Replacing A Coat Zipper
I am a firm believer that if you want to have a large family, even on one income like my hubby and I do so I can stay home with the kids, then Heavenly Father will provide a way. That way comes in lots of forms. Everything from babysitting other children, to coupons, to being really thrifty by buying a coat when its on sale at the end of the previous winter season. Yup, that's how I got my son his awesome new coat for the currant school year.
Another way we have been able to live frugally is to mend things before we resort to buying something new. In order to keep up with all the wear and tear kids put on their clothes I had to learn to sew. My mom taught me the basics when I was in high school and I filled in the rest with lots of practice. It has come in handy! Because I can do some basic sewing I am able to save money by repairing my families clothing items instead of replacing them all the time.
When the zipper on my sons coat broke after just a few weeks of wear I was pretty annoyed. But I didn't just throw out the coat. I spent $3 on a new zipper and now his coat is as good as new!
If you are having trouble getting a new zipper that is just the right size get one that is a tiny bit on the small side. It is better to deal with a new zipper that is 1 inch too small than to have one that is 1 inch too big. Trust me!
2. Next, get the old zipper out of there! This requires a seam ripper and some patience. It takes a while to get old zippers out since most coats have them sewn in really well. Do your best and take your time. As you remove the old zipper keep track of all the places the coat was attached to it. Then you will be able to attach the new zipper in the same places.
3. Pin the new zipper in. Make sure you have kept careful track of where the old zipper was attached so you can put the new one in the exact same place. If you look at my picture you will see that part of my zipper is pinned the 'wrong' direction. This is so I can sew it to the interior of the front of the coat before I attach it to the inside lining of the coat.
If your new zipper is a bit too small, that's ok. You can either tuck the extra inch in and put the zipper all the way at the top of the coat. This gives you an inch of loose fabric at the bottom. Or you can use the whole zipper and have an extra inch at the top.
On the side that has the zipper tab sew half of the new zipper in. Keeping the needle embedded in the zipper, lift the foot so you can move the zipper tab past the needle. Put the foot back down and continue on your way. You may need to back stitch a few stitches to make sure everything is still lined up.
And there you are! You have just replaced a zipper in a coat. Great job!
Here is a photo of what my sons coat looked like when I was finished. I actually like this zipper way more that the cheap plastic one that used to be there. The new metal one will last much longer. Maybe even through the next boy who wears this coat;)
