Unzipped

For some reason, whenever I start sewing again, I inevitably end up with somewhere between 6 and 10 garments that would be finished but for one thing: a zipper.  This is something I have been struggling with since I learned how to sew when I was thirteen years old.  I have zipper commitment issues.  Maybe the reason this started was because I only had access to Jo-Ann Fabrics, whose selection, while good enough, is hardly what I would call a mecca for sewing supplies and fabrics.  There was no choice except for what was available there; the color selection was limited, as was the selection of types and lengths.  So I took whatever was closest to what I needed and made it work.  But in New York, you could walk into pretty much any supply or fabric store and find zippers.  Generally speaking, most stores will have some kind of zipper that matches what you are making.

Let's start with the basics:  Mood (37th street, between 7th and 8th Avenues, 3rd Fl), with its seemingly never-ending fabric options, is not the place I would necessarily recommend for buying a zipper.  While they do have zippers available, the truth is that they have a relatively limited selection.  Invisible zippers must be the biggest seller, because this is the kind of zipper they have the most of.  Usually, I try to avoid invisible zippers at all costs since they are such a hassle to sew into a garment.  If you are at Mood anyway, and realize you need an invisible zipper, this would be the place to get it; but I wouldn't suggest making an extra trip there if all you need is a zipper.

Pacific Trimming (38th street, between 7th and 8th Avenues) is a smart option if you need a zipper.  They have a pretty large variety of zippers and they will shorten any zipper at the store to the exact length you need.  It usually only takes about five to ten minutes to do so and they don't charge you to do it.  I can say that a large percentage of the zippers that are offered are metal zippers.  Now, being a big fan of the exposed metal zipper, this works in my favor.  The one thing that I will say, though, is that shopping at Pacific Trimming can be a bit stressful.  The store is very tightly packed, which makes it difficult to maneuver around the store.  And, as if this weren't annoying enough, the store is almost always slightly crowded, which makes moving around even more difficult.  However, if you don't mind the way the store is laid out, you may want to try Pacific Trimming for a zipper.

Sil Thread (38th street, between 7th and 8th Avenues), is the first place I would recommend for anyone looking to buy a zipper.  From the street, it looks kind of like a hole-in-the-wall, but it is pretty much zipper heaven when you walk inside.  The store is officially a sewing supply store, but the inventory is mostly zippers.  They have metal, plastic, separating and invisible zippers in several different lengths.  They also carry some novelty zippers, like ones with pleather or sparkly tape.  If you don't find the length you need, they will shorten it for you at no extra cost.

The biggest complaint I have about zipper shopping is the fact that I have a hard time finding zippers to match exactly the fabric I have already purchased for my garment.  However until I can afford to pay to have my zippers dyed, or figure out how to dye them myself, I suppose this is just another thing I will have to deal with in the saga of making clothing.

I'm back!

Well, it's been over a year since my last post.  Things in my life have changed; and that is an understatement.  As of my last post, I was working as a Design Assistant for a wholesale company; not really doing much sourcing as that was mostly what the interns would do.  However, I did source enough to keep posting for a little while.  As of June, I lost my job.  So now, I only source for my personal projects; which is actually more than I was doing when I was working.  I wasn't making any clothes when I was working, but now that I'm not working, I have started sewing again.  And, as anyone who sews knows, muslin is the thing that is most important to me.  I use it to experiment on the dress form and to sew a 'first draft' of any garment I plan on making.

When I started sewing again, I figured that muslin would be pretty much a no-brainer to find, as it is the most basic fabric you can possibly buy.  And, for the most part, I was right.  Almost every fabric store has muslin available.  The tricky part, is finding muslin for a reasonable price.  Previous to moving to New York, I would just head on over to Jo-Ann fabrics and pick up some 36" wide muslin for a buck a yard.  I'm not delusional enough to think that I would be able to find the same price in New York, however.

The first place I looked was Mood (on 37th street, between 7th and 8th Avenues, 3rd Floor), because they have a huge selection of pretty much everything.  Turns out, the muslin is only $2.75 per yard, which is quite reasonable as far as I'm concerned.  They also offered to get another roll from the back if I wanted more than was on the bolt.  I decided though, that before buying, I would check around in my usual fabric haunts to see if I could spot a better price.  I ventured over to B&J (on the corner of 7th Avenue and 38th Street, 2nd Floor).  While there, I learned that the store is best used for cotton prints, heavily embellished fabrics and laces, and denim.  I was directed to the area of the store where muslin was supposed to be, but there were no bolts of muslin.  Disappointed after triple-checking the area, I left and went to my no-fail spot: Elegant Fabrics (on 40th street, between 7th and 8th Avenues).  Nine times out of ten, I can find some fabric that I would like to use.  They have a good selection of most fabrics and I figured that they would have cheaper fabric than Mood (considering that Mood is generally a little pricey).  I was absolutely shocked to find out that the muslin was $3.75 per yard; a full dollar more than the muslin at Mood.  Now, normally a dollar per yard difference wouldn't bother me so much, but when you're buying 10-15 yards at a time, that makes a difference.

I would also suggest trying out some of the smaller fabric stores along 38th and 39th streets in midtown.  You can occasionally find a good deal on fabric, but they also have the tendency of trying to rip you off. However, Metro Fabrics (on 37th street, between 7th and 8th Avenues, 9th Floor), is another good alternative for a place to get muslin.  The store has very good prices, but not a big selection of fabrics.

Moral of the story:  Mood is a great place to get muslin.  The price is right and they always have the yardage that you need.  An added bonus is that they have plenty of other fabrics to choose from for other projects.