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Things You'll Need
Instructions
Prepare the Zipper
Measure the opening in the garment from the bottom of the opening to the top of the fabric.
Buy a zipper as long as the garment opening, or one to two inches longer. Select a zipper that closely matches the color of the fabric.
Remove the zipper from the packaging if needed.
Remove any staples or tags in the zipper.
Press the zipper tape using a low-temperature iron, unless the zipper manufacturer’s directions give other instructions. This will help keep the zipper from causing the fabric to bunch up.
Pin the Lapped Zipper in Place
Sew the garment, including the seams around the opening, using a regular stitch length.
Set the sewing machine stitch length to the longest setting.
Baste the edges of the garment opening together using 5/8 inch seam allowance.
Iron the seam allowance flat.
If the fabric is thin or stretchy, you may want to add lightweight interfacing along the zipper opening. Cut a strip of interfacing the same width and length as the seam allowance, then fuse it to the seam allowance following the package directions.
Place the zipper teeth side down on the seam allowance with the bottom end of the zipper teeth just below the end of the basting.
Line up the left edge of the zipper tape with the edge of the left side seam allowance.
Pin the left side of the zipper tape to the seam allowance only. Do not put the pins all the way through the garment.
Attach a zipper foot to the sewing machine.
Sew the zipper tape to the seam allowance 1/4 inch from the edge of the zipper tape. Do not stitch through the garment.
Turn the zipper over to the left so that it is facing up. This causes the seam allowance to form a small fold.
Pin the fold in the seam allowance close to the zipper teeth without overlapping them.
Sew the Lapped Zipper to the Fabric
Turn the garment right side up. Carefully pin the flap to the unsewn side of the zipper, as close to the teeth as possible.
Topstitch the zipper to the garment using matching thread, close to the zipper teeth. Be sure to keep the fabric smooth while stitching so that it doesn’t bunch up.
Topstitch across the bottom end of the zipper, just above the end of the zipper teeth.
Carefully remove the basting stitches using a seam ripper.
Clip or remove any loose threads to make sure they won’t get caught in the zipper.
Shorten the top of the zipper if needed by opening the zipper and stitching across both sides of the zipper tape and seam allowance where you want the zipper to end. Do not stitch through to the outside of the garment. Cut off the zipper just above the stitching.
Finish the garment according to the pattern directions.