Zippers. Are. Not. Hard. (keep repeating that…) And you can totally handle them! I guess to a certain extent, it is about having to accept that somethings just have to be learned and when you have them under your belt, you will be one step closer to being the sewist that you want to be. Helps if it is easy though when we have to learn a lesson!

So why struggle? Why do we need to have a recessed zipper in a bag at all? Why not just let everything be zipper free. We can still have bags in our world right? Well yeah, I guess so but what would they look like? I mean c’mon, slip pockets are awesome and all but what about security? It means that we can never use those cute metal zips. No there needs to be a zipper – when was the last time that you saw a fully functional high end bag without one? Exactly.

A recessed zipper serves a few purposes actually. To begin with, it offers security. It means that nothing can fall out of your bag if it is tipped and, more importantly depending on where you live, other people’s sticky fingers cannot find their way in so easily.

A recessed zipper also offers some soft structure to the top of the bag. It stops sagging. although I put a foam interfacing into all of my bags, extra help is always good.

The fact that the zipper is recessed means that it is doing its job quietly and behind the scenes – it is not the prima donna that a top zipper is. Oh no! Depending on how deeply you recess the zip, it can be quite hard to see from the side.

You will notice that one bag is playing the starring role in this tute. It is my San Sebastian Tote pattern but don’t worry, what you are learning here can be transferred to any pattern because it is the technique that we are focusing on. I just need a pattern so that I can keep track of what I want to tell you.

The main thing is to get your zipper foot out for this one! The right tool for the job is really important and with a zipper foot, you can get in a lot tighter than with a normal presser foot. Most modern machines come with a zipper foot as a standard accessory so have a rummage in that bag of tricks that came with the machine.

And get the right zipper. You need a long one which means that the bag will open up fully and not be pinched by a shorter zip on the end. It should open out fully like this

The long end of the zip is going to get a tab put on it. Partly because it looks better and partly because if you are using a continuous zip as I have (more on that later) you need a stopper to prevent the zip from coming undone. May as well look good at the same time.

The long end of the zipper can then either hang over the end or be tucked in. As you can see, it has a bit of extra length here.

So to make a recessed zipper, we need a few things and the details will be all be in your pattern. This tute is only about the actual technique so gather these bits and pieces:

• your zipper (natch)
• the top panel
• the top panel interfacing (Style-vil by Vlieseline)
• the top panel lining
• the tab for the end of the zipper
• You will also need the top inner trim and a piece of your lining so that I can show you how to put the zipper into the lining.

The things on this list will be mentioned specifically in the pattern so cut them out and prepare them and meet me back here.

Right so you have the top panels interfaced with foam interfacing. They are then trimmed.  The foam at the end of the zipper which is not the opening end is a bit bulky to fold over so I like to go in about 1/2″ and trim that back further.

This extra piece of overhang is then folded over, pressed and glued to keep it in place like this

Prepare the zipper next. 
The end tapes where the zipper opens will either look like this if you are using a ‘normal’ zipper…

or this if you are using a zipper on a roll (continuous zipper)….

Whichever you have, you need to fold the zipper tape ends to the side as near to the zipper opening as you can like this and stitch them to hold them there. It is just a matter of opening the zip a bit and folding the tapes to the side. Some basting stitches hold them there. It looks a bit tortured at the moment but bear with me…

So now it is time to put the first half of the zipper onto the panels.

One end of the recessed zipper (the opening end) is almost right up against the end of the panels (1/4″ away from the end to allow for the seam) and the other end runs off the end of the panels and ends in a tab. Folding the zipper tapes back like this means that you get a lovely clean end where the zipper opens.

So come in 1/4″ from the end like this to allow for the seam allowance

I always machine (or hand) baste the zip in first to keep it in place because once the lining goes on to make the sandwich, it is very difficult to see if the zip has stayed put.

Then add the lining (right sides together) and sew up the short end, along the zipper. That sticky-out bit of zipper there is supposed to be like that. What you are seeing is your folded over opening end of the zip. We will get rid of that in a later step.

Don’t sew down the other short end just yet though. Just fold the lining up to match the glued outer end. Now those of you who are paying a lot of attention will see that this lining fold over has way more than a 1/4″ allowance! That is because you can usually rely on the lining to stretch a little. Don’t sweat it unless it is excessive. Too much and you may have a problem with distortion. I have never had too much trouble with anything up to 3/4″. Just fold it over and make sure that it is dead even with the folded and glued outer panel. That is the important bit.

There will be a bit of bulk there on the sewn corners so trim across being careful not to snick the stitches. Don’t go too close to the stitch either, there has to be some fabric left for the stitch to bite into. Oh and lose that bit of zipper that was sticking out now too. Just cut it off.

Right! exciting moment alert! Turn the panel the right way out and press so that the edges are perfect. EEEK! All going well (and I am sure that it has) this is what you have now….

Then topstitch narrowly up the short side, along the zipper and then down the other short side.

The topstitching is what will close the flappy bits on the other end of the panel where the end of the zip sticks out. You can topstitch once or twice depending on what looks good, what room you have, what the pattern suggests and what you have done elsewhere in the bag.

Well done you! You have made one side!!
Now repeat this on the other side and trim so that the whole shebang is as wide as the pattern directs. That is really important because the lining has some overhang and it must fold around the zipper panel ends perfectly. More on that in a bit.

I like to baste the layers together too so that they are not too floppy. This makes it easier when you put the zipper together. The outer edges only need to be trimmed and then basted. They are still raw but we will take care of that in one second.

You will need the top trim and the lining panel for the next bit because now I will show you how to add the recessed zipper to the bag lining. But before I do, you will notice that the end of the zipper needs some attention? That cannot be allowed to stay like that!

We need to add the zipper end tab next. This is all outlined in your pattern but I do mine in a particularly simple way. Take the end tab and fold it right sides together. Sew the sides to make a little bag.

Now trim away a bit of fabric from the bottom bits. This will reduce bulk. I shorten my stitches to make this little bag too especially when I am using canvas which frays really easily.

The idea then is to turn the little ‘bag’ the right way out and fold the raw bits inside the bag until you achieve a square which will fit the end of your zipper.

Now the best bit of having used a plastic zipper is that when you attach the tab, you can sew right across the teeth without upsetting your needle. If you have a metal zipper, just put the tab on to the end of the teeth (you will have zipper tape overhang for this). That way you cannot accidentally get the teeth when you attach the end tab.

Okay so that done, we are ready to put the zipper panel into the lining. This is a most satisfying bit!

So to apply the recessed zipper panel to the innards of the bag, take a top trim and your piece of lining and place them right sides together with one side of the zipper panel sandwiched in between. Clip or pin making sure that the zipper panel is in the dead centre of both the top trim and the lining panel and, after that bit is established, actually ignore the zipper panel entirely. Proceed as though it wasn’t there.

Sew right along trapping the zipper panel side in the seam. Then flip the layers the right way out (still ignoring the zipper panel) and topstitch narrowly at the top of the seam. One side in!

As you can see in the wider shot, there is a bit of fabric at either end of the zipper panel. This is the bit that folds around the panel on the ends and creates the nice neat end. We talked about it briefly before when we were discussing the trimming of the zipper panel width.

In the finished bag, it will be this bit here on the ends. Your pattern designer will have carefully calculated the amounts so that they fit together as beautifully as possible.

Repeat for the other side. It looks like a hot mess at the moment but it will come together when the sides are sewn up.

The last job to do is to sew the sides and base of the lining, leaving a turning gap in the bottom somewhere. You will box the corners of the lining too and the pattern will give you all of this info.

It is actually fun and incredibly rewarding to make some thing that looks as though it is professionally made. Unfortunately homemade stuff has had a bit of a bad rep over the years. Back in the day, you just couldn’t buy the bits and pieces needed to make a bag look professional. Now what we are going for is handmade, not homemade and knowing how to install a zipper like this is another giant step along that road.

So well done if you have made it this far and double well done if you have played along! Don’t forget to sign up with your email and that means that you will never miss a post. At the moment, this needs some refining but you will still get a note into you inbox telling you what is going on.

Happy sewing!

Debbie xx