Installing A Main Zipper In Your Patagonia Down Jacket Repair Guide

Difficulty

Difficult

Steps

Time Required

                          1 hour

Sections

Main Zipper
25 steps

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Worn Wear

Patagonia and iFixit are celebrating the stories we wear by collaborating to provide guides for Patagonia’s most popular apparel repairs.

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Introduction

What you need

Step 1

              Main Zipper

Unzip the jacket and fold back the bottom corner.
Identify the start of the seam that is holding the zipper in place.

Unzip the jacket and fold back the bottom corner.

Identify the start of the seam that is holding the zipper in place.

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Step 2

Using a seam ripper, gently remove the stitches on the inside of the zipper.
Be careful not to accidentally puncture or tear the jacket.

Using a seam ripper, gently remove the stitches on the inside of the zipper.

Be careful not to accidentally puncture or tear the jacket.

Step 3

Bend the zipper teeth away from the zipper webbing to make it easier to reach the stitches that hold the zipper and webbing together.
Using the seam ripper, gently rip the seam between the zipper and zipper webbing.

Bend the zipper teeth away from the zipper webbing to make it easier to reach the stitches that hold the zipper and webbing together.

Using the seam ripper, gently rip the seam between the zipper and zipper webbing.

Step 4

Continue ripping the seam holding the zipper to the webbing until you come to the top of the seam.

Continue ripping the seam holding the zipper to the webbing until you come to the top of the seam.

Step 5

When you come to the fold in the zipper webbing, insert the seam ripper between the two layers of webbing, and gently pull the stitches out.

When you come to the fold in the zipper webbing, insert the seam ripper between the two layers of webbing, and gently pull the stitches out.

Step 6

The zipper should now be free from the jacket and can be discarded.

The zipper should now be free from the jacket and can be discarded.

Step 7

Identify where the zipper flap is still sewn into the jacket. Use the seam ripper to free the zipper flap from the jacket. The yellow rectangle in the photos above will help you identify the zipper flap.
Be careful not to damage the jacket with the seam ripper as you free the webbing.

Identify where the zipper flap is still sewn into the jacket. Use the seam ripper to free the zipper flap from the jacket. The yellow rectangle in the photos above will help you identify the zipper flap.

Be careful not to damage the jacket with the seam ripper as you free the webbing.

Step 8

Lay the jacket flat and measure from the base of the zipper to the collar, along the seam you just removed. In our case we measured 27 inches.
The jacket should be flat, so you get an accurate measurement.

Lay the jacket flat and measure from the base of the zipper to the collar, along the seam you just removed. In our case we measured 27 inches.

The jacket should be flat, so you get an accurate measurement.

Step 9

Lay out your new zipper on a flat surface and use the measurement you recorded in the step above, starting from the zipper box, or the bottom of the zipper.
Mark the measurement with tailor’s chalk.
Pull the zipper slider back behind the mark you just made.

Lay out your new zipper on a flat surface and use the measurement you recorded in the step above, starting from the zipper box, or the bottom of the zipper.

Mark the measurement with tailor’s chalk.

Pull the zipper slider back behind the mark you just made.

Step 10

Measure one inch beyond where you just marked and make a second mark with tailor’s chalk.

Measure one inch beyond where you just marked and make a second mark with tailor’s chalk.

Step 11

Cut the zipper between the teeth at the second mark you made.

Cut the zipper between the teeth at the second mark you made.

Step 12

Use end nipper pliers to remove the teeth of the zipper between the two marks.
Use needle-nose pliers to remove all the leftover bits of the teeth from the zipper.

Use end nipper pliers to remove the teeth of the zipper between the two marks.

Use needle-nose pliers to remove all the leftover bits of the teeth from the zipper.

Step 13

Take a zipper stop and align it, posts down, just beyond the last remaining zipper tooth.
Crimp the zipper stop onto the zipper using pliers.

Take a zipper stop and align it, posts down, just beyond the last remaining zipper tooth.

Crimp the zipper stop onto the zipper using pliers.

Step 14

Fold the excess zipper tape away from the teeth at a slight angle.
Sew the toothless end of the zipper down, backstitching to hold it in place.

Fold the excess zipper tape away from the teeth at a slight angle.

Sew the toothless end of the zipper down, backstitching to hold it in place.

Step 15

Align the toothless edge of the zipper with the inside serged edge of the zipper webbing.
The serged edge is the one with the zig-zag stitching.
Fold the top of the webbing down over the sewn zipper tape.
You can pin the zipper and webbing in place for more stability.

Align the toothless edge of the zipper with the inside serged edge of the zipper webbing.

The serged edge is the one with the zig-zag stitching.

Fold the top of the webbing down over the sewn zipper tape.

You can pin the zipper and webbing in place for more stability.

Step 16

Align the zipper and webbing in the sewing machine so that the zipper teeth are along the edge of the presser foot.
Sew a few stitches, removing pins before you come to them.

Align the zipper and webbing in the sewing machine so that the zipper teeth are along the edge of the presser foot.

Sew a few stitches, removing pins before you come to them.

Step 17

Sew along the edge of the zipper teeth, making sure that the zipper and webbing stay aligned.

Sew along the edge of the zipper teeth, making sure that the zipper and webbing stay aligned.

Step 18

Reinsert the zipper and webbing into the jacket, aligning the edge of the jacket fabric with the zipper teeth.

Reinsert the zipper and webbing into the jacket, aligning the edge of the jacket fabric with the zipper teeth.

Step 19

While holding the zipper in place, move the fabric underneath the zipper out of the way so you’re only sewing the zipper to one layer of fabric.

While holding the zipper in place, move the fabric underneath the zipper out of the way so you’re only sewing the zipper to one layer of fabric.

Step 20

Install the zipper foot into your sewing machine.
Align the jacket and zipper in the sewing machine.
Be sure that there is no fabric behind the zipper webbing before you sew.

Install the zipper foot into your sewing machine.

Align the jacket and zipper in the sewing machine.

Be sure that there is no fabric behind the zipper webbing before you sew.

Step 21

Check your alignment and begin sewing, guiding the fabric along the zipper teeth.
Go slowly, re-aligning the fabric as you go.

Check your alignment and begin sewing, guiding the fabric along the zipper teeth.

Go slowly, re-aligning the fabric as you go.

Step 22

Continue sewing and re-aligning the zipper as you proceed along the full length of the zipper.

Continue sewing and re-aligning the zipper as you proceed along the full length of the zipper.

Step 23

When you reach the end of the zipper, backstitch to hold your stitches in place and remove the jacket from the sewing machine.

When you reach the end of the zipper, backstitch to hold your stitches in place and remove the jacket from the sewing machine.

Step 24

Align the inside jacket fabric along the backside of the webbing.
Try to align the stitch holes directly over the stitches you just sewed.

Align the inside jacket fabric along the backside of the webbing.

Try to align the stitch holes directly over the stitches you just sewed.

Step 25

Align the jacket in the sewing machine, with the zipper webbing facing up.
Holding the inside fabric of the jack in place, sew directly over the original stitching.
Go slowly, re-aligning the fabric as you go.
Clip the threads, and admire your work!
Repeat this guide, ironing the webbing when you’re finished, to install the other side of the zipper.

Align the jacket in the sewing machine, with the zipper webbing facing up.

Holding the inside fabric of the jack in place, sew directly over the original stitching.

Clip the threads, and admire your work!

Repeat this guide, ironing the webbing when you’re finished, to install the other side of the zipper.

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                                                                                      8 other people completed this guide.

Author

                                      with 4 other contributors

                    Brittany McCrigler

Member since: 03/05/2012

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Mike Macey - Jan 11, 2017

Very well documented.

mildred Norton - Nov 21, 2022

Have not yet completed my zipper repair very good tutorial. Thanks

Worn Wear#

Introduction#

What you need#

Worn Wear

Introduction

What you need