There's no fabric puckering, but it's like the fabric doesn't have the chutzpa to hold the zipper - which is weird cuz it's not wussy fabric and it's been working well for everything else.
I'd really prefer not to have to rip the whole thing out and start again, though I will if I must. I just don't want to spend another 2 hrs on this to find out that my next insertion yields the same results.
Some questions:
- Should I have interfaced the seam allowances? (Again, there's no apparent weakness in the zipper and it lies beautifully flat on the ground. It's when I put it on my body that the waviness appears.)
- Is it that the skirt, around the zip area, isn't tight enough hence the buckling? Should I sew the seam allowances smaller? The skirt fits - isn't loose as far as I can tell. Worried about making things too tight if I do this.
- Should I just use a regular zipper because this thing needs to be more stabilized in the fabric by more stitches? If yes, can I just stitch around the invisible zipper as I would for a regular zipper? Or will that look weird?
Admittedly, I've never sewn an invisible zipper into bias cut fabric - perhaps the bias stretch is encouraging this outcome?
What do I do????
So confused. So demoralized. Please help.
Posts
I usually use a 1.5-2 cm wide strip of organza - torn off on grain and pressed - Along the zipper seam. Just baste the center of the strip to the stitching line and you should be fine, i hope.
ReplyDeleteOK, when you say baste the centre of the strip to the stitching line, I'm a bit confused. Do you mean that one of the edges will hang over? Or do you mean I should fold it in half. Or, am I just not understanding how you've said this and what you mean is that one of the torn ends of the organza will abut the edge of the stitching line? Sorry to be dim Marina. Can you clarify just a bit more?
Deleteno, my fault! Here is a Threads article explaining the use of organza in a hand-picked zipper - you will be able to see how the stabilizing strip of organza is attached: http://www.threadsmagazine.com/item/5135/a-hand-picked-zipper-is-worth-the-effort#
DeleteYou can use it this technique for an invisible zipper as well. Hope this helps :-)
Thank you - I'm going to go check this out now. I've been out but thinking about what you wrote - I might have figured out what you mean (I will be intrigued to see when I read the article)
DeleteSince your fashion fabric is cut on the bias, it is probably stretching as you sew the zipper in, hence the rippling. There is no cure except to rip it out and start again. You'll have to be sure to shrink those seam allowances back to their original shape. Then I would interface them or use some non-stretch stay tape to keep the fashion fabric from stretching while you sew the zipper in. Loosen the tension on your pressure foot as well. Good luck!
ReplyDeleteJ: Thank you for your feedback! (Man, if only I had a batch of Threads mags right now to look through :-) I will respond to your email - and thank you so much! Just running all over today.)
Delete:)
DeleteI generally use fusible in the seam allowance and just covering where the seam will be sewn. Hope you can get it to work for you.
ReplyDeleteThanks Linda - I have considered this but I wonder if the stay tape or organza may help to control the stretch factor a bit more than stretch interfacing. I'm going to give them all a try!
DeleteThe other thing I recommend is laying the zipper in first with something like Wonder Tape, a double-sided tape that washes away (ostensibly). that way you can make sure the zipper is lying flat before you stitch it in. Interfacing the seam allowance couldn't hurt either.
ReplyDeleteAnother option is to baste it first.
You know, I used Wonder Tape - which is why I'm so surprised! I guess stabilizing the bias seam is the direction du jour!
DeleteYou may have already read this, but Sunni talks about it in her series on the Ginger Sewalong:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.afashionablestitch.com/2011/sewalongs/inserting-a-zipper-into-a-bias-cut-garment/
I must have read this but I don't remember?! I'm going to check it out again!
DeleteHave to say, everyone, your comments have brought me from the brink of dispair! And I'm thrilled to hear that you all have similar advice, leading me to believe that the problem is a) knowable and b) solvable.
ReplyDeleteI do kind of want to kill myself, having to reinsert the zipper. But, if it fixes the problem, then I've got to exercise patience.
Thank you all again xoxo
Oh I'm so glad you found my tutorial! I hope it helps. I was also reading in Claire Shaeffer's couture book recently (this is what I do in my spare time, a little creepy I know) and she talks about pinning the garment to a dressform and then pinning and basting the zipper into place while still on the dressform. From there you can take it off the dressform and stitch by machine. I used this method on a circle skirt that I still haven't finished, but the zipper is gorgeous! No bubbling or weirding out when I put the garment on. Still I find that with some fabrics, this method is more maneuverable with some easing stitches and stabilizer cut on the straight grain, especially when using an invisible zip. Hopefully this helps too!
ReplyDeleteS: It's awesome. And I have to get CS's couture book. Wait, it's possible that I have it. Is it the same as her tailoring book?? I will consider basting the zip to the seams on my dress form. I'm a bit unclear still - having not yet tried it - about the easing in of the zip. And I've complicated matters by using a zipper that's shorter than the one called for in the pattern, so I don't really have a pattern end circle to act as my guide. The skirt you show in your post is just beautiful - esp. that zipper. I'm hoping for some of that outcome!
DeleteI'm sorry your zipper is wavy! :(
ReplyDeleteAh, live and learn...
ReplyDelete