Help! The zip has died on my maternity coat.

[ImpYCelyn]

DC2 isn't due til April so I really need it to get me through 'til then (and possibly beyond, I wore it for several months after DS was born). The local dry cleaners (cheapest repairs) quoted £25 to replace it and it'll take a week.

It's still sliding etc, but it's not joining the two sides together, and when I take it back down the zipper has spread apart front-back, if that makes any sense. So I think the zipper isn't tight enough to force them together.

Can anyone suggest a way to repair it please? Or do I just need to get a whole new zip?

If so, can you recommend anywhere to buy a very long zip, and is it even worth attempting if I don't have a sewing machine?

It cost £60 new, so £25 for the zip seems ridiculous. And I don't have anything else I can wear for a week.

Thanks!

Whereabouts in the world are you? I'll help if you're near me

Thanks Hippy, that's really kind :)

I'm in SE London, is that anywhere near you? Tiny chance, I know.

Afraid not, sorry

£25 isn't actually that unreasonable for a new zip, especially if it's a long one

John Lewis sells long zips as does Ebay

I have just replaced a zip on a favourite jacket and whilst fiddly can be done if you take your time. If you snip out the first lot of stitches you see on zip with either a seam ripper or narrow pointed scissors and gentle pul the fabric away for the zip. This will expose the other stitches and enable you to cut through them more easily. Watch how the zips fits into the jacket and recreate this as best you can. If you are handsewing then it will be trickier due to bulk of fabric but possible.

Better still, ask about to see if a friend or relative or neighbour can sew it in for you!

Thanks. I'll have a look at doing it myself, but I think the fabric will make hand sewing impossible.

To be honest, while I'm a bit shocked at it costing £25, I accept it's a long zip and a job I can't do myself. It's just a shame it's almost half the price of a coat that will only get a few months more wear.

The problem is more that I can't really lose my only coat for a week while they do it, especially as the weather has just gotten worse.

I'm going to ask around to see if anyone has a sewing machine I can use to do it and then try myself. If I balls it up I'll just have to pay and see if I can beg them to do it more quickly.

Thanks again!

Could you wear one of your DP's coats for a week, assuming they are a lot bigger than you. I wore my DH's coat through most of my pregnancy.

bung some strips of velcro on :o

Meh, the easiest solution for such clothes is to do the "guy thing" and just remove the zip and put some buttons on instead.

I used to do it for my jeans when the zip broken. like so:

www.instructables.com/id/jean-zipper-to-button-fly/

That way you get extra use out of them rather than just dumping them.

ImpYCelyn Have a look at the number on the back of the zip-head then look through your/DH wardrobe for one of the same.

Take the old zip head off by cutting a small nick at the neck end and sliding the new one on.(stitch it down after so it doesnt slide off).

If you dont have one ask friends or look round the charity shops?

I have fixed a few coats this way - its usually the zip head has been damaged or spread apart. And as jshm says, Buttons are good or toggles and loops. No buttonholes to make and leave the zip in.

Hth.

Oh Swerving, thank you so much for that tip!

I've been trying to negotiate borrowing my Nan's ancient sewing machine to replace the whole zip, but I'm going to try that first.

Sadly DH's coats can't accommodate bust and bump, so I can't borrow his, and putting a brooch on is leaving me too cold, so I do need to get it done.

I was toying with buttons, but toggles and loops sounds even easier thanks!