You will need to purchase a Jacket zipper for this tutorial. Jacket zippers do not join at the bottom, allowing you to open your garment up at the front.
When choosing a zipper, select one that is approximately 1 inch smaller than the length of the front edge of the Hoodie Vest pattern front piece.
You can purchase Jacket zippers that have a pull tab on both sides of zipper, they do tend to be quite bulky though for kids clothes. Using a zipper with a pull tab each side would enable your garment to remain reversible.
There are a few ways to do this, I chose this method as I thought it would best suit the beginner sewer. Once you have done one like this, you may find a way that best suits you, maybe waiting until Step 17 to insert the zipper.
I'll stop blabbering and get started...
Follow your #fatredbirdhoodievest pattern all the way up to Step 4 of 'Assembling your vest instructions'.
Don't have the pattern yet? See the link in the side bar to my Etsy store to instantly download.
Don't have the pattern yet? See the link in the side bar to my Etsy store to instantly download.
After pinning, stitch the neckline stopping approximately 1 inch away from the each side of neck edge (this will give you enough room to insert the zipper).
Unzip the jacket zipper so that you have the two main pieces, the left hand side (which has the zipper pull tab) and the right hand side (piece with just teeth).
Place the right hand side zipper piece in between the exterior and lining fabrics of the front edge of the right hand side of vest (see picture below, I know this looks like the left hand side but remember everything is still inside out, don't worry, I unpicked mine numerous times - then after a coffee or two finally got it right). With the right side facing the exterior fabric and the teeth facing in. Line up the top of the zipper with top of the neck edge and pin all the way along this edge.
Repeat for other side of vest, using the left hand zipper piece.
In the above picture you will note that the end of my zipper was a little too close to the bottom edge ( I should have chosen a slightly shorter zipper). A bit more fabric at the bottom of the zipper enables you to sew the bottom edge at Step 17 a lot easier. Luckily my machine has a narrow presser foot and I was able to manoeuvre around this point.
Stitch the remaining part of neckline and down the front edge where you have pinned in the zipper piece. You may need to use a zipper foot to do this to ensure the presser foot of your sewing machine can run along the edge of the zipper teeth and still give you a 1/8 to 1/4 inch seam allowance.
Continue with the pattern from Steps 6 to 15.
At Step 16 your front edges already have the zipper enclosed, so you will not need to pin and sew these edges, just the bottom edge. Continue to finish the 'Assembling the vest instructions'.
You will have something that looks like this (probably a little less crinkled)....but without the open arm sleeves that I have pictured. I was a little cheeky and skipped this step in the pattern as I decided to put sleeves in. Maybe another tutorial, for another day :-)
This is my cheeky version.
Nice :)
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