Adding a zipper on bivy

[Derek Weeks]

I need help on how to add a zipper on a bivy I'm sewing. My question is how or what is the best way to sew the zipper on? Should I sew the two ends of frabric together using 5/8 seam or should I sew on one side of the zipper and then sew other side?

Thanks for the help!

Derek

[Nick Smolinske]

So I'm not sure if this will work for your design. But whenever possible, I do my zippers by sewing them onto a flat piece of fabric (before it's included in the design). I sew the zipper to the fabric on the "wrong" side (the inside of the bivy in this case), on both sides of the zipper. Then I cut a slit in the fabric all along the middle of the zipper*, fold the fabric in and sew again. This alleviates any problems with fabric stretch, etc. It's also really easy to add slight curves to the zipper this way.

*well, not all the way, stop just before each end and cut diagonally out so you can fold the end in to finish it off.

I've mostly managed to do zippers this way, so I don't really have advice for you if it doesn't fit with your design. But somebody else will.

[Derek Weeks]

Thanks for taking the time to explain and my question!! I will try your way sometime and see how it works for me.

I just get done sewing the zipper and I just did one side at a time and it turn out great.

Thanks!

Derek

[Jerry Adams]

3 days later – you've probably done this and moved on, but

I've tried that but found it easier to just cut fabric, fold over one side and sew to zipper, fold over other side and sew to other side of zipper.

For a bivy, if it's a little narrower or wider it doesn't matter.

For a tent, you have to be a little more careful so the fabric is taut when pitched. But even then, I find it easier to cut first, sew each side… Maybe have a gap above the end of zipper, and add a small strip of fabric to cover gap.

[Derek Weeks]

Thanks Jerry! Yes I took the nice long weekend and got the bivy finished. Sewing the zipper was not as hard a I thought it wound be, but I did use fabric tape. Fabric tape helped and not a lot of pinning, so much faster. I also used blue painters tape to sew other parts of the bivy and then just piled it right off.

Thanks!

Derek

[Derek Weeks]

I was wondering, if I added netting down the top of the bivy if it would help reduce condensation? I would just thinking about a foot wide all the way down would do the trick.

I stopped using the bivy because of the condensation, so any input would be much appreciated!

[Link .]

Like THIS .

[R]

And https://sticksblog.com/2013/07/05/borah-bivy-modification/

And http://cesarandthewoods.blogspot.com/2013/05/section-hike-and-bivy-modification.html

I did the same thing, but don’t have enough time in it to form an opinion yet.

 

[Link .]

Rene those links are in my link above

[Author]

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