Lapped Zippers and Camp Sew 'N' Sew

It's Camp Sew 'N' Sew time again. This is the third year I have worked with interested youth at my church in a week-long sewing camp I call Camp Sew 'N' Sew. It's always fun and I'm looking forward to it again. Some of the campers are returning for the third year. Hooray! The above is one of my favorite pictures and memories from year 1.

This year the girls are working on a skirt - Butterick 5613 (see drawing above right). It's very cute and should look great on them. It will be a stretch though. So I'm working up tutorials for them. Here is my current version of "Lapped Zippers." It assumes a regular zipper, not an invisible one. Thought I'd post it here:

1. Using your normal stitch length, stitch the seam needing a zipper, starting where the zipper stop will be placed. Securely lock-stitch at this point before continuing down the length of the skirt. The part where the zipper will go is still open.
2. Using a basting stitch (either machine or by hand), stitch the zipper opening in this seam closed. Leave long enough threads at the top so that you can hand-tie them together.
3. Using your iron, press the entire length of the seam open.
4. Carefully press ONLY the zipper tape if it is folded from the packaging. Don’t press over the zipper teeth.
5. Place the skirt with wrong sides up on your work surface. You should be looking at the seam pressed open with the basted portion furthest from you.
6. Move the skirt left and skirt right pieces to your left, so that only the right seam allowance sticks out to your right. That is, the right skirt piece, the left skirt piece and the left seam allowance are stacked to your left. Only one layer - the right seam allowance sticks out to your right.
7. Open the zipper so that the zipper stop is closest to you. Place zipper wrong side up on the wrong side of the skirt. Align the right-hand zipper teeth with the basting and pin in place. Pin through the zipper tape and the right seam allowance ONLY.
8. *Attach the zipper foot to your machine.
9. Position the foot (or the needle) so that the needle is to the left and the foot is to the right. Double-check this before you begin stitching.
10. Starting at the top, stitch through the zipper tape and right seam allowance. Stitch VERY close to the zipper teeth. Remove pins as you go. (Nothing shows on the right side of your skirt yet!)
11.  Fold the stitched zipper tape and right seam allowance under to your right. RE-POSITION your zipper foot so that the needle is to the right and the foot is to the left. Stitch from the top, creating a tiny fold. Lock-stitch at the end. (Still nothing shows on the right side of your skirt!)
12. Close the zipper.
13. Allow the zipper to fall into place on the back side of the skirt. Pin the left zipper tape in place. Pin through the tape, the left seam allowance and the skirt. RE-POSITION your zipper foot so that the needle is to the left and the foot is to the right. Stitch an “L” shape, starting at the lower point on the “L.” Start with a lock-stitch.
14. Now something shows on the right side! Remove basting stitches and admire your work.

*Note on zipper foot: A zipper foot allows you to sew close to the zipper feet. By moving either the NEEDLE or the FOOT (depends on your machine type), you can adjust so that the needle is sewing to the right or to the left of the foot. Test a sample. Start with the foot to the right, the needle to the left.

Suggestions are encouraged!

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