Situations often occur when the lock on a jacket breaks and needs to be repaired urgently. Replacing a zipper is a minor repair but requires patience, time and focus. In that case, If you are not confident in your abilities, then such repairs can be carried out efficiently in any studio. If you have the desire, basic sewing skills and a sewing machine, this procedure can be carried out at home in a fairly short time.
Preparing to replace the lock
It is not necessary to change the lock if it is jammed in one place or if it has split into two parts; in this case, the lock can be repaired. But if damage occurs to the spirals or links, then replacement is required. First of all, make sure that you have all the necessary tools in your arsenal for further work:
- sewing machine;
- scissors;
- paperclip or clip.
The first step is to flog the old fastener and mark the location of the new one.Achieving the desired result largely depends on the correct organization of work. Make a plan and follow it, then you will be able to avoid surprises and enjoy the process.
How to flog an old zipper?
One of the simplest, but most attention-requiring steps is getting rid of the old zipper. To do this, you only need small scissors (you can use nail scissors). Next, you should turn the jacket inside out and pull down the zipper; upon careful examination, you can see the threads with which it is secured. Then, depending on your desire, you need to:
- cut one stitch and carefully pull out the thread to the end of the fastening (loop by loop);
- chaotically cut off all the threads, separate the lock and remove protruding elements, the main thing is not to touch or tear other parts.
First stages of work
It should be noted that each material reacts differently to the influence of a sewing machine and requires individual technical solutions during processing, so before you start sewing, you should see how the fabric will behave. To do this, take a piece of fabric (usually, when purchasing, it is attached to the product, or find a place invisible to prying eyes) and do a test. You also need:
- Check the quality of the fabric. When sewing, the thread must correspond to the quality of the product and be as close as possible to the thickness of the factory thread. If you neglect this rule, the structure of the seam will deteriorate or a situation may arise in which the seam on the zipper will stand out strongly. A lighter will help you determine the quality of the factory thread. To do this, set fire to a small piece; the smell of synthetics will be noticeably different from the smell of thread made from natural fibers.
- Find lightning.It should be selected according to the length and size that corresponds to the old standards. Select a zipper based on the material; you should not use a heavy tractor model on windbreakers, since it will gather in waves on the finished product, and for a warm jacket it is better to choose a powerful zipper.
- Try it. In order for the seam to be invisible, it is necessary to follow the original seam. Make several trial versions in advance on unnecessary material to compare and choose the best one. It is very important to align the two parts of the zipper correctly; to do this, you need to fasten it, and make several pins or clips in the places where the pattern joins, and then stitch the second part.
Important! It is necessary to baste the zipper so that the bottom of the jacket and the area near the collar are even.
Features of replacing a zipper in a leather jacket
The process of replacing a clasp on a leather jacket is a little more complicated. You will need two needles, strong threads, a metal thimble, and pliers. What to do:
- First, you need to rip off part of the old zipper (about 10-12 cm), then thread the threads into the needles, make a knot on one of them, and thread the second through it and tie a common knot.
- Insert the first needle into the puncture from the old seam, pierce the zipper and pull the thread to the knot. Thus, it turns out that the needles are on both sides of the product.
- Next, alternately insert needles into each side of the jacket (pull one from the front to the back, the other from the back to the front). So it is necessary to stitch to the end, helping with pliers and a thimble.
How to sew a zipper into a jacket with a stitched collar?
You need to do the following:
- place the zipper on the jacket and secure it with clips;
- sew the lock with a needle and thread to match the product so that it does not move when you go through the machine;
- On the machine, apply a stitch to the right of the smoothing row, and you must start from the fold of the collar to the fold of the waistband.
As you can see, replacing a zipper is a simple process. The main thing is to carefully study the material and take each step consistently.
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