How to add a zip closure to a purse

   Do you like my new purse?

I got it from Zara a few weeks ago.
I just loves it's shape and colour combination, which matches almost any outfit and is suitable for both winter and summer.
The only default is that it's only closure is this magnetic snap.

This is not enough to keep my things safe, either from stealing or from ending up on the middle of the street, should I drop the purse! I have to think of any possible scenario! Anyway I have a thing with purses and closures. I need them to close neatly to feel secure.

So here's what I made to solve this problem... because not buying the bag was not an option!

1. This is pretty easy. Measure the opening of the purse and divide the width by 2.

So for example my purse is 36 X 9. The opening I will make has to be 36 cm at length and 9 cm width. It will be split in two by a zip, so 9/2 = 4.5 cm. Right?

2. Now cut 2 pieces of fabric, matching the colour of the purse lining or purse it's self. Each one should measure 36cm length and 9cm width, because it will be folded in two. Add seam allowances. Mine is just one cm.

3. Sew each fabric piece on the zip, folded in half and enclosing the raw edges in the pieces. This would be easier if you press the seam allowances in. It doesn't have to be perfect. No one will see it, but you.

4. Now all that's left to do is sew your closure to the purse.

This can only be done by hand. 

Determine a straight line in the purse lining. There may already be some kind of line to follow, if not just draw one with tailors chalk.

Here's how mine looks from the inside and outside.

Unfortunately I forgot to divide and my closure and it ended up having double the width it should have... 

Even so, I don't mind, because I can use that extra space it creates to place a bottle of water!

See? It creates just the right shape and it fits perfectly! Ha ha

That's how the purse looks all secured!

See you around 

Maria

Observations on zip installation

    Among the dresses I had to alter, there was this silk one, that was quite too big on the bust. It's a dress I bought from Zara a couple of years ago and only got to year once. I'm posting about it, because I want to show you the way they covered the zip tape. It may be a well known technique, but I've never seen it before.

This is how it looks when you unzip the dress.

There is grossgrain tape along the right side of the zip.

This is how it looks from the inside, when the zip is done.

The grossgrain tape fully covers the zip, giving a smoother feeling on your skin.

And if the dress is too tight, you won't risk catching skin while zipping!

Now let's observe how it's made... so that we may duplicate it!

This is the right side of the zip, on which the grossgrain tape is sewn.

So, if you wanted to duplicate this technique, you would first install the zip, as you would in any other case,

only you would sew the zip on both the fashion fabric and lining, treating them as one.

Then, while having the zip tape flat, you would sew the grossgrain tape 

above all them and really close to the edge.

You would end up with this.

See the edge of the grossgrain tape is hemmed. 

The bottom of the grossgrain tape is hemmed too, while catching the zip tape at the same time.

After you've sewn the grossgrain tape on the zip tape, you would turn the zip to the inside,

as you would anyway and you would catch the grossgrain tape on the top of the dress with a few stitches,

to keep it in place.

You wouldn't have to do anything special to the left side of the zip.

I guess you could use anything but grossgrain tape. 

Silk or satin tape, with some body, or even a folded piece of the fashion fabric, 

as long as it can be stiff enough to stay put!

     

See you around

Maria

Mom's new dress

This is Burda 5/2008, model 117.

Quite easy pattern,with grossgrain ribbon details.

Flatters a woman with a tummy, like my mother.

This is the back.

Simple with no gatherings, just two waist darts.

I used this method to sew the lining to the zip and I loooooooved it so much.

No more boring hand sewing and annoying tape scratching my skin!

Perfectly aligned edges too.

An internal view of the front.

I did this little trick with this dress. I know how to fit me, but with mother is not as easy.

So, since I was bored to cut a muslin and then the dress and then the lining, I used the lining as a muslin!

If something went wrong I would cut a new lining. 

So after fitting adjustments and all, I had perfectly made the lining and all there was left to do is make the rest of the dress.

So much easier. I'm going to do this again.

I also added the seam allowances on the paper pattern.

I don't know why I had never done this before.

I started sewing Burda patterns and I got used to the process of adding the seam allowances, but it gets so boring and mistakes are easy to happen.

I remember my enthusiasm the first time I used a pattern with included seam allowances!!!

You go through the process once and that's all!

The pattern pieces align so much better too.

My only complain is that after all the pressing I did, the fabric still won't lie flat at the edges...

Hopefully I doesn't look like that on her.

See you around

Maria