Machine Stitching 4. Combining Zipper

BAEL LEATHER SCHOOL
Sep 2, 2018 · 5 min read

We need to combine various subsidiary materials to stitch for the bag.

Let’s take a look at the machine stitching which combines zipper to the main body, which is one of the most used ones.

Zipper was originally developed by the automobile company and it was first used in the bag by Hermes.

It is the Bolide Bag.

A zipper line that across the entire bag and convenient structure to get things out. I think the combination of the entire bag line and zipper is a masterpiece that reflects well the characteristics of simple but graceful Hermes.

Since then, zipper has been used in many places and it will be called as the king of subsidiary material.

I also think that this is probably one of the finest bag subsidiary materials developed by mankind.

If you try to make a bag, you will use at least one zipper.

Then, let’s take a look one by one with the photo.

Prepare a zipper like the photo.

The zipper you see is the one that places the entire top entrance of Boston bag style.

There are zipper sizes by number. I will tell you based on YKK.

The zipper in the photo is №5.

For reference, №3 is smaller and №8 is larger.

Generally, №3 is used for small goods and №5 is used for bags. But sometimes big size zipper that doesn’t fit the body size is used to emphasize the zipper.

Pull the teeth of the zipper to the proper position and finish the end of the zipper slide with stopper so that it doesn’t come off.

Now, it’s time to glue and bond to the body.

It is important to glue with the same length on the left and right and same width on top and bottom based on the center position.

The zipper is quite flexible, so you should think that the zipper line will wrinkled if the bonding is not proper.

To prevent this

1. You need to arrange the teeth of zipper with ruler in advance.

2. And pull the both ends slightly and glue to prevent the zipper from wrinkling.

The more well-made the product, the more elastic the zipper is, and you can see that all the teeth of zipper are arranged.

Anyway, zipper,

It should not be wrinkled.

For the stitching on the zipper, there would be a part where the guide of machine is stuck to the stopper. As such, there would be parts where the guide can’t be used.

For this

1. If you draw marking line that passes the needle in advance, you can machine the area where the guide can’t be used based on this line.

Or

2. You can insert the slide and stopper after completing machine stitching of zipper combination one by one without combining the stopper and slide.

Or

3. You can do machine two times by dividing the parts where the guide can and can’t be used.

You can choose any method that is convenient for you.

I will use machine two times for the below production.

But you don’t necessarily have to do this.

It’s just a demonstration.

There is a separate guide for the zipper as shown in the photo.

Unlike the guide of a typical circular head spinning, it is designed to prevent the zipper teeth from getting caught.

First machine is completed.

You can continue to use machine for the area where the machine is not made after first working.

Ensure that the stitch interval is not much different from the previous one.

Entire machine stitching is completed.

If there is a separate lining, and if you need to combine this lining to the upper, keep looking further.

The bag of the photo is produced by separating the lining, so I will combine it.

To combine the lining to the zipper line, inner and outer combination stitching should be more spaced so that it can’t be overlapped with zipper stitching.

This way, it looks like double backstitches when viewed from the outside, but they are actually two backstitches, one for zipper combination and the other for combination backstitch of lining and upper.

I did first zipper stitching with 3mm intervals and second stitching of combination for lining and upper with 6mm intervals. Based on this, I calculated the pattern of lining and upper zipper window.

Here,

Stitching would be difficult in parts where the presser foot, which is one of the disadvantages of the machine, cannot enter.

For this bag, machine work is only available from the point where the slide of zipper is opened maximum.

In other words, machine can’t enter between the side of bag and zipper stopper. So stitching can be difficult and there would be empty area without stitching.

But it is possible to do this with hand stitching since our hands can enter smoothly even in this situation.

To solve this

1. Do the machine work in advance for the area where machine stitching is not available?

2. Use post arm machine that can machine relatively deeper place instead of cylinder machine

3. Make a hole in advance with the machine in the remaining area that is not worked with machine and do hand stitching when connecting linings.

4. Work with hand stitching in the empty area after first matching stitching.

The most obvious method is no. 3, but it will be troublesome in many ways.

This way, you can complete the final zipper connection.

I will explain more about zipper connection in the pocket making section.

Now, let’s look at the machine stitching when connecting piping.

BAEL LEATHER SCHOOL

Written by

Participating in the work of leather crafts, writing and lecturing at BAEL Leather School after completing 'La Scuola Del Cuoio' in Italy.

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