Sewing clothes yourself is a chance to create a unique item, in a single copy and only with your own parameters. Clothing tailored to a person's measurements always fits perfectly and emphasizes the best features of the figure.
Every novice seamstress sooner or later faces the question: “How to sew a zipper into trousers?” At first glance, this is a complex process that frightens with the unknown. But once you deal with this issue, sewing in fasteners will no longer be a problem. The main thing is not to be afraid and practice more.
Video on the topic
Features of terminology
Zippers come in non-hidden and concealed varieties. In the first case, it runs through the center of the product, but is covered with a fabric strip. Due to this, it is not visually visible. This rectangular piece is called a codpiece or valance. There is also another strip called the slope. It covers the clasp at the bottom and thereby prevents fabric from getting caught in the teeth and pinching the skin.
A hidden zipper is sewn into the side seam area. In this case, only the dog remains in the visibility zone.
The codpiece also comes in two types. There are one-piece and set-in types. When choosing the first option, it is laid down when designing the pattern. For this purpose, a rectangular piece is added along the central seam at the front of the products. Its length is 19 cm and its width is 5 cm. These parameters are standard. A set-in codpiece is a separate piece of material that is sewn directly to the fly itself.
When figuring out how to sew a zipper into trousers with such a detail as a codpiece, you should take into account who the clothing is intended for. In women's models it is sewn on the right, and in men's models on the left.
Secret
Unhidden
One-piece
Set-in codpiece
Step-by-step master class on sewing in a zipper with a codpiece
Before sewing a zipper into your trousers, you should study the recommendations. For the first time, the work may seem too complicated, but in the end it will become clear that sewing in a fastener with a codpiece is considered the simplest thing, no matter whether women's, children's or men's trousers are being repaired. Before work, you should prepare the product: all darts must be stitched, pockets must be sewn.
In women's trousers
Even an inexperienced craftswoman can process a codpiece. Having learned this type of repair, you will be able to significantly save your family budget. To sew a zipper into women's trousers, you need to follow these steps:
- First of all, you should cut out the slope. It is better to take for him the same fabric from which the pants are made. To do this, draw a rectangular strip on the material with chalk, two valances wide and high along its length. The result should be an element measuring 10 x 20 cm, be sure to make the lower corners rounded. Now you need to cut it out, fold it in half inside out and overcast the edges.
- Next you will need to mark the center seam line on the front of the trousers. To do this, step back 1 cm to the left and draw a parallel line, placing it closer to the outer edge of the codpiece. Next, fold it inside out and baste.
- Under the resulting allowance, you need to place a fastener so that the edges of the teeth are visible, and secure with safety pins. Between the clamp and the top point from which the seam allowance begins, you need to leave a few mm. This way the lock will not create unnecessary folds when closed.
- Now you need to carefully place the slope. To do this, its outer long sides must coincide with the edge of the zipper. In this case, the top one should be on the waist line of the trousers. First, baste with thread, then stitch on a sewing machine.
- Fold both halves of the pants so that the lines of the middle seams in women's trousers match. Now we sew the right side of the fastener braid to the codpiece from the same edge.
- Turn the pants inside out and stitch around the edges.
- Use chalk to mark a line on the front side of the product. The valance stitching will go along it.
- Use a sewing machine to make a decorative stitch along the laid line, and secure the bottom with a zig-zag seam.
- The clasp processing is complete. All that remains is to iron the product.
The skill of creating a valance will be useful not only when sewing trousers. In exactly the same way, fasteners on jeans, shorts and some styles of skirts are processed step by step.
Cut out a slope
Cut element
Fold in half inside out
Overcast edges
Mark the middle seam line
Draw a parallel line
Fold inside out, baste
Place the slope
Sweep with threads
Stitch
Sew the right side of the clasp tape to the codpiece
Turn the pants inside out, stitch around the edges
Mark a line on the front side of the product
Make a decorative stitch on a sewing machine
Iron the product
In men's pants
On men's trousers, the codpiece will be located on the left side. A step-by-step master class will help you sew a zipper correctly. To do this you need to act step by step:
- The first step is to iron the fold. To do this, the valance allowance should be folded inside out. You don't need to do anything like that on the right half.
- Next, place the fastener with the front part facing the valance allowance of the right half of the pants, making sure that the edges match. Place the fastener stop at a distance of one centimeter from the side and bottom edge of the codpiece. Sew the zipper along the right side, stepping back three millimeters from the teeth, closer to the edge of the valance. After this, turn it right side out and fold the sewn part to the wrong side.
- Place both halves of the pants right sides together, bending over the ironed codpiece. Use tailor's pins to secure the distance from the zipper stopper to the groin. Next, machine stitch the area. Now you can turn the product right side out and try fastening and unfastening the clasp several times.
- Sew the other half of the fastener to the left side of the trousers. To do this, fold the codpiece allowances again, make a notch with scissors along the upper edge of both fabrics a few millimeters along the ironed fold. Next, you need to turn the product so that the fastener band, which has not yet been sewn, is at the top right. After this, attach it to the codpiece.
- Turn the product right side out, fold it carefully, and trace the outline of the valance with chalk. The processing of the codpiece in the trousers is completed, all that remains is to sew a straight decorative line and go along it from the bottom with a zig-zag.
You can easily replace a broken zipper if you carefully tear it off and sew a new one in the same place along the old seams. This work will take 2 times less time.
What will you need at work?
To sew on the fastener you should prepare:
- sewing machine;
- directly the clasp itself;
- a rectangular piece of fabric that will be used to create a slope;
- clothes with a codpiece;
- iron;
- centimeter or regular ruler;
- iron;
- threads and needles;
- pins;
- soap or chalk;
- scissors.
Many needlewomen perform such actions using a thimble. If the matter is quite dense, it should also be included in the list.
What to do if the trousers are cut without fastening
Sometimes pants are initially cut in a way that does not include a zipper. It is quite possible to sew it into such clothes. For this purpose, you must adhere to these instructions.
The central seam on the front part, where the fastener will be sewn, is ripped open.
The pants are laid out on a horizontal surface. A zipper is laid out on them and the places where it is planned to be placed are marked.
When using this method, the presence of a valance is not implied. For this reason, you should make an indent of about two centimeters from the right mark and cut off the excess material.
Now the pants are turned inside out. The part to be sewn is secured to them using pins.
The first side is stitched. It is extremely important to make sure that nothing interferes with the process of fastening and unfastening this element. For this purpose, the slider should be moved up and down several times.
The second ribbon is attached to the second part of the pants.
After this, you just need to gouge the seams and iron the clothes thoroughly.
The process of sewing in a zipper does not cause any particular difficulties. You can cope with this task even without sewing skills. To do this, you just need to study the step-by-step master class and strictly follow the instructions. If you don’t deviate from it and be attentive, the result will definitely please you. In the future, you will no longer have to turn to an experienced seamstress to repair your clothes. Such actions can be easily performed at home. Thanks to this, you will be able to save your family budget. In addition, in the future it will be much easier to master other work options. Moreover, zippers are provided in a huge number of wardrobe items.
Sewing algorithm
There are pants that are already initially cut without fasteners. In this case, sewing a zipper to them will not be difficult.
To do this, you must comply with some points, namely:
- Open the seam where you plan to sew in the zipper;
- Place a zipper on the pants and mark with chalk the places where it will be sewn;
- In this case, the fastener will not have a valance and therefore you should step back two centimeters from the mark and cut off the remaining fabric.
- Then turn the pants inside out and attach a fastener, tempered with tailor’s pins;
- Next you need to sew on the left side of the fastener to check the zipper for serviceability.
- Having closed the zipper, you need to stitch the other side;
- Sew the pants along the seams in the groin area and press the zipper with an iron.
Creating a Hidden Zipper
Thus, it became clear how to sew a fly on women's trousers. The technology is not much different from men's pants or shorts: you can simply change the direction, but this is not so important. If something is not completely clear, you can find many master classes. Even a seamstress who has never done anything like this can do the job of sewing in a hidden zipper on the side correctly.
