Replies

1. 
   Palady | Mar 04, 2010 10:12am | #1

   >> ... never see the entire

   >> ... never see the entire zipper ... <<    Hhmm.  I'm uncertain what you mean by this.  Most bags have the zipper teeth visible. 

   In the industry, zippers are often sewn in early on.  When I've sewn various sized bags, I set the zipper between the seen side & the lining before closing the sides/bottom.

   There have been occasions when I've replaced zippers in bags, or jackets, that the best way for me to do so was to hand sitich.   Did this because to remove stitching would've meant practically reconstructing the entire piece.  Then too, my domestic machine was less than able to handle machine stitching because of the thickness and/or getting the piece under the presser foot.

   nepa

1. 
   Palady | Mar 04, 2010 03:33pm | #3

   Stillsuesew gave you a additional info.  if it matters, I posted again to add a "thing" I routinely do.

   Leave long thread tails in some instances at the conlusion of a stitching when i antitcpate having to complete a join or a closure by hand.   Doing this allows me to have the thread in place.  It's then a matter of securing the tails & completing the closure. 

   nepa 

2. 
   stillsuesew | Mar 04, 2010 01:20pm | #2

   You need to put the zipper in very early in the project, perhaps first thing.   To make more sense of this sew the zipper to the outside "fashion" fabric first, then sew the lining piece to the inside.  That is a little easier than trying to do both at once.   Now you can finish the side seams, doing most of the lining last and leaving a small opening to turn the whole thing right side out.  The last little bit can be closed by hand, machine, or a piece of fusible tape.