Tuesday, March 29, 2011

Portfolio Pants-How to do the zipper



Firstly and(it should be obviously)put the zipper in on your left hand side!
I plead a poorly child,wakeful baby and lack of sleep .....


Today I finished my second pair of Lisette Portfolio Pants. This pair fits me!
I did have to tweak the pattern a little,I went with the size 14,but took the waist into the size 10 and tapered out to the 14 over the thigh.

Cutting out a third pair-the adjusted pattern front


For the back,I went back to the 12 at the side seam and took a little from the centre back and made the darts a little larger. Not a great deal of change,but it made such a difference to the fit.


Just a little adjustment to the back.


For those of us used to the lovely instructions in the oliver+S patterns the zipper instructions may appear a bit wanting .....
This is my interpretation-following the pattern.

Fold and press your seam allowances as directed by the pattern and stitch the first side of your zipper in place. It should look like this(but remember,I put my zipper on the wrong side)!


Stitching one side of the zipper.


After this step,following the pattern,pin and then baste the other side in place.
Now I am not a huge fan of basting,but I would really recommend it for this step!



The basted zip


Zipper neatly under the flap
When sewing in your zipper,use a zipper foot and stitch halfway down with the zipper open



Stitch halfway down and stop and lift your presser foot.
Lift the presser foot,close the zipper and then keep stitching.


Finish stitching with the zipper closed


The finished zipper


Basting removed


I hope that is useful to someone ..... starting my third pair tomorrow,must get my zip in the correct side this time!

8 comments:

  1. Great! Zippers frighten me, even though I have installed them successfully in the past! Go figure. Thanks for this!

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  2. I agree with Mel, zippers are a bit scary. But even scarier for me is doing the fitting! Very nice work, would love to see them on.

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  3. Honestly girls ,it is not a tricky zipper to fit at all,it just lacks the polished instructions we are used too!

    These pants are fabulous to wear,I am making inky-black denim ones next and toying with red buttons .... do you think Peta would get me two more if I asked nicely?

    Thank you x N

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  4. Have to agree with Mel - zippers get scarier over time. Thanks for the tutorial, Nicole, it'll help get me over my zipper-block!

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  5. My pleasure,I took some photos of the waistband too if any one gets stuck!

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  6. I just couldn't for the life of me figure out what I was supposed to do for the zipper, so I just used an invisible zip, because I know how to do that! Thanks for the visuals and tutorials. I have to confess, I would rather put in a zipper any day over a series of button holes that all have to be straight.

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  7. Thank you, Nicole! If/when I ever try this pattern, I'll be referring to this post.

    I'm so surprised that you cut your pattern instead of tracing! I can't stand working with the flimsy tissue.

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  8. Oh thank you Johanna,I don't feel quite so silly now!
    I was having trouble with the instructions and I 'think' this is how to do it!

    We have been spoilt with O+S!

    Thank you Sandi,I do a bit of both!
    I have not cut this pattern down,just to the biggest size! I will eventually make a new pattern and keep this as the original in case my body changes!
    You are so right,this pattern has nearly died already!

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