Hello Sewing Friends! It’s Tamar from Tamar Hope Designs, on the blog to talk about invisible zippers!!! Don’t be scared! They really are not as hard as they sound! I actually find an invisible zipper easier to sew than a lapped zipper. And I don’t even own an invisible zipper foot! An invisible zipper foot would probably make it easier, but I’m here to tell you that you can definitely sew an invisible zipper with a regular zipper foot.
Today I’ll show you how to turn the skirt from any dress pattern into a skirt with an invisible zipper!
Let’s get started!
First, pick your skirt. I chose the half circle skirt from Candytuft and cut the back of the overlay lower than the front. You can choose any skirt you want. (Gathered skirt, circle skirt, half circle skirt, gathered circle skirt.) Just pick the look that you love.
Next measure the waist of your model. (Measure the area where you want the skirt to sit. I measured the natural waist, making my skirt a high waisted skirt.) Add the total width of your zipper to the waist measurement. Then add ½ inch for a little ease. Cut the waist band 4” x (waist measurement + zipper width + ½ inch ease).
If you choose a circle or half circle skirt, you will need to measure the waistline of the skirt pattern. Choose the size whose waist measurement matches your waistband measurement. If you are sewing a gathered skirt, it is much more forgiving and you can just choose the size that best fits your model.
Assemble your skirt according to the directions in your pattern. Then cut a straight line up the back of the skirt. Finish all raw edges of the skirt.
Finish the short edges of the waistband
Sew the waistband to the skirt right sides together with a ⅜ inch seam allowance.
Press the seam allowance open.
Finish the raw edge of the waistband.
Fold the waistband in half covering the waist seam allowance. Press to create a memory crease.
Baste the back seam using a seam allowance that matches the width of one side of the zipper tape. My zipper is a narrow one. Each side of the tape is only ¼”. So, I basted my back seam with a ¼” seam allowance. Stop at the memory crease.
On the wrong side of the zipper, iron the zipper teeth flat.
Clip or pin your zipper right side down, centered on the basted back seam. Line up the top zipper stopper with the memory crease.
Hand baste the zipper in place.
Remove the basting stitches from the center back seam. Open up the zipper and sew each side of the zipper to the back of the skirt as basted.
Stitch as close to the zipper teeth as possible while maintaining an even distance from the zipper. Backstitch when you get to the zipper pull.
Sew the remainder of the back seam starting at the hem and sewing up toward the zipper. When you get to the backstitched seam at the base of the zipper, backstitch again following the initial stitches.
To finish the waistband, fold the waistband right sides together and sew with a seam allowance that matches the seam allowance used to attach the zipper tape. Finish the seam.
Turn the waistband right side out and pin to attach. Stitch in place by stitching in the ditch from the right side of the skirt. To stitch in the ditch, simply go slowly and sew directly into the existing waistband seam.
And you’re done! You now have a beautifully finished skirt! I finished this outfit off by making a top using the bodice of Rose. I just lengthened it and added princess seams.
Go give it a try! All you need is an invisible zipper and any dress pattern with a bodice and skirt!
Happy Sewing!
Tamar