Technical Sketch
Knits, No Waist Seam, Below Knees, 3/4 Circle, Stretch, No Seam, Center Back Seam, Back
Curved Seam with Back Vent and 10mm Exposed Zipper 14" Closure, Set In Sleeves, Round
Jewel Neck, Elbow Flared Sleeves, Neckline Facing
Sewing Instructions
Sewing the Shoulders
- With right sides together, pin Front to Back at shoulders, then stitch. Finish the seam
allowances separately and press open.
Sewing Center Back Seam with A Kick Pleat (Vent)
Vent Preparation
- On the wrong side of the garment mark the hemline with tailor's chalk.
- Apply fusible interfacing to the wrong side of the vent on both sides. Mark center seam line
(vent's fold line) on the wrong side of the right edge.
- Note: usually, the vent's left side overlaps the right.
- Trim off the vent's seam allowance on the left side. Press left side along vent’s fold line onto the
wrong side, then press right side along vent’s fold line onto the wrong side.
- Finish each side of the center back seam and seam allowances of the vent separately.
- Finish the hem all the way around.
- Cut a 2 1/2" wide fusible interfacing strips and fuse them around the circumference of the
hem’s wrong side along the marked hemline (overlapping with the interfaced vent's extensions),
placing the interfacing 2" above the hemline and 1/2" extending below the hemline.
Sewing Exposed Zipper
Note: It may be necessary to shorten the zipper.
- To make new zipper stop, place zipper along opening edge (with pull tab 1/8" (3mm) below
seamline).
- Mark placement of the new zipper stop.
- Whipstitch across teeth at marking. Cut the zipper 3/4" (2cm) below the new stop.
- Apply fusible interfacing (2" wide and 1" longer then the opening) to the wrong side of the
opening, following manufacturer's instructions.
- Stitch from the zipper notch down to the hem. Backstitch at the lower end of placket opening.
- Clip diagonally to the lower corners of the opening.
- Press seam allowances open.
- Pin the closed zipper tape, face down, to seam allowances, then baste.
- From the right side, using a zipper foot, stitch from the top to the bottom. Pivot at the bottom
stop corner and continue stitching to the top.
Sewing A Kick Pleat (Vent)
- Press vent's seam allowance on the right and left edges of the vent extension onto the wrong
side and stitch.
- Turn left self facing and right extension toward left back along the foldline, then press. Baste
the upper edge of extension in place.
- Stitch left back along stitching line on the right side of the garment, joining the left and right
extensions and secure the vent in place.
- Open out left back self facing. Measure and mark 2 1/2" (6.5 cm) up from the lower edge of the
garment.
- Turn 1 1/4" (3.2 cm) hem up along the hemline and press.
- Open out the lower edge of the right back extension, then turn 1 1/4" (3.2 cm) hem to outside at
the opening edge. Stitch along the seamline.
- Turn the lower edge of left back self facing to outside along foldline, then stitch 1 1/4" (3.2 cm)
across self facing. Trim.
- Turn self facing to inside, turning the hem up all the way around. Press.
Sewing Side Seams
- With right sides together, pin Front to Back at right side seam, then stitch.
- Stitch the left side seam, leaving an opening between zipper notches.
- Finish the seam allowances separately and press open.
Setting Side Seam Invisible Zipper
Note: Use special invisible zipper foot when stitching invisible zipper. Zipper can be trimmed
(remove the excess zipper length from the bottom, secure the new end of the zipper by stitching
over the zipper teeth using a bar tack).
- Pin the remainder of left side seam, then baste between zipper notches. Press open.
- Pin the closed zipper tape face down to seam allowances, placing zipper teeth on seamline,
aligning centers and matching notches. Baste.
- Undo the basting stitch that was keeping front and back side seams together.
- Open the zipper. Position left-hand groove of zipper foot over teeth and stitch close to teeth,
starting at the top of the edge and stitch up to the zipper notch. Backstitch at the beginning and
the end.
- Position right-hand groove of the zipper foot over teeth and stitch the zipper tape to the right
opening edge, starting at the top of the edge and stitch up to the zipper notch. Backstitch at the
beginning and the end.
- Undo the basting stitch. Press.
- Stitch or hand sew each end of zipper tape to seam allowances, keeping the garment free when
stitching.
Setting the Sleeves
- Easestitch the sleeve cap between small circles, leaving long thread tails. Stitch at 1/2" (1.3
cm), using long machine stitches, then stitch 2nd row 1/4" (6mm) away inside seam allowance.
- Stitch the underarm seams.
- Use 5/8" (1.5cm) narrow hem at lower edge: turn the hem in, then press. Ease in fullness if
necessary. Open out hem, turn in again so that raw edge is aligned along with the crease, then
press. Turn in along the crease and stitch.
- Insert one sleeve into the armhole, right sides together, matching notches and seams. Match
the center sleeve notch with the shoulder seam. Adjust the ease of the sleeve cap, by pulling
thread tails, then baste and stitch.
- Stitch again 1/4" (6mm) away inside the seam allowance. Serge the seam. Press seam towards
the bodice.
Neckline without Facing
Mock Coverstitch (pic. 1)
- Using an overlock machine, serge the entire edge of the seam allowance.
- Turn in seam allowance and press.
- Sew two rows of medium size stitches, 1/4" (6mm) apart from one another.
OR
Zigzag Stitch (pic. 2)
- Turn in seam allowance and press.
- With a short stitch length, zigzag seam allowance at raw edge.
Hem
- Turn up the hem along foldline. Zigzag stitch hemline around circumference of the garment
(pic. 1) or sew with a double-needle from the right side of the garment (pic. 2). Press.