How to Sew An Exposed Zip

Exposed zips are a good way to add extra detail to a garment, especially when the zip is too cute to hide or if you want a more edgy look.

While we're going to show you how to sew an exposed zipper using our Starboard Jeans pattern, the technique is the same regardless of the garment. So feel free to experiment with tops, skirts or whatever else takes your fancy!

First up, we'll show you how to insert the zipper where no seam is present, then we'll demonstrate how to sew one along a seamline.

How to sew an exposed zip without a seamline

On your garment, mark the opening where the zip is to go. If you're not using a pattern as a guide, this is usually about 1.1 cm wide.

Iron interfacing onto the wrong side of the fabric for stability. Staystitch along the marking lines you made earlier on the fabric.

Cut between your staystitching lines, stopping about 1.5cm from the end and instead, cut on an angle into the corners, taking care not to cut through your stitching.

Press open along the staystitching lines.

Pin zip into the opening.

Using a zipper foot on your machine so you can get nice and close to the edges, stitch in place.

Congratulations! You've just sewn an exposed zipper.

How to sew an exposed zipper along a seamline

While there aren't any zips on seamlines in our Starboard pattern, I've put together a sample on fabric remnants as an illustration. The technique is much like above, it just starts a little differently.

First, you'll measure how long you want the opening to be. Work out the length starting 1cm (or whatever your seam allowance is) above the start of the zipper teeth, right down to where your zipper teeth end. Cut two strips of fusible facing which are 1.5cm longer than that measurement and iron them onto the wrong sides of your garment where the zip will go.

At this point, you should neaten the edges, which I completely forgot to do in my unbridled enthusiasm when putting together this post *head slap*.

Once you've done this crucial, but unillustrated part, staystitch 1.5cm from top edge (but if your seam allowance is 1.5cm, then make this 2cm) down as far as your measurement from above, pivot toward the edge and finish sewing to create an "L" shape. Repeat on the other piece of your garment.

Sew the rest of your seamline closed, starting from below your "L" shape and finishing at the bottom edge of your garment. Your seam edges will look much neater than mine!

Clip into the corners of your "L", taking care not to cut through your staystitching, and press open along the staystitching lines. Press seamline open too.

Now you can insert your zip as illustrated above, starting from the image with the colourful pins. And there you have it! Two ways to insert exposed zips in your garments.

Enjoy! x

Burrito Method for Facings

A garment with combined neck and shoulder facings will give you a flawless finish, offering concealed seams and crisply pressed edges. The facings will sit more smoothly, while giving the garment added stability.

When it comes to sewing the facings onto a garment, we love to use the 'Burrito Method'. This quick technique makes light work of the construction, so you can rock your new top sooner.

How To

Once you have your facing attached to the neckline of your garment, lay your top flat with right side down and the facing on top.

Roll one side of your garment toward the other side, stopping at the furthermost shoulder seam.

Peel back the facing and fold it out over the rolled portion.

Tuck it under the garment and match up the edges and shoulder seams, right sides facing.

Stitch together around this half-moon curve, leaving the side seams for now.

Trim seam allowance back to 5mm.

Pull garment through to the right side. This is my favourite part! Unfolding it all just feels like magic.

Repeat for the other side and press seams well.

Voila! Your facings are attached. Just neaten the bottom edges of the facing and continue to sew the garment as usual.

When you've finished your garment, you will need to hand-stitch the centre back facings to the zipper tap and also tack down the facing under the arms, to stop them popping up during wear.

Enjoy your new garment!

Universal Hemming Stitch

There are many different hemming techniques which are used in different scenarios.  This hem is a good all rounder which can be used on most fabric weights and can be stitched on a raw edge (if your fabric doesn’t fray too much) on an overlocked or zigzagged edge, or as illustrated here, a turned edge.

1. Start by turning up the very edge of your hem, about 3 - 5mm and press.  If you are using an overlocked edge, just overlock the edge and go on to step 2.  If you want to use the raw edge of your fabric you can skip this step entirely.

2. Fold up your desired hem depth and pin in place.

3. Fasten the thread to the hem allowance, this can be done with a knot or by making a few small stitches. Always work from left to right with your needle pointed towards the left.  Insert the needle from right to left, taking up a few threads of the material.  The finer your stitch the less you will see on the right side.  Pull the thread through taking care not to pull it too tight as you want to allow for a little bit of movement.

4. Insert the needle from right to left, taking up a few threads of the material, in your hem allowance this time, and pull through.  

5. Keep going along like this, from garment to hem until you finish.  

6. Tie off your thread using a few small stitches.  Trim thread.

7. Press your hem with a press cloth.  Your hem should be virtually invisible from the right side.  Because of the way it zig zags it allows a bit of movement making it an ideal hem for knit fabrics.

How to sew a French Seam

A French seam is a seam which is both neat on the outside and inside.  It is often used in delicate fabrics and can be a beautiful way to finish a special garment.

It is an especially strong seam as it is actually two seams in one.  One sewn in the seam allowance, the other on the stitchline.

It is best suited to straight seams that won’t need much alteration.

1. With right sides on the outside, pin your fabric together right along seam line.

2. Stitch down with a 5mm seam allowance.

3. Press seam open with right sides up pressing seam allowance to one side.

4. Fold fabric along your new seam with the wrong sides of the fabric out.  Press nice and flat.

5. Pin seam securely together so that you catch both front and back.

6. Stitch seam with a 6mm seam allowance this time all the way down.

7. Press open.  Your seam should be flat from the right side with a nice enclosed allowance on the inside.

How to stitch on a button

Knowing how to sew on a button is really useful. Whether you are putting the finishing touches to something you have made yourself or replacing the button that just popped off your shirt – here’s how to sew on a button that will stay put. 

1. Start by doubling your thread and tying both ends together in a knot.

2. Mark where your button is going to go.  Do this by lapping your garment, so that it looks buttoned.  Mark where the button will sit through your buttonholes.

3. Place pins through your markings.  By having pins between your fabric and button while stitching it will create a bit of room for your shank.

4. Lock your thread by doing a few backstitches at the back of your fabric. Place your button on top of your markings.   Pull your needle through the first hole.

5. Push the needle through the second hole and through the fabric. Pull thread through.  Repeat three times through the first two holes ending at the back of the fabric.

6. Pull your needle through the third hole.

7. Push back through the fourth hole taking the needle through the fabric to the back of the garment.  Repeat three times ending with your needle at the back of the fabric.

8. Pull your needle through the fabric under the button, starting from the back of the fabric.  Pull thread right though.

9. Wrap your thread tightly around your stitching between the fabric and the button two or three times then push your needle back through to the back of your fabric.

10. Take a few backstitches at the back of your fabric to fasten your stitching and trim off remaining thread.

11. Your button will now be securely stitched on and should look like this.

Using Bias Binding as a facing

Bias Facings are are great way to edge sleeveless garments, curved hemlines and necklines.  The bias moulds to the curve nicely and takes the hassle out of sewing full facings.

The bias strip should be twice the desired finished width plus 1cm.

1. Start by pressing the short edge of your binding back about 5mm.

2. Fold your bias strip in half lengthwise and press.

3. On the right side of your garment, line your pressed edge up with a discreet seamline (in this case it is the underarm seam of a armhole).

4. Pin facing right around edge that you want to face using the stretch of the bias to fit the curve.  Cut facing so that it overlaps the folded edge by about 5mm.

Pin end securely in place.

5. Edgestitch in place all the way around.

6. Understitch facing.

Understitching is where you press your seam allowance toward your facing and from the right side of your garment, stitch through the facing and the seam allowance about 3mm from your seam.

This prevents your facing from rolling to the outside of your garment.

7. Your understitched facing should now look like this.

8. Turn facing over to the inside of the garment so that your seam is right on the edge and pin securely in place.

9. Working from the inside of your garment, topstitch your facing down about 3mm from the edge.

10. Your finished seam should look like this with just a stitchline on the outside and a nice neat facing on the inside.

Stitching Bias Binding

This method for sewing on bias binding starts from the inside of the garment, finishing on the right side.

It gives you a neat secure finish and also works really well when working with knit fabrics.

1. Start by pressing one of the short edges back toward the inside of the binding about 5mm. Line this folded edge up with a discreet seamline (in this case it is the underarm seam of a armhole).  Pin binding right around edge that you want to bind from the inside of the garment using the stretch of the bias to fit the curve and cut binding so that it overlaps the folded edge by about 5mm.

Pin end securely in place.

2. Edgestitch in place all the way around.

3. Press the other long edge of the binding back ¼ of the width.

4. Press seam allowance toward binding.

5. Fold binding in half with the edge slightly overlapping stitchline. Pin securely in place.

6. Topstitch down on the very edge of binding on the right side of garment. Press.

7. Your binding should look nice and neat on both sides and be held securely in place.

How to make Bias Binding

Bias binding is such handy stuff!  If you’re patient enough to make it, it can have so many uses.  You can edge necklines, armholes, neaten up seams and even use as a hemming tape around shaped hemlines.

Because it’s cut on the bias, you have the maximum give and flexibility of the fabric making it easy to work around curves.

Making your own gives you the creative freedom to use all sorts of different textures and prints or to match the fabric of your garment.

1. Cut a rectangle of fabric.  I usually cut about half a metre x the width of the fabric.

2. Fold the short edge of the rectangle down to meet the long edge creating a triangle and press.  Open back out again.  The line you have created is the bias.  Now you have a guide to cut your strips from.

3. The easiest way to get nice even strips is to make a cardboard template for your binding.  It needs to be four times the width of what you want the finished binding to be.  ( if you want your binding to be 1.5cm finished width your template needs to be 6cm wide. )  Lay your cardboard template with the long edge against the crease line you have created and draw a line with a tailors chalk or a washable fabric marking pen.  Continue across your fabric until you reach the opposite corner.

4. Cut off unmarked corner pieces and discard then cut your strips.

4. Cut off unmarked corner pieces and discard then cut your strips.

6. Press seams open and trim off any points that stick out beyond the binding.

7. Press binding in half ready to apply to your desired garment.