The shoulder seasons of Spring and Autumn are my favourite times of the year, where you’re free to mix warm weather and cool weather pieces in your outfits and are neither freezing or dripping with sweat. Although, to be honest, I live in denim shorts most of the year, but it’s nice to be able to throw a knit over them now and again…. And if that knit has a DIY detail like a zip up the back? Even better!
DIY Zip Back Knit
You need:
- Knit sweater
- Open end zipper
- Scissors
- Pins
- Sewing machine and thread
How to:
- Cut open the centre back
2. Fold and pin over about 1cm of the raw edge and sew.
3. Working with one side of the open end zipper at a time, pin the zipper to the sewn edge.
4. Using a zipper foot, sew the zipper to the sweater. Repeat Steps 3-4 for the other side of the zipper.
Voila! If you’re as in to business at the front and party at the back as I am, make sure to check out this post too.
Zip it! Zip it good!
Photos by Bryant Lee
Well this is the coolest thing I’ve ever seen today!
http://poshpossibilities.blogspot.com/
Haha glad you like it Daphne 🙂
Interesting idea, love it! But HK’s weather is still too early for this idea 😀
Menty
http://www.gustobeats.com
Omg yes I know, so hot!!!
Love how simple this is but makes a statement!
Thanks so much Ari!
bomb bomb bomb….must try this.
Yes do, and let us know how you go 🙂
This is so cute. I love the way you can zip it part way down as well, so that it is not all the way open. I guess you could use a regular zipper and leave the neck binding in tact and apply it up-side-down. I also liked your link to the shirt refashion. I have pinned both to my T-shirt and Mens’ shirt boards.
That sounds like a great alternative 🙂
This is an amazing idea, I love it!
https://www.makeandmess.com/
Thanks so much Michelle! x
Love a good zip on the back 🙂 So undeappreciated by most people!
I couldn’t agree more xx
[…] DIY Zip Back Knit, by A Pair & A Spare […]
Great post! Loved this idea, I think it transforms any outfit! Really want to try this…do you think it’s possible to use just thread and a needle instead of a machine? xx (www.girlnextcountry.com)
Yes definitely!
Sweaters with interesting back details are literally my weakness, so this DIY definitely had me clicking on it in a heartbeat haha! Thank you so much for sharing such a simple way to make this zip-backed sweater! <3 🙂
XO, Elizabeth T.
http://clothestoyouuu.com/
Hi Geneva,
LOVE this idea. Definitely going to try. Wanting to make some cute Levi cut offs to match too – What cut Levi’s did you use? 550’s?
Thanks x
Knitter here, picturing a sweater that immediately starts unraveling when you make the cut. A better method is what we knitters call steeking: before you cut, you sew two lines on either side of where you’re going to cut to prevent raveling, and THEN you make the cut in between them. Google the word “steek” and you’ll find lots of tutorials. I’d also recommend online tutorials about sewing zippers into knits, because this is actually one of the most intimidating things a knitter faces and not nearly as easy as it looks here.