How to do an Invisible Zipper

While finishing up Butterfly's dress I had to come to terms with installing an invisible zipper.  Not one of my areas of expertise, so I enlisted a little help from Lolita Patterns.  Most of the tutorial was helpful and easy except for finishing up the last bit of the zipper.  I think I will have to do some more research on that part as I ended up with one of those ugly bulges at the bottom of the zipper this time. 

How to Install an Invisible Zipper

Step 1:  Press the zipper coils open (press on wrong side of tape).  Definitely an important step that makes it much easier to stitch as close to the coils as possible.  Then pin the right side of the zipper to the right side of the dress center back seem.  Make sure the zipper top (not tape top) is at the top edge of the dress and that the coils are facing away from the raw edge of the dress seam.  Also make sure that the coils are on the edge of your seam allowance, the tape area being within your seam allowance.

It should look like this when you are done pinning.

I happen to have a zipper foot, which looks like this.  This is the easiest way to stitch close to the coils, but you can also use a regular foot and push the coils to the side.

Step 2:  Stitching as close to the coils as possible, sew the zipper into place from the top to as close as you can get to the zipper bottom.  Note that when using your zipper foot the foot should be positioned as seen in the photo in relation to your coils.

Step 3:  Zip up your zipper to test it, then place a mark on your zipper tape next to the waist seam.  You will use this mark to then match up to the waist seam on the opposite side of the center back seam.  That way when you are finished sewing your zipper, the waist seams match up on both sides of the zipper. 

Step 4:  This is the tricky part, pinning and sewing the other side of the zipper.  You will be pinning the right side of the tape once again to the right side of your dress seam.  I HIGHLY recommend pinning the top portion to the dress seam while you have the zipper still zipped up.  This way there will be no confusion or seam ripping necessary.  Once you have the top portion pinned in place, unzip the zipper, match up your waist seam mark and adjust if necessary (do not flip or turn over tape at this point). 

Notice here that I have matched up the center waist seam mark that we made earlier to the waist seam on the opposite side of the dress back.

This is what it should look like when you are done pinning,

Here I have taken a little extra time to make sure before I sew that the zipper is placed properly while the pins hold the zipper tape in place.

Step 5:  Once you are assured that your zipper is placed correctly, sew that zipper tape in place.

When you are done you will notice that the center back seam is still open and also that the zipper bottom is left unstitched as well.

Step 6:  This is where you will stitch up your center back seam as normal, right sides together, from the bottom up to about 1/2" below where you stitched your zipper tape.  Make sure your seam allowance is the same or you will end up with a pucker like me ;(  Make sure that you hold the end of the zipper tape out of the way and don't get it caught in the seam.

Step 7:  Use your zipper foot once again to finish stitching from where you left off your center back seam to where you left off on the zipper tape.  This encloses the zipper tape bottom into the center back seam.

Unfortunately I ended up with this horrible pucker in mine.  Not completely sure why.

Hopefully yours comes out better in the end than mine.  Next up for the finale, hem the dress bottom.  Wish me luck.