What you'll need: both skirt pieces (pleated, with interfaced waistbands attached), sewing tools, pressing tools, zipper, seam ripper, clear tape.
This week's assignment:
1. Place your skirt pieces right sides together (wrong sides out) and pin up both sides.
2. Choose which side of the skirt you'd like to be the front, and which you'd like to be the back. Then choose into which side seam you'd like to put your zipper (typically the left side if you are right handed, the right side if you are left handed. I'll be putting mine in the left side). Lay your zipper along your chosen seam, but don't pin it in place. The top of the zipper should be aligned with the top raw edge of the waistband. Mark just below the metal stopper at the bottom of the zipper. Make sure your mark is easy to see - I mark with two red pins to make sure I don't lose track of it. Set your zipper aside.
3. Sew the side seam of the side without the zipper, starting at the bottom of the skirt and sewing up. Use a 5/8" seam allowance and don't forget to backstitch at the top and bottom. Then, trim the seam allowances in half, zig-zag over each seam allowance separately (don't sew them together!) and press the seam allowances open (stick your skirt over the narrow end of your ironing board to press).
4. Now start to do the same on the other side (the side that will get the zipper). Begin sewing the seam from the bottom of the skirt. When you come to your zipper mark, stop.
5. Without raising the presser foot, removing the fabric from the machine, or changing anything else, change your stitch length setting from wherever you normally sew (2 or 2.5 is typically a good length for clothes) to the longest setting available on your machine. For me, this is 4. Continue sewing all the way to the top of the skirt with this long stitch length. At the top, DO NOT backstitch. Leave about 4" of thread ends at the top.
6. Trim your seam allowances up to your mark (when you get more accustomed to setting zippers, you can trim all the way to the top, but for now it will be easier to work with a wide seam allowance under the zipper). Finish the seam allowances as you did for the other side - zig-zag over each and press them open.
7. Place the zipper over the seam, making sure that the zipper teeth are perfectly aligned along the center of the seam. Place a pin below the metal zipper stop, pinning it to the skirt. Then *tape* the zipper along the rest of the seam, avoiding the very top and the very bottom.
8. Replace your normal (zig-zag) foot with a zipper foot (these sort of look like a half zig-zag foot - I believe they come with most machines).
9. Before you start sewing, check your bobbin. If your life is anything like mine, you'll run out of bobbin thread at the most inopportune moment, haha! if you are running low, refill it before you start sewing the zipper.
10. Okay, all set? Turn your skirt right side out. Starting at the bottom, just above the pin marking the bottom of the zipper, topstitch 1/4" away from the center seam (use your presser foot as a guide - just line it up with the center seam and you'll be perfect). Sew to the top, backstitching at top and bottom. Repeat on the other side of the seam.
11. Now sew a straight line that's about 1" long just below the pin, backstitching several times to make sure it's nice and secure.
12. Flip your skirt inside out and remove the pin and tape from the zipper.
13. Okay, now for the fun part (seriously, I think this might be my favorite sewing technique in the world)! Using a seam ripper, carefully remove each stitch from along the top of the zipper.
14. Ta-da - you've got a zipper!! Be sure to show it off in the Flickr pool!
Only one week left - can you believe our sew along is almost done? How is it going for you?
11 comments:
Thanks for showing me how to sew a zipper Alli!! I have saved this in my favorites for when I am ready to try it. It doesn't look TOO bad!
OMG, this is great!!!! I can't wait to try it! I honestly think that this could be a revolution for my sewing skills! Ah... I always end my bobbin at the worst moments.... sigh!
I am a zipper-phobe and reading this has given me more confidence! Thanks, it's very clear and good photos
Thanks Alli going to have a go with the zip tomorrow xx
Three years ago when I was out thrifting I found the most enormous ziplock bag full of zippers. Upwards of 50 - I swear, in tons of colors, lengths and styles. It cost $3.
Since the purchase of the zipper bag, I've convinced myself that I never need to buy zippers when I'm fabric shopping. I'm so certain I will dump out the bag and voila - the zipper I need will appear.
So I have 4 green zippers in my bag and none are the same color as my fabric.
Should I just go and buy a properly matched one, or force one of the off colors to work?
Chic on the Cheap
This is exactly why I love your post, you make everything look so easy! I have this blog as one of my favorites so that I can check back daily. Love ya girl!
wow !!! I am so in aww right now. Sewing is a skill I have yet to tackle! Good job Woman!
Thanks for the sweet comments, everyone! Trust me, you'll be able to do this - it's not hard at all.
Lyddie, if you look in my picture, you can see that I used a zipper that doesn't quite match because I'm in the exact same situation - I have a big bin of thrifted zippers, and none were the right color! This zipper technique hides the zipper in the seam pretty well, so I doubt anyone will notice if the color is off a bit. As long as it doesn't bother you, I think you'll be fine.
Girl you are brilliant! I'm going to try this over the weekend...it's like a fun activity for us sewers :)
Mine may look a bit different since I bought an invisible zip. Even still, that is a really neat trick for putting them in. Where did you learn that?
This is looking so good! I do need to get a sewing machine. First, I should probably find a spot to put it.
Post a Comment