– Turn invisible zipper to the wrong side, align with the center back edges.
– Use tailor chalk/erasable marker to make several marks along the zipper and the fabric. These marks help to align zipper and fabric evenly when sewing. – The top coil of the zipper is slightly below the neckline seam (about 3mm (1/8”) so you have some room to fold the zipper end in later.
– Open the zipper fully and place one edge of the zipper on the center back edge. Make sure the right side of the zipper (the size that will not show the zipper teeth after closing) and right side of garment are facing. – Match all the markings on the zipper tape and the center back edge. Pin the zipper to the center back edge.
– Install invisible zipper foot on your sewing machine.
– With your fingers uncurl zipper teeth and sew as close to teeth as you can. Make sure the chalk marks are matching. Remove pins as you sew.
– Repeat with the other side of the zipper.
– Pull up the zipper. You will notice that the zipper pull will stop slightly below the neckline. – Turn the garment to right side & press to neaten the seam.
– Line up the remaining center back edge of the garment and pin.
– Change to regular presser foot and stitch the center back seam. Start stitching from about 7mm (a bit more than ¼”) from the end of zipper seam and go down to the dress hem. Backstitch at both ends of the stitching line. – There will be a small gap between the zipper stitching line and the center back stitching line. It is normal and does not affect the result.
– Fold the top zipper end towards the center back seam allowance so that the zipper end will not show on the right side of the garment.
– Fold the neckline facing of the garment to the right side of fabric to cover the zipper tape. Make sure the zipper end is pushed towards the center back edge.
– Match the center back edge of the neckline facing, zipper tape, and main garment.
– Stitch all layers together, along the center back edge of the neckline facing. Backstitch at both ends.
– Clip the corner and use a dull pointy object to turn the corner to the right.
– The finished zipper end with neckline facing from the wrong side of garment is as shown. – Repeat with the other side of the zipper to finish.
