I have a Singer that my grandmother gave me and I'd like to learn how to put zippers on clothes. I've seen there's a specific foot for zippers but I can't figure out how to position it properly. It always comes out crooked. Can someone explain the trick to me?
The zipper foot is made specifically to sit close to the zipper teeth without touching them, so the machine sews straight along the tape. The key is positioning the zipper properly before you start: align the zipper teeth with the groove (the channel) you find under the foot. If you look closely, the foot has a central guide, and the teeth need to stay inside that guide. Most of the time it comes out crooked because the zipper isn't secured well at the beginning, so the fabric shifts while you're sewing.
Before you start sewing, pin everything with pins perpendicular to the zipper, not parallel. Position the foot so the needle enters the fabric about half a centimeter from the teeth (it depends on your specific Singer foot, but it's roughly there). Lower the presser foot, hand-stitch a few stitches by turning the wheel, then proceed slowly. Don't rush: the secret is low speed and stop often to check that the zipper isn't shifting.
If you really can't get the hang of the specific zipper foot, a lot of people prefer the universal foot with the adjustable side guide, which is more versatile. But honestly, once you figure out how to align the zipper foot, it becomes automatic. Try it on a scrap piece of fabric before you attach it to your new clothes.
The most important thing is that the needle enters perfectly into the side channel of the foot, otherwise you risk breaking the needle or skipping stitches. Before turning on the machine, position the zipper under the foot with the teeth facing away from the side where you'll be sewing, then lower the presser foot and make a hand stitch to check that everything is aligned. The real trick that saves you from wonky seams is using a piece of paper under the zipper if it's particularly slippery, and setting the machine speed to minimum the first few times, so you have complete control of the fabric and its position.
When I put in zippers I always end up doing the same thing: first I position the zipper against the foot without lowering the needle, I visually check that it's perfectly straight, and only then do I lower the needle and start sewing slowly. If you don't check the positioning first, it's a disaster.
Another thing that's saved me is learning to turn the machine wheel by hand for the first few stitches instead of just going straight, so I can feel if the needle is entering the foot channel properly and I don't risk breaking it or making the zipper slip.
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