Autumn.cannibalism
09-15-2007, 11:53 PM
Here is my disclaimer. I'm a super novice seamstress so I'm sure I'm doing something wrong. I've never had any formal lessons but did just read a book and learned to put in a zipper (YES!!) Feel free to correct anything I've done wrong or let me know how I could have done it that much easier!
With that said,
Here We Go! This is a super basic Aline skirt pattern and I'm not using the whole thing because I made this pattern once before and wasn't thrilled with the top band they wanted me to install. Customize. If you don't own a skirt pattern you could use a skirt you already own or just take your measurements and wing it, I mean its a skirt. Just make sure you add a few inches (or more if you're dart happy) for darts (if you want them). One of these is cut on the fold the other is two separate cuts.
http://i81.photobucket.com/albums/j215/autumncannibalism/skirt/1.jpg
So next you're going to take both of the back pieces together (if you made it yourself cut one of your fabric pieces in half) and take your zipper and lay it on top and stick a pin in horizontally where the zipper action (?) stops.
http://i81.photobucket.com/albums/j215/autumncannibalism/skirt/2.jpg
Next pin the rest of the fabric up using normal vertical pinning.
http://i81.photobucket.com/albums/j215/autumncannibalism/skirt/3.jpg
Then starting from the top of the skirt (where the zipper will be) you want to baste (a loose stitch to temporarily hold the fabric together) from top to where you put the horizontal stitch. If you are using a machine just set the stitch length extra long. Once you hit the horizontal pin you can switch your machine stitch length back to normal or if hand stitching start sewing so that seam will hold for all eternity, all the way to the bottom.
http://i81.photobucket.com/albums/j215/autumncannibalism/skirt/4.jpg
With that sewn, you'll want to break out the iron. Press the seam you just basted shut open flat. You really only have to go as far as where the horizontal pin was. Thats as far as I go because I'm lazy.
http://i81.photobucket.com/albums/j215/autumncannibalism/skirt/5.jpg
With the seam pressed open go ahead and pin your zipper over it making sure the zippy part stays aligned down the center, zipper face down. I placed mine with the end of the zipping action on the very bottom of the basted seam so there is no lack of coverage.
http://i81.photobucket.com/albums/j215/autumncannibalism/skirt/6.jpg
Now using a zipper foot or your hands sew on that zipper!
http://i81.photobucket.com/albums/j215/autumncannibalism/skirt/7.jpg
When I get to the bottom of zipper action I make the needle stop in the fabric and rotate it and sew across the bottom of the zipper.
http://i81.photobucket.com/albums/j215/autumncannibalism/skirt/8.jpg
Then just keep sewing back up the other side.
http://i81.photobucket.com/albums/j215/autumncannibalism/skirt/9.jpg
Hooray the Zipper has been installed!
http://i81.photobucket.com/albums/j215/autumncannibalism/skirt/10.jpg
Now remember that basted seam on the other side of the zipper, Get out your seam ripper cause we're tearin' it up. Take out the stitches until the bottom of the zipper (don't get too carried away and rip some of your bottom stitches!)
http://i81.photobucket.com/albums/j215/autumncannibalism/skirt/11.jpg
Now once thats all out open your zipper, for FUN!
http://i81.photobucket.com/albums/j215/autumncannibalism/skirt/12.jpg
Now zip it back up because its dart time.
I have a pattern so I just follow the placement by sticking a pin on each side and one at the base of the dart. If you lack a pattern figure out where you want your darts and put your pins at the top of the skirt and one where you want the dart to end.
http://i81.photobucket.com/albums/j215/autumncannibalism/skirt/13.jpg
Then you want to take the two top pins and fold them togather to make a little right triangle with the bottom pin as the top point (?)
http://i81.photobucket.com/albums/j215/autumncannibalism/skirt/14.jpg
Go ahead and make all your darts on both the front and back of the skirt
http://i81.photobucket.com/albums/j215/autumncannibalism/skirt/15.jpg
Now just sew those up and when you're done place both front and back skirt pieces togather (right side inwards) and pin up both sides together. Sew up both sides!
http://i81.photobucket.com/albums/j215/autumncannibalism/skirt/16.jpg
Now that both sides are sew up your skirt looks a lot like a skirt. Hopefully. So lets finish up the bottom. Fold it over and pin it to make the bottom even
http://i81.photobucket.com/albums/j215/autumncannibalism/skirt/17.jpg
With the bottom finished lets finish the top. Pin and Sew!
http://i81.photobucket.com/albums/j215/autumncannibalism/skirt/18.jpg
I have just a tiny space above the zipper that I want to put a little hook and eye clasp on. So I just hand stitch it on
http://i81.photobucket.com/albums/j215/autumncannibalism/skirt/19.jpg
Put it on and see what you think!
http://i81.photobucket.com/albums/j215/autumncannibalism/skirt/20.jpg
So I had to take it in and up a bit but, There it is!
With that said,
Here We Go! This is a super basic Aline skirt pattern and I'm not using the whole thing because I made this pattern once before and wasn't thrilled with the top band they wanted me to install. Customize. If you don't own a skirt pattern you could use a skirt you already own or just take your measurements and wing it, I mean its a skirt. Just make sure you add a few inches (or more if you're dart happy) for darts (if you want them). One of these is cut on the fold the other is two separate cuts.
http://i81.photobucket.com/albums/j215/autumncannibalism/skirt/1.jpg
So next you're going to take both of the back pieces together (if you made it yourself cut one of your fabric pieces in half) and take your zipper and lay it on top and stick a pin in horizontally where the zipper action (?) stops.
http://i81.photobucket.com/albums/j215/autumncannibalism/skirt/2.jpg
Next pin the rest of the fabric up using normal vertical pinning.
http://i81.photobucket.com/albums/j215/autumncannibalism/skirt/3.jpg
Then starting from the top of the skirt (where the zipper will be) you want to baste (a loose stitch to temporarily hold the fabric together) from top to where you put the horizontal stitch. If you are using a machine just set the stitch length extra long. Once you hit the horizontal pin you can switch your machine stitch length back to normal or if hand stitching start sewing so that seam will hold for all eternity, all the way to the bottom.
http://i81.photobucket.com/albums/j215/autumncannibalism/skirt/4.jpg
With that sewn, you'll want to break out the iron. Press the seam you just basted shut open flat. You really only have to go as far as where the horizontal pin was. Thats as far as I go because I'm lazy.
http://i81.photobucket.com/albums/j215/autumncannibalism/skirt/5.jpg
With the seam pressed open go ahead and pin your zipper over it making sure the zippy part stays aligned down the center, zipper face down. I placed mine with the end of the zipping action on the very bottom of the basted seam so there is no lack of coverage.
http://i81.photobucket.com/albums/j215/autumncannibalism/skirt/6.jpg
Now using a zipper foot or your hands sew on that zipper!
http://i81.photobucket.com/albums/j215/autumncannibalism/skirt/7.jpg
When I get to the bottom of zipper action I make the needle stop in the fabric and rotate it and sew across the bottom of the zipper.
http://i81.photobucket.com/albums/j215/autumncannibalism/skirt/8.jpg
Then just keep sewing back up the other side.
http://i81.photobucket.com/albums/j215/autumncannibalism/skirt/9.jpg
Hooray the Zipper has been installed!
http://i81.photobucket.com/albums/j215/autumncannibalism/skirt/10.jpg
Now remember that basted seam on the other side of the zipper, Get out your seam ripper cause we're tearin' it up. Take out the stitches until the bottom of the zipper (don't get too carried away and rip some of your bottom stitches!)
http://i81.photobucket.com/albums/j215/autumncannibalism/skirt/11.jpg
Now once thats all out open your zipper, for FUN!
http://i81.photobucket.com/albums/j215/autumncannibalism/skirt/12.jpg
Now zip it back up because its dart time.
I have a pattern so I just follow the placement by sticking a pin on each side and one at the base of the dart. If you lack a pattern figure out where you want your darts and put your pins at the top of the skirt and one where you want the dart to end.
http://i81.photobucket.com/albums/j215/autumncannibalism/skirt/13.jpg
Then you want to take the two top pins and fold them togather to make a little right triangle with the bottom pin as the top point (?)
http://i81.photobucket.com/albums/j215/autumncannibalism/skirt/14.jpg
Go ahead and make all your darts on both the front and back of the skirt
http://i81.photobucket.com/albums/j215/autumncannibalism/skirt/15.jpg
Now just sew those up and when you're done place both front and back skirt pieces togather (right side inwards) and pin up both sides together. Sew up both sides!
http://i81.photobucket.com/albums/j215/autumncannibalism/skirt/16.jpg
Now that both sides are sew up your skirt looks a lot like a skirt. Hopefully. So lets finish up the bottom. Fold it over and pin it to make the bottom even
http://i81.photobucket.com/albums/j215/autumncannibalism/skirt/17.jpg
With the bottom finished lets finish the top. Pin and Sew!
http://i81.photobucket.com/albums/j215/autumncannibalism/skirt/18.jpg
I have just a tiny space above the zipper that I want to put a little hook and eye clasp on. So I just hand stitch it on
http://i81.photobucket.com/albums/j215/autumncannibalism/skirt/19.jpg
Put it on and see what you think!
http://i81.photobucket.com/albums/j215/autumncannibalism/skirt/20.jpg
So I had to take it in and up a bit but, There it is!