Lessons 4, 5 Complete the sentences. 4. A zipper should be applied a facing has been applied, but a band has been applied to a garment. 5. Coil zippers are made of or . One advantage of them is the ease with which a stuck piece of thread or fabric may be . 6. It is best to insert a zipper when the garment sections are . Do this activity. 7. Apply a zipper to the dress you have begun by either the centered or lapped method. If you do not have a zipper the correct length, shorten a longer one as described in this lesson. Fold the tabs of the zipper under since the neckline is finished already. Lesson 5 Pockets; Seam Finishes POCKETS Patch Pockets There are many ways to make patch pock - 2. Turn the top edge of the pocket under ets. This section will explain the basics about `yI ¬¬ (1 cm), press it in place, and sew with a well-made patch pockets. The first thing to zigzag stitch. Use hem tape instead if the consider is your fabric. If it is a plaid, stripe, pocket will stretch or if you don’t have a or print, you must decide if you will match it zigzag machine. to the fabric pattern of the garment. This will determine where you will place the 3. Fold the pocket at the marks for the top pocket pattern on the fabric to cut it out. A hemline with right sides together and stitch. striped or plaid may be cut on 4. If the pocket has rounded corners at the opposite the bottom, grain or on the sew an ease bias for con - basting trast. seam `yI ¬¬ (1 cm) 1. Cut the from the pocket by the edge pattern and around mark the hem - each line at each curve. side. 22 Lesson 5 5. Stitch around the pocket ½ ¬¬ (1.3 cm) bottom seam from the edge if the pocket has rounded cor - allowance. ners. If the pocket has square corners, sew Press all seam only down each side but not across the bot - allowances in tom. place. 6. Turn the top pocket hem to the wrong 8. Pin the side of the pocket. In a pocket with rounded pocket to the corners garment. If this will you are match - pull all ing stripes, the raw plaids, or edges to print, you may the wish to hand-baste the pocket to the gar - back of ment to keep it exactly the where you want it when you sew. pocket. Pull the 9. Begin at one side of the pocket top and ease- sew around basting the pocket seams to wyî ¬¬ – `yI ¬¬ (0.6 make the – 1 cm) from rounded corners smooth and even. Notch the the edge. You corners to eliminate some fabric if the cor - may wish to ners look bulky. Press the seam allow- reinforce the ances in place. corners by stitching a 7. In a pocket with square corners, press small triangle the bottom seam allowance to the wrong in the corner side first. Then turn the top hem and side as shown in seam allowances to the back. Slip-stitch the the illustra - bottom corners of the side seams to the tion. Do this activity. 1. Use the patch pocket pattern at the back of this LightUnit to cut out a pocket. Work through Steps 1-7 to make the pocket. Wait to attach it (Steps 8, 9) until after you make the buttonhole in the next lesson. Invisible Pockets These pockets are also called inseam pockets because they are stitched in the side seams of the skirt of a garment. A garment may have such a pocket on both sides or on only one side. Each pocket requires two pieces exactly alike. The pocket pieces are stitched to the skirt sides before they are stitched together. 23 Lesson 5 1. Cut out the pocket pieces. 5. Beginning at the top of the skirt, stitch the side seam to the top of the pocket open - 2. Mark the pocket opening carefully on ing. Backstitch at that point for reinforce - the wrong side of each skirt sec - ment. Sew around the pocket to the bottom tion. of the pocket opening. Backstitch for rein - 3. With right sides together, pin forcement, then continue the straight side of each pocket sewing the length of the piece to the skirt side at the skirt side seam. marked opening. Stitch 6. Press the pocket along the straight toward the front of the gar - ¬¬ side with a 3/8 (1 ment. If you wish the cm) seam. Fold the seams to lie flat, clip the pocket out and press seam allowance to the the seam allowance seamline and press it open. Step 5 toward the pocket. Understitch the Alternate Pocket pocket and seam Pattern allowance. Sewing the pocket into 4. With right the waist makes it sturdier. It also lies flatter and stays sides together, pin the Alternate more firmly in place. skirt sides together. Pin Pattern the pocket pieces together. SEAM FINISHES The most important reason for finishing the seam allowance wyî ¬¬ raw edges of a seam is to keep the fabric from from the edge; then fraying. Seam finishes can also improve the pink the edges. appearance and comfort of a garment. Zigzagged stitches Cut edge or raw edge means that nothing can be used on is done to the raw edges. They are simply almost any woven left as they are cut. This can only be done fabric and are espe - when the garment is lined or is cially suitable for made of a knit washable garments. that does not Stitches are placed fray. It is also appropriate for nonwoven near but not fabrics like felt, over the edge. vinyl, leather, If lightweight and suede. fabric tends to Pinked or stitched roll, it may be and pinked is quick and easy. It can be used helpful to on fabrics that do not ravel easily. Pinking lengthen shears shouldn’t be used to cut out the gar - and/or widen ment pieces. Cut them out with regular the stitches. If the fabric is fairly shears. After the garment is sewn, stitch the lightweight, the seam allowances can be zigzagged together and pressed to one side. 24 Lesson 5 Your machine may have several variations (0.3 cm). Press the strip up and over the cut of the zig-zagged stitch for finishing seams. edge to the wrong side. Press the raw edge Check the machine manual to learn what is of the lining wyî ¬¬ (0.6 cm) to the inside. Stitch available on your machine. Practice several to the wrong side of the seam zigzag finishes on fabric scraps. allowance by stitching in Clean finished is a good finish for the ditch on lightweight fabrics. It washes well and pro - the right vides a neat finish for unlined jackets. side. To keep You must allow a `öî ¬¬ –1 ¬¬ (2– 2.5 cm) the fabric seam allowance. from wrin - Turn under wyî ¬¬ kling as you (0.6 cm) and sew, you may need to pin frequently, or edge-stitch glue it in place before sewing. from the right side of the fab - Overcasting by hand can also be done to ric. Stitch only produce a flat finish without stiffness. in the seam Before machines had zigzag stitching, this allowance. time-consuming method was used frequently. Machine stitch wyI ¬¬ (0.3 cm) from the edge. Work from left to right and space hand Bound finish is a neat finish for unlined stitches wyI ¬¬ – wyî ¬¬ (0.3 – 0.6 cm) apart, using garments of heavier weights where a clean the machine stitching as a gauge for stitch finish would be too bulky. depth. Use your left Enclose the cut edge of the seam allowance thumb to hold each stitch with the tape. Set the machine for a straight on the diagonal. or zigzag stitch. Stitch Check the raw seam edges the tape to the of the garment you have seam allow- almost completed. Discuss ance. Use the with your teacher inside of the whether they should be presser foot as finished in some way. If a gauge to so, decide together how it stitch closely should be done. to the edge of Since the ends of the tape. some seams are If you use a lining, stitch the strip to the sewn into other seams, you may not be able right side of the seam allowance. Trim to wyI ¬¬ to finish all seams completely to the end. Do this activity. 1. Finish the sleeves of the dress according to one of the methods described in this LightUnit. Turn up the bottom edge of the dress skirt ½ ¬¬ (1.3 cm) by pressing it to the wrong side. Zigzag completely around the hem. Fold a 2 ¬¬ (5 cm) hem to the wrong side; press and pin in place. Stitch the hem in place by hand or by using the hemming stitch on your machine (check the manual for directions). 25 Lessons 5, 6 Complete these sentences. 2. When a seamstress applies a patch pocket to a printed/striped/plaid fabric, she must take care to . 3. Invisible pockets are applied in the of a skirt. 4. Invisible pockets should be pressed toward the of a garment. Match. 5. cut edge or raw edge a. enclose the cut edge of the seam allowance with tape 6. pinked or pinked and b. use pinking shears and zigzag stitch stitched edge c. nothing done to the edges 7. clean finish edge d. machine stitch a guideline; hand-sew edge 8.