At the lower center front, cut the zipper trim so that only about 1" extends past the bottom of the lower bib panel.
Fold the 1" excess length upward and press.
NOTE: The zipper should extend from the bottom of the bib to about ½" below the neckline at the center front.
If your jacket zipper is longer than that, you will need to cut it down to size. You can simply pull the metal brackets off of the top and replace them accordingly, or you can do a bar tack (i.e. zig-zag stitch with the stitch length set to 0) over the top of the zipper to keep the zipper pull from coming off.
Cut off the excess zipper tape from the top of your jacket zipper (even if you didn't have to shorten it) and apply liquid fray preventer to the new top edge.
TIP: Since the top 1" of your zipper will be left hanging free, mark a horizontal line 1" from the new top edge using a disappearing ink fabric marker.
Attaching the zipper is a very exact, delicate process; too far behind the zipper trim and the two sides mash together in the center front, but too close to center and/or too loose behind the zipper trim and the zipper teeth are plainly visible.
One with enormous patience may prefer to experiment, basting repeatedly with the trial-and-error method to determine the ideal zipper placement, but for those who aren't interested in installing and removing the zipper several times, we suggest the following method for determining the "sweet spot" for the zipper:
Fold the raw edge of the zipper trim under to the wrong side and press.
"Baste in the ditch" the zipper trim into place (shown here with red thread for demonstration purposes).
Turn your jacket inside out and position the center front edges so they are exactly flush and their upper and lower edges are perfectly even.
Attach some double-sided Wonder Tape to the fronts of the zipper tape, from the bottom to 1" beneath the top.
This will hold your zipper in place enough for you to test and determine its ideal placement, then to secure it sufficiently while sewing it.
Carefully center the zipper over the wrong side of the zipper trim and press into place with bottom edges flush.
Gently separate (unzip) the zipper.
Turn the jacket right side out.
Gently zip and unzip the zipper (we recommend checking both while the zipper is flat and while it's on your dress form, if possible), adjusting as needed until you've found the "sweet spot" where the zipper is completely hidden but not so tightly that the edge of the zipper trim mash against each other .
Once satisfied with the zipper placement, remove the basting thread.
Using your zipper/piping foot, sew the zipper to the zipper trim, stitching close to the zipper coils/teeth, and leaving the top 1" hanging free.
TIP: Sew from the same direction on both sides of the zipper trim (i.e. from top to bottom, or bottom to top) to minimize the risk of anything shifting or stretching out of shape!
TIP: Reinforce the stitch several times at the top and bottom.
TIP: After attaching the zipper, further secure the zipper tape to the zipper trim using a regular sewing foot.
TIP: Further secure the top of the zipper by stitching horizontally over the 1" line you drew with your fabric marker.
Once the zipper is attached, fold the zipper trim back underneath the jacket, then fold the raw edge under again (just as you would if you were sewing double-fold bias tape).
Pin the zipper trim into place.
Using your quilting/walking foot, "stitch in the ditch" from the right side of the jacket along the outer edge of the zipper trim to secure the undersides of the zipper trim and zipper tape.
This will need to be done in two segments on each side; once along the length that the zipper was sewn (right) and once at the top, with the un-sewn uppermost 1" of the zipper tape pulled out of the way (below).
You really want to take your time and do this well! It simply won't do to take your time and do everything else beautifully prior to this step, only to get excited so near the end and rush to slap the zipper on as soon or as quickly as possible, only for a poor zipper installation to practically ruin an otherwise lovely, high-quality jacket.
Properly placing and attaching the zipper can be incredibly satisfying when done correctly, or it can be incredibly frustrating and disappointing when done poorly.
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| Well that's the real trick, isn't it? |
You want it to look like the lower left example, not the lower right one:
Finally, hand sew a couple white hook-and-eye closures to the underside of the zipper trim beneath the collar, where the top of the jacket zipper was left hanging free.
The jacket is finished!
Now onto the trousers! Huzzah!
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