Cheer OVERLOAD and Zipper Tutorial

I mentioned earlier that I had an order cheerleading costumes- 21 to be exact! I used a simplicity dress pattern and changed it a bit.  After finishing this sample, I was not quite happy with it so I changed patterns and took some useful comment advice for the sizing.  I used New Look pattern 6957

This pattern gave a better finish and I used the size 1 for the 2T size, size 2 for the 3T size and the size 3 for the 4T size.  I added length for the bodice too.

I cranked these out in 8 days but I will tell you I am tired of making them for now.  They will be embroidered with the school emblem of sorts.  Now on with the tutorial.

I have been afraid of zippers for some unknown reason- I guess because it has been so long since I put one in.  I will show you how I did it for those also afraid but this may not be perfect technique but it is what I did.

I had the dress done except for the zipper.  I then basted (longest stitch with no back stitiching) the seam where the zipper would be going leaving plenty of room to iron open and sew on the zipper. The zipper I was using was 12 in. so i basted about 13 in. and regular stitch down the rest of the seam.

Then press open.

Then I pinned the zipper on with right side down and lining up the seam with zipper teeth.

You should probably use more pins than I did.  Then be sure to put on your zipper foot.  This is what mine looks like yours should be somewhat similar.  This helps you stitch close to the zipper teeth.

Then stitch around the zipper.

I  then seam ripped open the seam.

Once this was done, I cut the excess top of zipper and heat sealed it with some flame.

Then I tacked down the top.

After 21 of these I am feeling a bit more confident about zippers.