Repair a sewn in zipper?

[Nick Gatel]

How would you repair this?

I have an old Patagonia R-2 fleece jacket that I really enjoy. All of a sudden all three zippers have separated from the material over the past few months. It looks like they were originally constructed with some sort of adhesive.

I don’t have a sewing machine and my sewing skills are less than a skill. Hack might be an accurate assessment.

 

 

[Jerry Adams]

easy to fix with sewing machine, maybe find someone nearby

you could ship it to me but probably not worth the postage

you could hand sew.  it would take a while.  Back in the bad old days that’s what they did

[Franco Darioli]

Because I don’t have any sewing skills , recently I re-atached the Velcro strip  on a quilt by using a PU type glue. (something like seam grip…)

A thin layer on each surface , let it cure for 20 min or so , then press together .

Not the best way of doing it but it may work for you.

[Jerry Adams]

or glue and put a weight on it while it dries

[Greg Mihalik]

Well, you Know someone who sews.

Suck it up, beg, and bake some cookies.

And say Thank You.

 

 

[Dale Wambaugh]

Patagonia will fix that for you.

[Nick Gatel]

Good idea in Patagonia — only they are closed. And I mean everything at Patagonia is closed. But, it isn’t an emergency.  The difficulty is there is a lining and pocket behind the zippers, not like a jacket main zipper where you can open it up easily. So looking at it more closely, a sewing machine would be the best tool, but then, what do I know?

Sooo….

Google and YouTube are my friends. Guess I’l learn to sew by hand.

[Erica R]

Usually it is the slider that needs to be replaced, not the whole zipper.

Sometimes you can even crimp the slider with needle nose pliers. But, I vote for replacing the slider. YKK makes just about all the zippers. Should not be too difficult getting a slider.

Also, sometimes just lubricating the zipper, maybe with bar soap will get it to work, but if you want a more reliable solution, try replacing the slider.

[Nick Gatel]

The slider isn’t broken. The fabric part of the zipper has separated from the jacket fabric.

[Greg Mihalik]

Sewing face masks.  Needed more fusible interface and saw this –

 

 

[Nick Gatel]

Thanks, Greg.

I watched a couple videos on how to use this. I think it would be difficult in my situation — ironing close to a plastic zipper and in small area — good chance to melt the fleece fabric.

I saw this, which looks promising.

 

[Greg Pehrson]

Nick, If it’s a jacket you really like, I would lean more towards stitching, which is reversible, as opposed to a permanent adhesive, which may dry hard making the pockets uncomfortable or make a mess.

Hand stitching does take a while, but this could be the perfect time to put your Chouinard Expedition Sewing Kit to use! You could always do a long basting stitch (quick but less durable) until you could get a tailor (whenever that may be) or Patagonia to do a professional job in the future.  Or it may be enough–I changed out the zipper on a pile hoody with a basting stitch, thinking I would machine-sew it at some point, and it lasted for years of heavy use, until I retired the hoody from the fabric being worn-through.

Good luck!

-Greg

[Nick Gatel]

Nick, If it’s a jacket you really like, I would lean more towards stitching, which is reversible, as opposed to a permanent adhesive, which may dry hard making the pockets uncomfortable or make a mess.

I’m thinking the same thing, Greg. It can’t be that difficult with all the how to videos on YouTube. Just takes some time and planning. Heck, over the past 4 years I did a major remodel on our house (electrical, plumbing, drywall, new windows, tile & laminate floors, showers, bathtub, vanities, kitchen cabinets, etc). No one ever taught me how to use a hammer or a saw.

But on the down side, if I can do an expert repair, will my wife expect me to become the household seamstress?

[Jerry Adams]

yes

I now repair Brenda’s stuff

She originally bought the machine with the intention of using it, I don’t know if she ever used it once

[Dave @ Oware]

For leather hand stitching, sometimes I press the leather with a fork to get even marks for the stitching. Doesn’t need  to puncture the material, just enough to leave a mark. Put the first tine in the mark made by the last tine and give it a tap with a hammer etc.

Google “saddle stitch” if you want it to be really strong.

 

And I identify as  “seamster”.

[Nick Gatel]

And I identify as  “seamster”.

LOL. Perfect!

[Sam Farrington]

You’re right.  Patagonia repair is down.

T’wer me, I’d wait until customer service is restored.  And send them a letter now with a copy of your OP. (It’l remind them that someone has been diverted online with their product failure.)

If waiting is not OK, would try rainy pass.  Their site appears to be open and provides estimates.

Since an adhesive failure appears to have caused the problem in the first place, agree that stitching by whatever route would be better.

I live near a small tourist town, and there are numerous places to get professional repairs of outdoor clothing.  Maybe a shop that sells sewing machines, or sells locally sewn items, could refer to a place that will do a professional job quickly and cheaply.

[Nick Gatel]

Thanks, Sam.

I checked Quicken and I bought it in 2010, so I’ve got money’s worth since I wear it more than any other jacket around town and camping. I’m going to teach myself how to sew by hand and this will be a good first project. Not too concerned with how it looks.

[Jerry Adams]

uh oh, don’t let the addiction get out of hand

[Nick Gatel]

On second thought, I found my receipt (one good thing about being a packrat). I may just send it to Patagonia once they open their repair service again. I really like their products and it will give me a feel for their customer service.

[Diane “Piper” Soini]

I usually do stuff like that with a needle and thread. I don’t care if it doesn’t look “professional”. I have sewn so many things with needle and thread I know that it is very very strong.

If the front zipper of a jacket breaks, I just buy a new 40″ zipper and sew it to the existing zipper behind it. I use a machine for that. I have to do this regularly because my stupid parrot likes to ruin zippers. Fortunately a local company has a literal bin full of red, 40″ zippers. I buy them in bulk.

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