BILLIE JEAN SEW-ALONG # 8 - DRESS 1 CENTRE BACK SEAM & SKIRT VENT & LAPPED ZIPPERS....

Howdy fine sew-alongers! Today's blog post will be the last for this week, and will be filled with enough sewing homework to get you through the upcoming weekend! Yay for the weekend! And the fact we are on the home stretch of the Billie Jean sew-along is so exciting! I cant wait to  see them all finished! Remember we finish up next Wednesday the 7th of August, and you need to have your finished Billie Jean photos uploaded onto  Flickr ready for me to collate them all up for a show off finale here on the blog on Friday 9th of August... and there are  a few sneaky giveaway prizes up for grabs as well  ;)

I am so excited for this weekend to come around, and it totally cannot  come quick enough...NEWSFLASH..... I am finally releasing the second sewing pattern for Bluegingerdoll!! Yep that rights it all on track to be released this weekend AND what makes this time round even better is that the patterns are ready to go to their new homes straight away, no more delays ....NOTHING... AND i have been working on some new and fabulous packaging for Bluegingerdoll patterns, and it is ****ing fabulous i am so proud of how it all turned out, i think you are going to love it! That's all will say at the moment ,so keep your eyes on the blog over the weekend for the new sewing pattern, its gonna be awesome!

Ok, now back to the sew -along! Below are all the previous sew-along posts in case you need to catch up:

#1 - Getting started
#2 -  Full Bust Adjustment
#3 - Assemble the bodice
#4 - Assemble the skirts
#5 - Dress 1 - Bodice to skirt
#6 - Attach the lining
#7 - Dress 2 - Side seams and attach bodice to skirt 

So today's sew-along post we will be focusing more on Dress 1 first up with stitching up the back centre skirt seam and the skirt vent and then  we are on track to insert our lapped zippers into both of the dresses..

Let's get started:

Step 1- Stitch skirt centre back seam

 With right sides together, pin the skirt centre back edges together on the dress shell, from the bottom of the  zipper opening down to the hem.

Starting from the bottom of the zipper opening, stitch up the skirt centre back down to the top of the skirt vent.

Once you get to the top of skirt vent, lift up your machine needle and change your machine stitch to a basting stitch and then continue baste stitching down to the hem line.

Next up, change your machine stitch back to a normal stitch and stitch diagonally the skirt  vent width from the marked circle at the top of the vent to the edge of the vent.

Snip into the corner of the skirt  vent at the seam allowance and press open. On the inside of the skirt press the skirt vent towards the right side of the skirt.

On the right side of the fabric, stitch a diagonal line from the edge of the vent to the centre back seam -  this secures the vent in place.

You can now remove the basting stitch on the vent with your un-picker.

* Repeat these steps for the skirt lining centre back seam and skirt vent.

Inserting a lapped zipper

Woohoo, lets do a little dance.... We are up to the fun part of our Billie Jean dresses - inserting our lapped zippers!
I always enjoy this part of sewing, for me it signals the finish line of the sewing project and at this point  i usually cant wait until what ever i am sewing to be completely finished before i try it on!

You can find the link to the Lapper Zipper tutorial here on the blog. I know that for some inserting a lapped zipper may be for some stepping into some new scary sewing territory but don't be afraid! I am here to help and hold your hand! They are a cinch to do and totally not scary at all. In fact this was the first way i learnt how to insert a zipper, thanks Mum! This is the only way my Mum knows how to insert zippers, this is how she was taught by her Mum and so on and really was the only way to insert a zipper back in the day, none of this fancy schmancy stuff.  I actually didn't learn how to insert an invisible zipper or any other zipper for that matter until well down the track of my sewing life, i didn't really want to either, i  prefer the final look and  end result of a lapped zipper on my sewing projects, they are just soooo pretty and  i still find inserting a lapped zipper a whole easier to insert then an invisible zipper. I  also also love the thought of  my Mum and Nanna inserting their zippers the same way years before my sewing life began and i  love being able to keep  vintage sewing techniques alive, even in the smallest ways. But if you are more inclined to insert an invisible zipper, i have a little tutorial coming up soon on the blog  on how to insert them and also how to insert them when a pattern calls for a lapped zipper.

So give it go, follow the Lapped Zipper tutorial and before you know it you will have it mastered!


Have a great weekend everyone, and keep your eye out for the new Bluegingerdoll sewing pattern! I am soooo excited for you all to see it! Yay!


Abby
x