Gloucester Sweat Shop

Zips can be a dreadful job so when Marlane was faced with making six cusion covers, two throws, and a table runner for Kim (Ian's wife), plus the curtains, it did look like a sweatshop in our dining room.
Kim bought a 'zip strip' rather than ready made zips and from past experience I know it can be very difficult to get the zip fastener onto the zip itself. I do have a technique which works but is very fiddly. 
However - I went to the material shop to get another length and extra fasteners and the lady there showed me a much easier way to do it.
I always, very carefully and sometimes with great difficulty, cut some of the teeth off one side of the zip to get it married up with the other side. the tricky bit is getting enough tape to get hold of to pull.
She showed me to cut as in the photo, don't cut off the teeth and leave the rest of the plastic, cut it all off and then it fits much easier into the fastener leaving you tape to get hold of.
Brilliant, and it was much easier.

Thank you lady at Cotswold Interiors, Eastgate Street, Gloucester.