Striped Zippers and More! (Answers to Reader Questions)

My zipper-ordering workstation

Is it Sticky?

Thanks so much for the comments on my moto jacket! I have been wearing it almost every day and enjoying it very much. As you know, this is a faux-leather-embossed-croc fabric and a few of you have asked, "Do you get hot and sticky when you wear it?" The answer is... not a bit!!! Perhaps if I lived in a humid climate, it might be, but then I doubt I'd wear it in humid weather. It is a great jacket for cool, but not seriously cold, weather. It's perfect for your average day in San Francisco where it's usually in the 60s, plus or minus.

Teflon Zipper Foot

I also mentioned on my post that I used a Teflon foot and a Teflon zipper foot to sew the jacket. A few of you asked where a Teflon zipper foot can be obtained. I have a Teflon zipper foot for my old Bernina 930 actually made by Bernina. But, if you don't have (or can't get) a brand-name Teflon zipper foot for your machine, why not buy a generic Teflon zipper foot?

The sewing machine shop that I use to service my machines is Ray's Sewing Center in San Jose, which I originally posted about more than a year ago. (Yes, I drive from San Francisco to San Jose for sewing machine repairs, he's that good.) They have a snap-on Teflon zipper foot in stock that works on most modern machines. If you have an older machine, they can order either a high-shank or low-shank Teflon zipper foot for you. If you want to buy the snap-on shank foot, but your machine isn't a snap-on shank machine, you can buy an inexpensive adapter (Ray's can also help you with that). The adapter will work with any snap-on foot, so it's multi-functional.

If you need a regular Teflon foot, they can help you with that, too.

(Ray's phone number is (408) 295-6901.)

I highly recommend that you have these feet in your sewing arsenal!

Striped Zippers

Striped zippers!

Several of you also asked, "WHERE CAN I GET STRIPED ZIPPERS!" Well, maybe you didn't quite yell it like that, but I heard you, loud and clear. I am also a zipper-lover, so I understand how frustrating it is to see great zippers on RTW clothing, but not be able to find them in the sewing stores.

Glitter zippers

So, let me share a WONDERFUL resource with you. I planned to blog about this resource an entire year ago, but I got distracted. I do that sometimes. Remember when I posted about Zipperstop? I still like Zipperstop, but I found another resource that has an even bigger variety of zippers, including striped zippers.

Rhinestone zippers

I decided that, before I was going to write a post about this place, that I would take a field trip there. This zipper factory is located in South San Francisco.

South San Francisco is not part of San Francisco - in fact, there are two towns in between them. (But that's just how dedicated I am to my blog readers! I am happy to take a field trip on your behalf.) South San Francisco is where the San Francisco airport is located. There is a lot of industrial business in that area, including a ZIPPER FACTORY.

J.N. Zipper Office in South San Francisco

This place is called J.N. Zippers and I had a lot of fun visiting them recently. They are not a store front, but a business office, so I called first and asked if I could walk in and see (and buy) zippers. The building has a small office, and is backed by a warehouse/factory. In the office they have a desk with binders.

Binders of zipper samples.

Swoon.

Jumbo Snaps
Cord Stoppers

I was the only customer there and had lots of fun looking through everything. I created an order and Ivy, my contact, ran back into the factory to see if they had everything I wanted and how long it would take to fill my order, since I requested a few custom zippers.

My zipper-ordering workspace

Scalloped zipper

Zipper pulls

I still like Zipperstop, because YKK zippers are great quality, but there is a much greater variety at J.N. Zipper, and their zippers are also great quality. They have striped zippers, zippers with giant teeth, glow-in-the-dark zippers, glittery zippers, transparent zippers, rhinestone zippers. You need a camouflage zipper? They got that!

Camouflage zipper

It is a bonanza of zipper goodness.

For a small fee, they will customize a zipper for you - they can shorten it, or change out the zipper pull. They currently do not offer this on the Zprz website, so you need to call them to request this service.

Here are some linkies:

• Zprz (retail) website
• Striped zippers (Because the site isn't that easy to navigate!)
• J.N. Zipper Contact Info

Transparent zippers

One other warning. When I was there, they told me that they are currently out of long striped zippers and have re-ordered them. It may take a couple weeks to get them in, but they will get more in.

Enjoy! I am always happy to enable! :)

Proud owner of a 2013 J.N. Zipper calendar, full of cute baby animals.