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Sewing Tips and Techniques
How To Sew An Invisible Zip
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You’ve chosen your sewing project, selected the fabric and the pattern, now it’s time to think about the haberdashery to bring it all together. We make it easy for you to find everything you need in one place from threads to bias binding, zips, buttons, elastic and interfacing right through to specialist items required for those more ambitious designs.
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The one haberdashery item all sewing projects require is thread and we stock an extensive range of high-quality options by our favourite brands including Gutermann, Mettler, Madeira and Amann. You may also need additional notions like bias binding, elastic, trimmings, zips or buttons plus interfacings or tapes to prevent stretching or add structure. You’ll usually find a helpful list of exactly what you need on your sewing project instructions so you can tick them off as you shop them on our site.
When choosing haberdashery the first thing to consider is the colour. If it is an item that will be visible, like thread or bias binding, you may want it to match or contrast for example. If it is something hidden inside, like elastic or interfacing, you may want to choose black for dark fabrics and white for light ones. For items like bias binding, elastic, trimmings, zips, buttons and other fasteners it is important to check the recommended size for your project in the instructions. Bias binding, elastic and trimmings will have a width and length measurement to consider whilst zips will have a length, and buttons will have a width.
Some sewists like to have a stash of haberdashery items at home so they are relatively well equipped for most sewing projects whenever inspiration strikes. Useful things to keep in your stash include threads in a range of colours – start with neutral colours like black, white, navy and cream then build up your collection over time. A selection of different weights of interfacing and elastic in a variety of widths in both black and white plus a selection of zips and buttons in common lengths and sizes are also useful to have to hand.
We always recommend using high quality threads such as Gutermann, Mettler, Madeira or Amann to achieve the best results with your sewing machine and overlocker. High quality threads are less prone to breakage and contain less lint content so they produce less fluff. Fluff can cause problems with your stitch quality and machine.
Some people also prefer to use recycled thread and we stock the full range of Gutermann recycled threads here. You can see our full range of sewing threads here.
There are a huge range of different types of sewing thread and we stock most of them! Firstly, there are variations in the fibres used to create the threads – polyester, cotton, silk and linen for example. For most general sewing people tend to use polyester (remember we do stock a Gutermann recycled polyester range) or cotton threads.
There are also threads designed for specific purposes such as top stitch thread, which is thicker and therefore more noticeable when used for stitches which will be visible on the right side of a garment. Elastic thread is used for shirring – creating a gathered effect on fabric. Overlocker threads are used on overlockers and coverstitch machines and Maraflex thread is a type of elasticated thread you can use on stretch and jersey fabrics. We also stock a wide range of other specialist threads and are always happy to help with any questions you might have.
Interfacing is used to add some stiffness and structure to fabric in places like facings, collars, waistbands, cuffs and plackets.
In tailored garments heavier interfacing is often also used at the shoulders and lapels.
Usually the instructions for your sewing project or pattern will offer some advice or suggestions, but generally you want to choose something that is slightly lighter weight than your fabric and a colour that will be least visible. You will also want to consider whether the fabric is woven or stretch - a special stretch interfacing is required for stretch fabrics. You can find out more information about interfacings and how to choose the right one for your project in our in-depth blog article below.
An invisible or concealed zip is sewn so that the zip is hidden from the outside of the garment. The zip tapes are sewn to the seam allowances either side of the opening and when the zip is closed the teeth are not visible. When sewn correctly the zip should look like a normal seam from the outside with only the zip pull visible at the top. It is a very neat and professional looking way to fasten a garment so well worth the effort. You can see an in-depth tutorial of how to sew an invisible zip in our blog article below.
