One Creative Outlet: Sewing A Zipper into Knitted Fabric

After knitting up this clutch wallet, I needed to sew on a zipper. I read over some advice forums and posts online, and then I set about to do it by myself. Below are some pictures for my Knitter's Way to Easily Sew on a Zipper. Make sure, for this pattern, your zipper doesn't open at both ends. One end should open and the other should have a stopper.

You'll need:

Your finished product
Your zipper (7" long for the clutch wallet)
Matching thread
Sewing needle
Yarn/Tapestry needle
Scissors

Hold the zipper (unzipped) up to your finished product and find where you would like to sew it in. If I was making another one, I'd move the zipper a bit to the right, so there isn't a gap where the zipper stops. More about that later.

Next, holding the zipper up to the side of the knitted fabric, sew using this method, in which you go back up through each previous down stitch. (For more information, see the Pickin' and Throwin' Blog, where that method is from and where I got some ideas.) I found it best to use a double strand of thread. (Sew through the bulky edges created by the line of stockinette.

Side View

Top View

Now, it turned out my zipper was a bit too long, which is good. I folded the excess zipper into the bag and sewed it in along the edge. When you sew the next side of the zipper, you'll start at this same end, but use a new length of thread.

Inside View

So one side is done! Proceed on to the next side. (Make sure to unzip before starting to sew.)

Then noticed I left too much room between where the zipper stops and the end of the enclosure begins. (Remember when I mentioned that before?) So I opened the bag and sewed the two ends of the zipper together. This gives them support.