Chapter 26 Basic Sewing Skills 455 To attach fusible interfacings: 1. Trim away all seam allowances, hem allowances, and corners. 2. Place the adhesive side of the interfacing on the wrong side of your fabric. 3. Fuse following the manufacturer’s directions, 26-20. You can also apply fusible interfacings to the garment facings rather than to the outer garment fabric. This prevents the edge of the interfacing from showing on the out- side of the garment. Zippers Zippers come in all lengths, weights, styles, and colors. The back of your pattern envelope lists the length and type of zipper you need. Preshrink zippers that have cotton tape. Polyester tapes do not require preshrinking. Then press the tape to remove any packaging folds. Do not press the coils (teeth) of nylon or polyester zippers. A hot iron will melt them. Most zippers are sewn into place by machine. To do this, you must change the regular presser foot to a zipper foot. See 26-21. You can stitch closer to the zipper coils when using a zipper foot. There are several methods, or zipper applications, for attaching a zipper to the garment. Your pattern guide sheet will recommend which method to use. The two most common methods are centered and lapped. Invisible zipper application is another method. Centered Zippers You can use centered zippers at center front and center back openings. Center the zipper coils in the seam line. Use two rows of stitching—one on each side of the seam line. The two rows are an equal distance from the seam line, usually ⅜ inch. Follow these steps for a centered zipper application: 1. Find the two garment pieces that you will join with the zipper. Put the right sides together and pin along the seam line. 2. Measure the zipper length and add 1 inch. From the top of the seam line, measure down this distance. Mark that point with tailor’s chalk. 3. Sew a regular seam, beginning at the bottom edge of the garment piece and ending at the chalk mark. Backstitch to secure thread ends. Then move the stitch length control to the longest possible stitch. Baste the rest of the seam on the seam line. 4. Press the seam open. 5. Remove the presser foot, and attach the zipper foot. Adjust the zipper foot so the foot is to the right of the needle. 6. Open the zipper. Keep the zipper pull pointing toward the top of the zipper. 26-20 For fusible interfacing to fuse properly, you need steam, heat, and pressure. Place a press cloth over the garment part. Pellon, Div. of Freudenberg Nonwovens 26-21 A zipper foot (left) lets you sew closer to the zipper coils than a regular presser foot (right). Goodheart-Willcox Publisher