is key. For cushions, I like a #5 zipper. I’ve used both metal and nylon and currently prefer nylon. The slides glide thru the teeth easily. I buy zipper chain by the yard and purchase the slides separately. It’s not hard to put a slide on the zipper chain and sewing the zipper without having to work around he slide is so much easier. 

My resource for zippers is The Zipper Lady. Alicia knows zippers and can pretty much take care of any of your zipper needs. She stocks zippers in just about any color and even has a section called ‘Very Cool Zippers’. Who knew zippers were cool! If you have a special project she can help you source the right zipper. There are also VERY helpful videos showing you how to put that slide on the zipper! 

Time to Sew

You won’t believe how easy this is and how quickly you will have the zipper all zipped up!

Take one of your folded panels and align the zipper under the folded edge so that the zipper teeth are centered under the fold. Meaning half of the teeth are just under the fold. Using a zipper foot, put the zipper and panel under the zipper foot as pictured.  Sew a seam down the length of the folded panel about a 1/4″ from the folded edge. 

Repeat with the second panel. This time you just butt the folded edge up to the first panel. Sew your seam and you have just sewn the zipper. 

Finishing Up

There are just two steps to finish up. First, install the slide.

To do this, put the slide onto the zipper as shown. Now grasp both sides of the zipper tape between your thumbs and fore fingers.

Pull the zipper apart, as the teeth separate, the slide will slide onto the zipper. Ta-Dah! Cool huh?

Okay just one more thing. Now that you have the zipper sewn and the slide on, you want it to stay that way. So cut two small squares of fabric. Fold them in half and sew each one across the top and bottom of your zipper. This will prevent the slide from coming off.

If you have used a metal zipper, you may want to ‘walk’ the needle across the zipper. I have broken both thread and needle if the needle hits the zipper rather than wiggle its way thru. Nylon zippers don’t seem to have as much of a problem going thru the zipper.

Ok, you have just sewn a zipper panel! Now your ready to move forward and sew up that cushion.