Sewfail: Outerwear zippers are my nemesis

This is where the coat is going off the rails.

It's gathering up on the zipper seam.

And to add misery to the mystery,  it feels like the teeth are stretching while I'm working.

Granted, this is not a great zipper.

Lookit all those waves

Granted, my current "I didn't sew it" coat does this

and it functions just fine. 

In retrospect, this photo gives me the hives to look at.

But I've stitched it a lot.

Don't worry about the precise instructions here. It's just to point out how many times I've stitched over this, once for each layer.

And no, using a walking foot isn't working in this application. How is that going to work with a zipper seam? 

But as I stitch, it feels like the tooth part gets longer and the tape part gets shorter.

Lest we think I am as bad a sewist as I feel like (and I do get speedy sloppy towards the end), I have no trouble with the other zippers.

This is just the bomb! Wish it came with more zipper pulls....no really. Those little pockets eat zippers.

Glue at the ends for stops really works. The nervous can install a jump ring through the tape to really stop that tab. Or foldover clamshell clasps. 

Also: metal jeans zips, invisible zippers, old zippers, sad zippers....the rainbow Riri that is the only thing still working on the black rain jacket....

Fun slam from Internet 2012: from one of those Ten Things To Click on, (from something called Content.com (??) in this case Ten Overrated Clothing Details:

"The Italian zipper company has been called the "Rolls Royce of fucking zippers." And yes, they are nice, but you can't exactly put nice rims on a shitty car and expect it to drive better. When used to add a luxurious accent to quality garments, like leather jackets from designer Rick Owens (and newer brands like En Noir), they work… otherwise, they're just expensive zippers. Besides, competitors YKK and Lampo make equally nice high-end zippers that sometimes are more reliable than RiRi.

But I did a little field trip yesterday, and the trouble is with me.

This is the zipper in it's natural habitat at Joann's. One of my better panorama photos. 

It is 26" from bottom plastic to top zip stop.

And this is it, the same brand and size from the same lot in the same store: installed in my coat. Same tape measure. Accuracy in some things, apparently counts at different times in my process.

I don't think I have to measure the toothed part to verify my error.

See those layers? Already waving. Oh maaaaaaan......

I am guessing the tape is very slowly compacting as I drive over it again and again. Or maybe just once - the number is sorta moot. I should have basted by hand.

I should unpick it and redo it.

Which is going to zuck. Cause there's a lot of layers there.

I have to think about this. I'm going to run out of winter at this rate. Purple coat is getting rattier by the minute.

So let's go with some cheery Dalek GIFS...