Welcome in the New Year with ZIPPERS!

Welcome 2015!!! It is great to start the New Year fresh.  I love new beginnings, because they give you a sense of purpose.  New beginnings give you a hope of things to come.  It is like starting on a new smocking or sewing project.  I see, in my mind, the picture of the end product.  Sometimes, the end product is nothing like the picture.  There are a few times, it turns out BAD.  Those are great projects for the "circular file" (trash can).  A lot of times, it turns out better than I thought.  Those are the projects that end up on all my Social Media sites.  Why?  Well, bragging when you create something beautiful is a little fun.  Seriously, it is nice to create something you think is lovely and have others comment on it as well.

Years ago, when I first started sewing, I would come upon a pattern that called for a zipper.  "AHHH!!!"  That would scare me away from that particular pattern.  For a long time, all of my outfits came with either buttons, or one piece.  I admit, was terrified of the zipper option.  However, the best way to get better at any sewing skill is practice, practice, practice.  I did practice and I did see some success, but buttons were so much easier.  I mean, I have a machine that sews the button hole and the button for you.  I just have to be there to work the foot pedal.   There came a time when I could not avoid the zipper skill any longer. 

A while back, my kids needed new lunch bags for school.  Well, I have one in Middle School, and one in High School.  Did you know that the lunch bag community does not create lunch bags for older kids?  I could find all sorts of "child-like" lunch bags.  I could find little lunch bags that would fit a small snack for my High School son.  However, there were no lunch bags that would fit my needs.  I thought, "Surely, I could make one of these things".  

So, I went on a search on the Internet for a lunch bag option.  It was there I was met with that pesky little thing...THE ZIPPER.  Most all lunch bags need a zipper to keep things fresh or cold.  It was now time to conquer this thing.  My search led me to the Zaaberry blog.  This is a great site for tutorials.  I found a great tutorial for an insulated lunch tote.  It was so easy to follow, and it had a great way to do the zipper.  WOW!

I used the site to make a few lunch totes.  I actually put the zipper in and it looked good.  I still have to do some more practice, but I am not scared of the zipper anymore.  Now, I put those things in some of my kids romper outfits.  Here is one:

Orange Chevron Romper

So, if you are frightened away from sewing projects due to zippers, just stay calm.  There are sites and other sewing geniuses out there that can help you.  Once you figure out the zipper, making outfits and those lunch totes are so much fun.  Good luck, and send me your zipper hacks.