Invisible Zipper Foot

For the Turquoise Maria dress I told you that I used an invisible zipper foot and I thought I should show you just how great this simple tool is.

When I heard about an invisible zipper foot from one of my Instagram friends I had to get one to try.  She said there was no need to bother with all of the metal and more expensive ones and that a boring old plastic one should do the trick.  So off to Amazon I went (*affiliate link).


When it arrived I thought maybe Shannon was nuts and that there was no way this little piece of plastic would work.  I could not have been more wrong.  It was sort of magical.  I decided to really try it out and not even baste anything the first time.  I have sewn a lot of zippers in my day and a great number of "invisible" zippers with just a regular zip and zipper foot, but I almost always have to baste first.  I've had great results, but who wants to do extra steps like basting and later picking out the basting stitches especially when you're rushing through "rest time" to try to get something finished, hehe.

I'm making something fun for Valentine's day right now so I used the invisible zipper steps from that project for these pictures.  Come back next week to see what this little sneak peek became.  The zipper installation is basically the same for a dress so just pretend the two sides are the back edges of a dress.

First, open the zipper and lay the teeth face down, lining up the edge of the zipper with the bodice edge and pinning.

Make sure the teeth are in the little channel on the left and that the sewing needle in the correct position - close to the teeth edge but not so close that the zipper would jam against the fabric when opened and closed.

Sew with a straight stitch all the way down to where you want the zipper to end and backstitch to secure the stitching.

Turn the zipper and fabric so the wrong sides are touching and press along the seam.  The teeth could melt with the heat of the iron so press with care.

For the other side, take a minute to line up the fabric against the closed zipper.  Mark a point where you would like the fabrics to meet.  In the Maria Turquoise Dress I used the edges of the turquoise band to ensure they would line up correctly once the zipper was zipped.

For this project I just chose a spot on one of the flowers and placed a pin on the zipper and on the unsewn edge to match.

Flip the zipper along with the sewn fabric edge so that the right side of the zipper faces the right side of the unsewn fabric piece.  Unzip the zipper, match the markings (pins) and pin the rest of the zipper.  With a garment I find it easiest to fold the whole thing in half with right sides facing to match the right side of the zipper to the right side edge of the back bodice.

To sew this edge the zipper teeth need to go through the right channel with your needle just to the left of the teeth.  Sew with a straight stitch to where you would like the zipper to stop and backstitch to secure the stitching.

As you can see in the picture above, the zipper pull is below where I would want the zipper to end so I could sew all the way to the correct spot without it getting in the way.  There is no problem zipping and unzipping the zipper past the stopping point because the stitching doesn't cross over the teeth.  Once you finish sewing you can simply pull the zipper pull up above where the zipper should stop to finish the project.

Again, press the seams carefully so that the zipper and fabric are wrong sides facing.

And that's it.  From here you would just finish the garment as you normally would taking care not to hit the zipper teeth when sewing across the bottom and top edges.  If your zipper is too long you can apply any shortening method you'd like and then trim it to size.  There are lots of tutorials out there for shortening a zipper, but let me know if you have any questions.

Any seam that needs to be sewn below the zipper can be sewn with right sides together as close to the zipper as possible while you make sure the zipper is pulled out of the way.

Can you believe how invisible that zipper is?  The fabric doesn't catch in the teeth at all, but the zipper just disappears into the seam when it is closed.  In this case the flower pattern doesn't match up exactly, but I wasn't trying to get an exact match.  You can certainly see how a little bit of fussier cutting would make a perfect match though.

This simple sewing machine foot has changed the world of zippers for me and I hope it does for you too.  I love finding new ways of doing things even after all this time.  We are never finished learning are we?  What about you?  Do you have any sewing tools that have totally changed your sewing skills?

Roly-Poly Art Smock

During Imagine Gnats' winter pattern tour Tara from Girl Like the Sea posted an art smock made with the Roly-Poly Top (*affiliate link) pattern.  I basically slapped my forehead when I read the post because OF COURSE.  It's the perfect simple smock pattern.

Bean and I are taking an art class through the county and she needed a smock.  I jumped to my machine and whipped out a Roly-Poly smock in record time.  The main fabric is more of that fun Tidny fabric from Ikea and I thought it was perfect as a blank slate for all the art supplies that will end up on it, hehe.

I made the pinafore according to the pattern instructions, including the pockets.  Bean still doesn't seem interested in pockets, but they are super easy to do so I figured I'd add them anyway.

The smock is reversible, but really I'm sure she'll wear it with the coloring fabric out most often.  The blue fabric is a sateen from JoAnn.  I've had it in my stash and the rest of it may become some pants soon (this week??).

I really love the color and I've had great results with their sateen fabric in the past.  The smock doesn't cover her arms, but offers more than enough protection for the class.

This is such a perfect KCW project.  Super fast with really fun results.  Definitely doable in the hour time frame.

Although a lot of us end up doing way more than an hour right?  I have a long list in my head of things I want to make this week so I'm sure it'll be more than one for me.

I'm excited about the class.  We were supposed to start last week, but it was canceled due to snow so today is our first day.  Bean is hoping we'll be using "paint-glue" which I believe her way of telling me that those two separate things are so foreign to her that she has combined them in her head.  Note to self: we need to do more crafts at home and step outside our coloring comfort zone, hehe.

Refashion - Project Run & Play

We're on to week three of Project Run & Play and the theme is Refashion.  It's also the first day of Winter KCW so there is a lot of sewing in my immediate future.  But we'll start with my refashion look.

For refashioning I chose an old pair of khaki corduroys that my husband doesn't wear anymore and a light-weight coral knit robe that I also no longer wear.  I knew immediately that I wanted to make a pair of shorts from the corduroys and a cardigan from the robe.  I had no idea what top I'd make for under the cardigan, but I knew inspiration would hit eventually.

The shorts were made using the Oliver & S Sailboat Pants in size 3T shortened to about two inches below the crotch seam.  I gathered the outside edge of each leg and attached a band for a cute bubble look.  Otherwise I followed the pants' pattern instructions for the rest of the shorts.

For the facings I used a coral print to connect the cardigan I was making with the shorts.  Plus the print is adorable so I thought it'd be fun to have the fabric surprise on the inside of the opening.  I also used these cool buttons I took off an old sweater.  They are attached with ribbon instead of thread which I think is unusual and interesting.  I used these type of buttons (from another sweater) way back when Bean was less than a year old and fell in love with them.  Now that I've used all eight of the buttons I will need to figure out how to make some of them myself.  I can't get enough of them, hehe.

The ribbon was from the ties of the old robe so they were refashioned too.

The fit is a tad big, but that was in the hope that these will fit for wear this summer as well.  For now they work great over a pair of tights.

For the cardi I used Imagine Gnat's Tumble Tee and Long Sleeve extension.  I basically cut the size 3 with the following pieces:

back on the fold
front in two pieces (I didn't add width to the pattern since I knew I wanted to add a button band)
long sleeve pieces
a band for the bottom edge
two bands for the front button bands of the cardi

I sewed the cardi using the pattern instructions for adding the sleeves.  I topstitched on the sleeve seam since I wanted that dropped shoulder seam to have an extra detail.  The robe sleeve arm bands were used instead of finishing the sleeves a new way.  The edges were so pretty that I wanted to leave them that way.

Once the sleeves and the side seams were sewn, I attached a band to the bottom of the cardi.  This came from the back top edge of the robe.  Then I attached a band to each edge of the front of the cardi.  These bands came from the front edges of the robe.  They too had pretty little details that I decided to keep in the refashion.  I made button holes on one band and sewed some buttons (from another one of my husband's cast offs) to the other.

The cardi is super light-weight so it'll be a great spring/summer layer as well.  I love the fit on Bean and it's a great color.

As I mentioned before, I wasn't sure what I would make for a top, but I did know I wanted a floral pattern.  I have so many fabrics in my stash that would have worked perfectly, but I really wanted to keep this to a refashion only look.  As I was looking for something in one of our closets this weekend I stumbled upon this amazing vintage tablecloth that Shannon from Little Kids Grow sent me ages ago.  I had completely forgotten about it and when I saw it I knew that should be used for the top.

The colors are a great compliment to the coral cardi and the fabric contrasts between the ribs of the corduroy, light-weight drape of the cardi knit, and soft smooth feel of the worn in woven tablecloth were exactly what I was looking for.

The pattern is the Go To Shift Dress (*affiliate link) from Go To Patterns .  I made the size 3T, but shortened it a ton to make it a tunic instead of a dress.  I made one in knit last year and it was a great top by the end of the summer so I'm hoping for something similar this year.

I used the knit from the robe to make the bias bindings and tie in the coral.  The green button is from my stash and came from a sweater I had years ago.  The contrast of the green and coral is so pretty to me.

Altogether I am so pleased with this look.  It's three pieces that fit well together, but can work perfectly paired with other staples in Bean's wardrobe.  That's a refashion win for sure.

And a great way to kick off KCW.  I know it's supposed to be winter sewing, but does anyone else start to look ahead to spring as soon as new year's is over?  I don't know why I always feel that way when our worst winter weather is usually in February or March.  Winter won't be over for quite some time, so I'm happy these three pieces can work for layering.

As for the rest of my KCW list, I think I'll be making a couple of long sleeve tumble tees, a dress or two, and maybe another pair of Hosh pants?  Is that too ambitious?  Maybe, but it'll be fun to try.  What's on your list?

Don't forget to look through the Project Run & Play sew along linky this week and of course to vote for one of the designers' looks.  I love Refashion week and as with every week I can't wait to see what everyone comes up with.

This was right before she decided she should throw the bunny she had in her hand.  Look at those wild eyes.

And this was AS she was throwing it.  At least she still feels compelled to yell "FRO" right before she's about to throw something so I am prepared for the projectile.  Sound about right for a two year old?

Long Sleeved Banyan Tee

With Kids Clothes Week (KCW) starting on Monday I've been pouring through my patterns trying to decide what clothing Bean will need.  Long or 3/4 length sleeved shirts are definitely high on the list for the next couple of months and I have a few things in mind.

If you are looking for a quick sew with a bit of dramatic flair, then Figgy's Banyan Tee/Tunic is a great option.  There isn't an option for a long sleeve though so at first I thought it was not an option until spring.  But in the spirit of MashUps my friend Rachel from Once Upon a Sewing Machine and I have joined up to bring you two different ways to add a long sleeve to Figgy's Banyan Tee.  We each picked a style and my choice was a slight handkerchief sleeve to accentuate the lovely hem of the original tee.  To find out which style Rachel chose you can check it out here. (hint, her version would work for the boy tee too!)

I opted to have the handkerchief hem fall on the seam so that it wouldn't hang over Bean's hand as it draped and wouldn't get caught on things as she runs through the house.  The fabric I used was from my stash, but I bought it at JoAnn fabrics about a year ago.  It's double layer with stripes on one side and polka dots on the other.  The double layer makes it a little thick which is be perfect for winter, but it makes the sleeve hems look like they hang a little funny on the hanger.  Once Bean puts it on the drape is lovely (her arm takes some of the weight) and it is super snugly.

The first Banyan tee I made is size 2/3 and the tee shirt length and it is starting to be a little too short and a bit snug across the chest.  Even though the next size up is a 4/5 (!) I thought it would be good to cut out the larger size.  I could have just made the 2/3 with the tunic length, but I was a bit worried about the chest and it would be amazing if this shirt could still be worn next fall.

The fit is perfect.  There is room to grow, but not so much that Bean is drowning in it.  I really can't believe my baby is fitting into a size 4 already.  She won't be 3 until May!  I made the sleeves using The Anywhere Dress (*affiliate link) long sleeve size 3T as a guide because A: I'm obsessed with that pattern and B: I just used it so I know the fit is good.

Speaking of sleeve, let's get into it!  Ready to draft your own handkerchief hemmed sleeve?  You'll need the following:

Banyan Tee Pattern
A long sleeve pattern you love
ruler
pencil

Note: all of these "drawings" are not to scale.  They are sketches of the pattern pieces and not the exact pieces so please do not try to just print them from these pictures.

First choose the size you want to use for both the Banyan Tee and the sleeve.  In my case I used the size 4/5 for the tee and size 3T for the sleeve length.  It worked out well so don't be afraid to mix and match.

Step 1. In order to get that lovely handkerchief edge to mimic the hemline of the shirt you will take the front bodice pattern and cut it out (or trace it) to size.  Cut 7 inches away and perpendicular to the front center edge.  The purple section above is what you will need.  Seven inches will work for any size Banyan you are making because the extra width comes from the seam allowance edge of the purple section.

Step 2. You will need to trace your long sleeve and the Banyan short sleeve pattern piece including the seam and hem allowance markings.  The Banyan sleeve pattern is for the full sleeve, but if you fold it in half you will notice the sides are the same so simply fold it down the center line and trace the half sleeve as in the picture above.  Pay close attention to the seam allowance and hem allowance of the sleeve pattern.  The Anywhere dress sleeve I used has a seam allowance of 3/8" and a hem allowance of 1/2"

Step 3.  Since the seam allowance of the Banyan sleeve is also 3/8" this makes our work a bit easier.  Either way you will line up the shoulder seam lines along the center grid line.

Step 4. Now line up the handkerchief edge and sleeve hem seam lines along the center grid line.  The hem allowance of the handkerchief edge is 1" which is why you see a difference in the picture above.  You must align the seam edge and not the cutting edge in order for everything to work correctly.

Step 5. Here is where all the magic happens.  Starting at the shoulder edge you will trace the seam line (inner edge of the seam allowance) of the Banyan sleeve (green dotted line) all the way to the under arm seam.  This is important since you want the sleeve to fit to the bodice correctly later.  From this point you will blend the seam down to your sleeve seam line (pink dotted line) stopping just above the point where the handkerchief edge sticks out (purple dotted line).  Then blend that edge and follow the handkerchief seam line down to the handkerchief hem allowance line (purple dashed line).  Trace the handkerchief hem line over to the center grid line.  You now have your pattern piece.  Add the seam allowances and hemline (blue solid lines) to the pattern you just made (blue dotted/dashed lines) and you are ready to go.  The new sleeve hem allowance should be 1" to match the Banyan Tee hemline and the seam allowance should be 3/8" to match the rest of the Banyan pattern and to make it easier to remember when assembling the shirt later.

Cut two of the new long sleeve pattern pieces on the fold and follow the pattern instructions to attach the sleeve to the bodice.  Once it's time to hem the sleeve simply follow the pattern instructions for hemming the handkerchief edge of the bodice and you'll have a perfectly pointed hem.

Bean is almost as in love with this new shirt as I am.  She insisted on wearing it to bed the first night and it looked so cozy I couldn't say no.  She's wearing it again today too!

This seems to be her favorite pose lately which just cracks me up.  Where did she even see someone do this?  It makes her laugh though so at least we can get some decent pictures, hehe.

You can purchase the Banyan Tee at Go To Patterns (*affiliate link) so buy it quick while their New Year's sale (*affiliate link) is still going on.  Also, If you're curious about her pants you can read about them here.

So what else is on your KCW list?  Let me know if you have any questions about the tutorial.  I'm off to finish my KCW planning.