Instructions

Invisible zippers aren’t hard to install. In fact, they require fewer steps than a regular zipper, so many sewers find them easier to install than a standard zipper. They do take some getting used to, though. With practice and the tips below, you’ll be on your way to sewing an invisible zipper with confidence.

An invisible zipper

A regular zipper is different than an invisible zipper. So how can you spot the difference? Pay attention to a zipper’s details to determine if you’ve got a true invisible zipper. Here are two things you want to look for:

1. The easiest way to spot an invisible zipper is to look at the pull tab. The pull tab on an invisible zipper is delicate, narrow, and pointed, whereas a regular zipper pull tab is usually flat, rectangular, and comparatively bulky.
2. The teeth on an invisible zipper are on the wrong side of the zipper, the opposite of the pull tab. Think of it as the teeth being on the “back” of the zipper.

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An invisible zipper foot

When sewing an invisible zipper, you can’t use a regular presser foot or even a regular zipper foot. Both won’t allow you to get close enough to the zipper teeth while sewing, which will result in a zipper that can be seen from the project right side. Instead, look for a proper invisible zipper foot, which has grooves or tunnels on the underside. Those grooves hold the zipper teeth out of the way, allowing your sewing machine’s needle and thread to get close to the zipper teeth. I prefer to sew my invisible zippers using a piping and cording foot. It doesn’t hold the teeth back (you have to do that with your fingers, so it requires more skill to use), but I find that I can sew even closer than with an invisible zipper foot.

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Prepping for installation

Before you install an invisible zipper, there are a few things to do that will make it easier.

1. Finish your fabric raw edges if you plan on finishing them. It’s easier to do this before the zipper is installed, rather than after.
2. Iron your zipper on low heat in order to flatten the fold at the teeth. I don’t like to do this because I prefer to see where my groove is, but I know some people swear by this and feel that it makes things easier.
3. Sew the seam of your project below the zipper before installing an invisible zipper.

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Invisible zipper installation

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1. Open the zipper.
2. Lay one side of the zipper tape on top of your fabric, right sides together. Make sure the raw edge of the fabric is on the same side as the edge of the fabric tape, and align your zipper tape so the groove next to the teeth is at your seam allowance. Pin the zipper tape and fabric together.
3. Switch to an invisible zipper foot.
4. Baste the zipper tape in place.
5. Sew the one side of the zipper tape in place, ensuring the stitches go directly in the groove next to the teeth. Sew from the top of the zipper tape to as far as you can go while staying in the groove.
6. Repeat Steps 2 to 5 on the other side of the fabric with the other side of the zipper. For Step 3, instead of changing presser feet, adjust your invisible zipper foot for the opposite side.

Whether you’ve sewn invisible zippers before or you’re about to for the first time, the tips above will help make the process easier.

At least it did until Brother sent me a P-touch 400AD labeller to test out. I never knew something so small could organize my life in such a big way.

The PT400AD is a portable, handheld unit, smaller than a tablet, with touch keys I can easily tap with my thumbs. It’s super easy to use and addictive. Write a word and the tape pops right out, ready for sticking. The TZe tape is dishwasher proof and can withstand freezers, heat and scrubbing. Plus, it’s flexible: you can use batteries or plug it in. I immediately thought of half-a-dozen things I could organize with the PT400AD. I attacked my freezer first.

The freezer

I swiftly labelled every unidentified frozen leftover and, unlike the masking tape I’d used in the past, the labels stuck right on. The PT400AD handles like you’re texting. A screen display lets you fix typos before wasting tape; the spool design allows any length; and five minutes with the instruction sheet opens the door to 14 fonts, 600 symbols and decorative flourishes.

Before:                                                  After:
  

The breaker box

The breaker box in my house was a visual mess. Scrawled in pencil, incomplete—even occasionally inaccurate—hitting the right breaker was sheer guesswork. For safety’s sake, it was begging for proper labelling.

Before:                                                   After:
  

Spices

I snagged a bagful of beautiful glass bottles with stoppers a few years ago. My intention was to label them prettily and use them for spices. But, like the handwriting-challenged procrastinator I am, I feared making a mess of them and never got around to it. It was the perfect opportunity to use the PT400AD’s gorgeous gold labels: leaf frame for herbs, bubble frame for spices.

School supplies

Elementary schools demand labelling of each child’s supplies. It’s a breeze in kindergarten, labelling a few chubby pencils and an eraser. By Grade 5—when coloured pencils, markers, pens, sharpeners, erasers, a geometry set, calculator and ruler have to be individually ID’d—it’s a tedious task that will make you rue the day you named your child Stephanie and not Sue. But it’s a snap for the PT400AD. Repeat a label? Just use the multiple printing function for more copies!

Household finances

My better self would be someone who files important papers regularly, not the current someone who heedlessly jams them into an accordion file. And searching for a particular bill would take seconds, not be an exercise in frustration that involves riffling through a random pile that lacks any order. The simple answer is file folders; the labeller makes them cute, so they’re clearly marked and fun to use.

Bake sales

The PT400AD will be a huge timesaver when I help out at our spring church bake sale. We have to repackage tonnes of baked goods into smaller containers to spur sales. Each packet needs its own label, and those labels can be pretty detailed (like last year’s “Orange, cranberry and white chocolate muffins. No nuts”). This year, the PT400AD will be a big help. Since its memory stores up to 50 completed designs, I can make all my pretty labels in batches.

Just use the multiple printing function for more copies!

The new school year is just around the corner. As much as this is fun and exciting, getting ready for school normally brings on some levels of stress and frenzy in the household. Let’s be honest – there’s a lot to do and to think about. But don’t fret. Organizing the kids for school is easier than you think.

If you’re already imagining your kids coming back from school with personal items and clothes missing, why not label them? Brother carries a variety of P-touch labellers that are affordable and perfect for on-the-go use. P-touch TZe tape conveniently comes in iron-on format and it’s real easy to use:

• Just type a label, print it and iron it on.
• The adhesive doesn’t damage clothes
• And it can stay on for up to 20 washes or more

Shirts, t-shirts, pyjamas, underwear, face and bath towels, socks, shorts pullovers, swimsuits… you name it! Let nothing escape your labelling powers.

Pyjamas, shirts, t-shirts, underwear, face and bath towels, socks, shorts pullovers, swimsuits… you name it! Let nothing escape your labelling powers.

P-touch laminated labels on the other hand, come in all sorts of colours and sizes and are virtually indestructible. They’re great for anything that’s not clothes. Why are they super-tough? Well, they’re scrape-proof, water-proof and U.V. resistant. They’ll easily stick to your child’s belongings all through camp and way beyond. These are essential for things like toiletry kits, flashlights, and medication!

Getting organized this summer by labelling your child’s belongings will help avoid lots of headaches and stress. It might even save you money in the long run as you will avoid lost items!

So start labelling today and share your labelling stories with us on our Facebook Page: www.facebook/BrotherCanada. We would love to see your great labelling ideas and we’re certain our other customers will too!

Enjoy your summer!

Survey source: Survey conducted for Brother Canada by third party.

Want more ideas on how labelling can save you time? Find more here.

P-touch® labels are ideal for this.

Here’s why :

1. P-touch® TZe tape comes in iron-on format and is easy to use:

o Just type a label, print it and iron it on.
o The adhesive doesn’t damage clothes
o And it can stay on for 20 washes or more.

Pyjamas, shirts, t-shirts, underwear, face and bath towels, socks, shorts, pullovers, swimsuits… let nothing escape your labeling, and your smile will be even bigger you’re your little campers come home!

2. P-touch® laminated labels on the other hand are great for anything that’s not clothes. They’re super-tough: scrape-proof, water-proof and U.V. resistant. They’ll easily stick to your child’s belongings all through camp and way beyond.

Enjoy your summer!

For more information on Brother labellers and tapes, just visit http://brother.ca