How to…Bind an open ended zip

Techniques

6 Oct

How much thought do you put into the insides of your garments?

The nature of a handy grabable cover-up like the Homebody Hoodie means that it will probably spend some time off your body! This gives you and others the chance to admire the beautiful personal details you can add to the inside of your hoodie!

Learn how to finish the insides neatly by adding binding to the edges of your open ended zip.

How to bind your zip edges using jersey

You’ll need:

A strip of single jersey measuring approx 50cm x 9cm

An iron

Optional: Spray starch

Sewing machine with a stretch needle fitted

Clips or pins

Cut a 4.5cm wide strip of single jersey to fit the length of your zip - tame any rolly edges with spray starch and press flat
Lay the jersey binding strip with right side down onto the uppermost side of the zip tape, aligning the edge of the jersey with the edge of the zip tape. Leave a 1cm turning allowance at each end for a neat finish.
Stitch in place close to the zip teeth. The jersey may stretch as you sew but do try to limit this by extending your stitch length and reducing your presser foot pressure. As you are sewing jersey onto a rigid zip tape, we recommend using a straight stitch for greater control and less chance of stretching.
Fold the binding up at each end to create a neat finish. Fold the loose raw edge of the jersey binding strip over to cover the underside of the zip tape and on the top side, sew close to the seam joining the binding to the zip tape.
Use a pin to hold the binding in place at the top, covering the overlocker neckline seam, and on the right side of the garment, press the front edge away from the zip, taking care not to apply heat directly to the plastic zip teeth.
On the right side, top stitch approx 1.5cm from the seam joining the front panel to the zip. Backstitch at the start and end.