WHEN DO YOU USE IT? A hand-picked zipper has vintage appeal, so it’s great for sewing vintage-inspired dresses and skirts. You can use the same technique to sew both centered zipper (page 236) and lapped zipper (page 245). Instead of two rows of dots on either side, a lapped zipper will have just one row of stitches on the zipper opening. Because you’re sewing by hand, you have a great deal of control over the zipper insertion. This is an advantage when there are a lot of horizontal seams to line up. If you plan to make hard-wearing garments, this type of zipper insertion makes it very easy to rip out an old zipper and replace it with a new one, without having to deconstruct the garment.
Tips + Notes If your thread is getting tangled, or for an extra-strong zipper, you may want to strengthen your thread with beeswax. Thread your needle and run the thread through a cake of beeswax, then wrap your thread in scrap fabric or paper and press with an iron to seal in the wax. For a decorative finish, add beads to your hand-picked zipper! Each time you start a new backstitch (page 14), thread a bead onto your sewing thread. Poke the needle through to form the backstitch, and pull the thread to secure the bead in place.
HOW TO SEW A HAND-PICKED ZIPPER Prepare the opening for the hand-picked zipper. This can be as simple as finishing the edges with serging (page 179) or zigzag stitching (page 183). If you have a lining, you can sew the lining to the garment fabric along the zipper opening with the right sides together, and turn it right side out for a cleanly finished edge. Sew the seam below the zipper opening, and press the seam allowances open. Turn under 5 ⁄8 " (1.5cm) along the edges of the zipper opening.