Creating an Action Quilt - Part 4

Adding a zipper to the Action Quilt…

I’ve learned, our Loved Ones with Alzheimer’s Disease, or those with dementia issues, like to zip and unzip zippers. Caregivers have made the suggestion they like an actual space (pocket like) behind the zippers to place objects such as a tube of lipstick, or keys – whatever the Loved Ones want to keep handy. Since learning this information, I rarely simply stitch a zipper down to a piece of fabric.

Someone recommended a “full pocket” … this was tricky to create and I probably won’t be doing it again!

During 2013’s National Sewing Month, I wrote an article about Scary Zippers. You’ll find several links there on how to put in different types of zippers. For this zipper, I did the “recessed” process – but without adding large fabric to create a bag! The Sewing Novice has a great picture tutorial here showing how I made the zipper “unit”… with one exception…

Rather than using pins, I find gluing it down first (and letting it dry) helps me keep the casing lined up correctly.

I then lined the zipper unit with yellow flannel and made extensions from the zipper casing using a blue/white stripe corduroy fabric. Notice the stitching across the zipper casing. This makes the zippered “pocket” space – not the entire length of blue backed by the flannel. (Goodness, if it were mine, I would never be able to dig out a tube of lipstick at the end!)

The beauty of creating an Action Quilt, there are no rules/patterns, so if you use this recessed zipper technique, the side casing along the zipper can be however wide you want it to be! I just happened to have this bright cheerful flowery print leftover from a 2.5” wide binding (folded in half lengthwise) that I used on a lap quilt! Feel free to cut yours wider! I wouldn’t make it much smaller though.

My personal opinion: I prefer using metal zippers rather than the polyester ones. I’ve found the metal zippers have much larger pulls – something, I would think, someone would find much easier to use. When I have used the polyester zippers, I’ve added something, like a ring, secured as best as I can to the little hole found on the pull. This is an example I did on another Action Quilt:

Thinking of the caregiver's washing machine & dryer -
metal key ring crocheted covered using nylon yarn.

  

Tomorrow is Patriot Day. It’s a day to remember, reflect, and to pray for peace.

Saturday I will continue the Creating an Action Quilt tutorial with Part 5 and share some doo-dads I’ve added to the various pieces!