Ziggi Jacket - Zipper Fear Part One

The front zip pockets were done this past weekend.  They took an entire afternoon with a large part of the time being spent staring at the fabric, walking around the pinned pieces trying to get up the courage to cut, triple checking measurements, thinking about maybe doing something, in a minute, when I am sure... And then sort of picking up and putting down the scissors whilst thinking about actually doing some cutting.  Then doing a bit more staring and walking about in case maybe it wasn't quite how it should be.  And just getting another coffee... or a biscuit.... or reading the tutorial again (for the eleventy billionth time).  But finally, I set off and behold it was not quite as bad as I had expected. 

I am following the very excellent tutorials by SewMaris and StacySews and they were really easy to understand and made me feel it was possible for even me to put in a neat zipper.  I did each step carefully, having propped the tablet up in the sewing room next to the sewing machine so I could refer to the tutorial (constantly).

The zippers aren't perfect, particularly the top stitching, but they are the best I've ever personally achieved and I'm extremely happy with them.  There was much use of the seam ripper, mainly on the top stitching.  When the tutorial says sew at a scant one eighth, erm, do that.  Don't think "my top stitching is at quarter inch, I will topstitch there" cos that leaves you with a (very) scant one sixteenth (with turn of cloth/thickness of layers etc) to attach your pocket bags onto the jacket.  Which is not even possible with a  zipper OR a quarter inch foot... cos yes, I did try.  And then I took my topstitching out and re did it where SewMaris said it should be done.  Listen to SewMaris... she knows of what she speaks. 

The only mistake I seem to have made is a reasonably easy one to correct.  My pocket bags look very long.  I re-read the instructions and I think perhaps I should have sewn the facing piece to the top of the pocket bag, actually onto the bag, rather than using a seam to attach them to the top edge of the pocket bag.  I've left them for the moment and will see if they fit into the front of the jacket, but they look as though they won't.  In which case, a bit of a whiz around the edge of the pocket bag, a trim and they should be good to go.  In the photos here I've folded the bags back under the jacket pieces as I wanted my lovely zipper to be noticed, not the pocket bags.  :)