Making Flowers from Zippers

When I posted this picture of a zipper rose I had stitched onto a crazy quilt block a couple weeks ago, it stirred a lot of comments on my blog, my emailbox and on the Crazy Quilting International List.  I vowed to do a zipper flower tutorial, and here it is!  

Zipper rose surrounded by old jewelry and findings

I only do three types of zipper flowers, and I will show each of those. You can find a lot more images and tutorials if you Google zipper flowers. The variety is endless.  But let’s get started with some basic ones!

Most of us have zippers in our respective stashes, from back in the day when we used to sew, or from that great box of old sewing stuff we bought at a yard sale.  Or whatever.  One of the most popular looks around now in jewelry is florals made from zippers, particularly with the metal teeth. But there are almost as many flowers made with the plastic, color-coordinated teeth, particularly when used as hair adornments (or pins, or shoe decorations) for young girls.

Supplies you will need:

Zipper (metal or polyester teeth), virtually any length or color

Craft scissors or rotary cutter

Needle and sturdy thread

Straight pins (optional)

Button or other embellishment as desired

Basic Rolled Flower

Select a zipper at least 7” in length.  If you have longer zippers, you will be able to get a larger flower out of each side of the zipper, or make two (or more) flowers from each side.  After making a few flowers, you will learn how much zipper you need for each type of flower. In some cases, you will be able to make up to six flowers out of one long zipper! That’s economy!

At 45c, this zipper probably dates back to the Stone Age, LOL

If you have a separating zipper, that’s great.  If not, you will need to separate the zipper into two parts.  For this you will want to use either a pair of craft scissors or a rotary cutter. Be smart - do NOT use your good shears! (I don’t need to explain why, do I?)  Cut off the bottom metal (or plastic) tab by slicing off the bottom tab with your craft scissors or rotary cutter.

Scissors point to the cut area.

Beginning at one end of one zipper tape, roll tightly to form a center.  

Sometimes it helps to roll teeth-side down on a flat surface to keep your flower from “telescoping”.

Every once in awhile, take a stitch across the zipper tape with your needle and thread.  I always double my thread for (1) strength and (2) my sanity. I always lose needles if I don’t double the thread.  ;-)

Pretend you don’t see the condition of my gardening hands...

Continue to roll and stitch until you either come to the end of you tape or you get the desired size.  Knot and cut your thread.

The back of the flower should look something like this.

Gathered Flower

For the Gathered Flower, you will need a longer zipper - probably at least 12”, but could be even longer. Begin the flower center the same as for the Basic Flower (roll center tightly).  Then you will use your needle and thread to gather - with smallish but not tiny stitches - the zipper tape.

There are two ways to do this.  You can gather an inch or two, pull it up to form loose gathers, and then tack with stitches to the rolled center. Repeat until finished.

OR (and this is my preferred way), you can just stitch your way all along the length of the zipper tape at one.  Spacing does not need to be perfect, but you don’t want the stitches to be too large as they will leave visible gaps in the rose.

Once the stitches are complete, you can then pull them up gather the whole length at once.

The next part is a bit fiddley, but basically if you keep the teeth up and the gathering down, the rose will nearly wind itself into position.

At the end (and using the same needle and thread that you have not cut from the gathering stitches), fold back the trimmed zipper tape under the flower and tack down.  You will also want to take several tacking stitches along the backside to secure.

At this point, for any of the flowers, you can tack them to a quilt block, add a felt backing (and a pin back if desired) to make brooches, etc.  

Loop Flower

Once again, select your zipper.  You will want at least a 14” zipper for this 5-loop flower.  If you want more loops, select longer lengths.  Cut off your end tab again and separate sections. You will work with just one side, so this zipper will make two loop flowers.

For the 5-loop flower, mark the zipper tape into five sections with an air-soluable pen (or you can just use straight pins).

Using your threaded sewing needle as a spindle and beginning at one end of the zipper, make a loop, TEETH SIDE UP.  The markings you made will help you keep the loops relatively equal. Each mark represents where you should pierce the tape with the needle. Try to think of this needle/spindle as the center point of the flower, around which you will rotate as you make each loop.

For the second loop, take the long edge and make another loop, manipulating as necessary to keep the teeth side up.

Repeat for the third loop, which will naturally place itself between the first two.

Repeat for the fourth and fifth loops.  See the picture below.  After this picture was taken, I actually readjusted that last loop (just take it off the needle and redo). I also recommend folding the tape back here to avoid any loose ends showing.

At this point, you could sew on a button, beads, sequins, or another rolled flower to the center portion. I just used an old silver button as you can see below.

FINISHED!  See how easy that is?!?

From here, of course, you can add foiliage, layer the flowers, make a cluster, or more.

I hope you enjoy this and if you create your own flowers, please share pictures! And watch my Etsy shop, as I will be listing zippers this week!

Enjoy!

Needle Books & Basic Tutorial

Last week I finished up the needle books that a woman ordered from me as a custom commission.  She saw me stitching (when Bruce had his first outpatient arm surgery earlier this month), saw my needle book and asked me to make three needle books for herself and her two daughters. So, I figured I would just make a fourth once so I could list it in my Etsy.

Well, she came by last week and bought all four! I guess that’s good news, LOL. Here is how these simple needle books finished up.

Finished Needlebooks

She had seen me using a simple needle book with mixed fabrics and a cotton interior.  Therefore,  the ones I made her all had cotton interiors as well.   

The needle pages, however, are wool felt for better moisture wicking properties.

I used to put closures (frogs or ribbon ties) on my needle books, but found that they are unnecessary and are more trouble than they’re worth. Not to mention more work. And if you are making these to sell, it makes them more cost efficient.

BASIC NEEDLE BOOK TUTORIAL

Making a simple needle book is easy and quick.  First, decide the size you would like the book to be, then double it (to allow for a front and back). You also need to decide if you want your finished needle book to be a basic square when folded, or have a portrait or landscape orientation. I have made needle books whose finished size when closed ranges from a square of 3.5” x 3.5” (cut at least 7”x 3.5" plus seam allowances when open) to a portrait-oriented  5” x 7” when closed (cut at least 10” x 7” plus seam allowances when open).  

On a piece of muslin, mark your size and add 1/2 inch all around for seam allowance.  Piece the rectangle and embellish as you desire.  

Cut a piece of coordinating fabric (cotton, moire, or other fairly sturdy fabric) for the interior lining. Also cut to the same size some thin batting. This may be something as thin as another piece of plain cotton, or you could use some felt, thin batting or some interfacing. A lot of loft is not desirable. For my needle books, I used another piece of felt.

Sandwich the embellished outside to the inside lining fabric, right sides together. Place the batting/felt/whatever over one of the wrong sides. Sew all three layers together, leaving an opening for turning. Clip the corners and snip batting down to the seam. Carefully! Turn and stitch opening closed (I use invisible thread). Press.

Insides before pages added

Cut “pages” out of thin wool, wool felt, or even regular felt if that’s what you have.  Use a fabric that won’t ravel when you cut it with pinking shears. Pages should be smaller than the book itself so that they don’t show when the needle book is closed. One piece of felt, when folded, will make two pages, two will make four, etc. The number of pages is your choice.

Open the book, lie the trimmed felt pages flat, and sew down the center. Be sure to backstitch at the beginning and end to lock your seam.

That’s it - you’re done! This is a great way to use that odd block you may have laying around, or perhaps some piece you have been practicing on. And they make great little gifties for any type of needle worker.

Having said all this about needle books, I am still hoping to one day make myself a full-fledged hussif or chatelaine or CQ’ed needle kit, complete with scissors holder, pin cushion, and storage.  But that is on the back burner for now....

Hugs,