Sewing Machine Presser Feet ~ Part 3: Zippers & Buttons

Time for Part 3 of my Sewing Machine Presser Feet series! Today I’m reviewing various zipper feet, the buttonhole foot, & button foot. Most garments & bags need some type of fastener, so these feet are good to have around if you sew either one. I know putting in zippers is intimidating for some people, but it doesn’t have to be. I’ll give you some tips that will help you get things zipped {& buttoned} up in no time flat!

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Zipped & Buttoned

These are the feet I’m looking at today:

• buttonhole foot {far left}
• button foot
• concealed/invisible zipper foot
• zipper foot
• adjustable zipper foot

My handy containers make it easy to find what I need & double as labels for my picture! Well, except the buttonhole foot – it’s too long for a container. : P

The concealed zip & adjustable zip foot came in the presser foot set I bought earlier this year. All the others came with my Brother sewing machine. If you have a different machine, your feet may look a little different, but most still work about the same.

Zipper Foot

The zipper foot I’m using has two snap on bars on top so you can move it to accommodate the needle. I have to set my needle to the center position when using this foot.

My first tip for installing a zipper is to attach a large paper clip to the pull. This will help maneuver the zipper while sewing. I’ve tried using a safety pin before, but they tend to come open to easily when pulling on the zipper. I try to bleed as little as possible on my projects. : D

I’m going to show you two different ways to put a zipper in – sandwich style & in the seam.

Sandwich Style

I don’t think “sandwich style” is the technical term for this, but that’s what I call it! This is most useful when sewing bags with zippers. Lay the zipper face up on the right side of the bottom fabric, with the edges aligned. The lay the top fabric, face down, over the zipper, with edges aligned.

You can pin this in place if you like, then take it to the sewing machine. Make sure the zipper foot is positioned so you can butt the side of it against the zipper teeth. I’m pushing on the zipper in the picture so you can see it better.

Sew until you get about 1/2″ or so from the zipper pull. Pick up the presser foot, leaving the needle in the down position, & slide the zipper pull back behind the presser foot. You may have to press up on the lever to make room for the pull to go under the foot.

This will keep you from having a bump out in your stitches. If you are adding zipper tab covers, you won’t need to sew past the start & stop of the zipper & can skip this step.

Flip your fabric over & press it away from the zipper. Usually I would top stitch as well, but this is just basted for demonstration.

Here’s the backside, which would be pressed as well normally. Again, just for demonstration!

This method conceals the zipper edge & fabric edges all at the same time. It is the easiest way to put a zipper in a bag!

In the Seam

When putting a zipper in a seam, you have to do things a little differently. First you would sew your seam up to the point that the zipper stop at the end will land. The sew with a basting stitch for the remainder of the seam.

Lay the zipper face down, with the top even with top of fabric, & align the zipper teeth with the seam. I like to pin this down, but I have seen some people use painters tape.

I sew from the bottom up using the zipper foot & a basting stitch, stopping right before the zipper pull. Then I lift the foot, keeping the needle down, & pull the zipper behind the foot. Again, you may have to push up on the lever to get it under.

I also start from the bottom to baste the other side & just stop the stitching just before the zipper pull. Since it’s just basted, I don’t need to go all the way to the end on both sides. Plus getting that zipper down now is very tricky!  ; )

Once it’s basted, I flip it over & remove the basting stitches. I usually unzip it to be sure things are not catching & then mark the end of the zipper with a pin.

To top stitch, I start at the top on one side, turn the corner at the bottom, & make my way back up the other side. A sewing u-turn!

I’ve seen many tutorials that have you do the top stitching without basting. They just avoid the zipper pull & add the extra stitches once the seams been opened up. This can look messy & I think my method gives a nicer finish at the top.

So, are you feeling more confident about a zipper yet? : D

Concealed or Invisible Zipper Foot

The first thing to note about this foot is that it’s intended to use with an invisible zipper, which is made differently than a regular zipper. It has little grooves on the bottom to accommodate the zipper teeth.

Your needle would be set to the center position to use this foot. The zipper teeth are aligned with the seam edge, right sides together, & the teeth go in the groove furthest to the right.

I didn’t have any invisible zippers on hand, so I’m going to show you why this foot is only for invisible zippers. When you use this foot, it helps get the stitches right on the edge of the zipper teeth.

That’s great for an invisible zipper, but not for a regular zipper. The zipper pull will get hung up on the fabric – boo!

An invisible zipper is kind of a backwards zipper because the teeth face the back of the zipper instead of the front. This helps it stay concealed {or invisible} in the seam & it’s why this foot is just for the invisible zipper. : )

Adjustable Zipper Foot

The last zipper foot is useful for machines that don’t have a needle with adjustable positions. This is a shank style foot with an adjustable bar at the top.

This foot works the same as the zipper foot, except you adjust the foot rather than the needle. I find it easier to adjust it with the needle down & I made a GIF to show y’all why!

As you can see, having the needle down makes it easier to see how close the foot is to the needle. When you have it where it needs to be, simply tighten up the screw & use it just like the zipper foot.

By the way, a zipper foot can also be used to attach piping! Yay!

Buttonhole Foot

This foot has lots of moving parts, but it’s really easy to use if you know how to set it up. The slot at the left is where you put your button to make sure the buttonhole is the correct size. You just move the lever until it’s clamped in place.

Some machines have one kind of button hole, but mine has 8 different choices. They all have different uses, depending on what you’re sewing. Today I’m using the basic #35.

It’s important to make sure the thread is going through the opening of the foot before lowering the foot. This keeps it from getting tangled up in the stitching. Most machines have a lever that you pull down behind the first white tab {to the left of the presser foot}. My machine will not stitch a buttonhole if I pull this down before lowering the presser foot. It has to be pulled down after I lower the foot.

Once everything’s set up, you just sew until the buttonhole is complete. My machine will do it for me if I unplug the presser foot.

After it’s finished, just take a seam ripper to open it up & trim away any frayed fabric.

Now I just need to attach the button!

Button Foot

I have never used a button foot! Usually I just sew them on by hand, but this was much easier – surprisingly! The front of the foot has a grippy surface to help hold the button in place. You must also lower the feed dogs before using this foot. Very important!

Align the button holes between the front opening, lower the foot, & select the zigzag stitch. Some machines have a special “button attaching” stitch, but the zigzag works too. Lower the needle with the hand crank to test the spacing of the zig & the zag.

Adjust the width as needed, then sew about 7 or 8 times ending with a backstitch. Leave long tails when cutting the thread.

Pull the front threads to the back and tie a knot to secure. Now we’re all buttoned {& zipped} up!

I hope y’all find this useful & if you have any questions, please leave them in the comments below. Have a marvelous Monday!  : D

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