That could just save the day! Thank you.

I couldn't believe it when I first saw this 'shortcut'. Where was this when I was replacing all those zippers on kid's sweatshirts?!? Since then I have used it on sweatshirts, jackets, a purse and a sleeping bag. The trick is to cut out the old zipper as close to the stitch line as possible and then using your zipper foot, sew the new zipper on top of the old tape as close to the first stitch line as you can. It simply looks like a double topstitching line. And it is so fast!

I replaced a zipper on an old jacket, but did not cut off the old teeth. The new zipper was sewn to the old zipper tape. Worked very well and was so easy. The old teeth were still under there but didn't show from the front and didn't interfere with the closing of the new zipper. That old zipper tape was strong enough to support the new zipper.

Thank you so much. I’d forgotten about how to do this. Amazing how much Nancy Z influenced our lives.

What a great group we have to come up with the resolution so very fast. Thank you likingquilting for asking the question and GingerK for the rapid reply.
Have this bookmarked and Nancy Z was a great sewer to share her method. The ribbons on the inside give the new zipper a real make over.

This is great thread--have website bookmarked for next time grans need their jackets repaired.

My grandmother did it that way for my grandpa's hunting and work jackets and overalls. She was all about the better way of doing something. She was the queen of shortcuts that worked great.

Funny you mentioned replacing a zipper as I just put a new one in my son's hunting jacket. It was so easy! I just cut the teeth off the old zipper and sewed the new one in right over the old one. It took about 15 minutes.