Sewing Instructions

Sewing Princess Seams on the Front

- With right sides together, pin Side Front sections to side edges of Center Front, matching
notches, then stitch, clipping into curves where necessary so they lie flat. Finish the seam
allowances separately and press open.
- Staystitch the neckline on the Front.

Sewing Princess Seams on the Back

- With right sides together, pin Side Back sections to side edges of Center Back, matching
notches, then stitch, clipping into curves where necessary so they lie flat. Finish the seam
allowances separately and press open.
- Staystitch the neckline on the Back.
Sewing the Shoulders

- With right sides together, pin Front to Back at shoulders, then stitch. Finish the seam
allowances separately and press open.
Sewing Side Seams

- With right sides together, pin Front to Back at right side seam, then stitch.
- Stitch left side seam from armhole down to the zipper notch.
- Finish the seam allowances separately and press open.

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.

Sewing In-Seam Pockets

- Pin the pocket pieces to the garment, right sides together, matching notches, then stitch at
5/8" (pic. 1).
- Press the pockets in the opposite direction, so that the right sides are all facing outwards, then
topstitch pocket bags (pic. 2 and 3).
- Pin the Front and Back garment sections together (with attached pockets), right sides together,
matching notches and aligning the seams. Stitch the side seams till the pocket and around the
curve of the pocket, then back down the side seams (pic. 4).
(Note: if there is a side zipper, stitch the right side seam, then stitch the left side seam, leaving an
opening above the zipper notch).
- Press the seams and pockets towards the center front of the garment (pic. 5).
Hem

- Finish the lower raw edge of the garment. Turn up the hem along foldline, then hand baste close
to fold, if fabric does not hold crease well. Sew hem in place (pic. 1) or use a blind hem stitch
(pic. 2). Press.

Attaching Bottom to Bodice

- With right sides together, pin finished bottom to bodice, matching notches, centers and side
seams, then stitch.
- Stitch again 1/4" (6 mm) away inside seam allowance. Serge seam close to the second stitch
line. Press seam towards bottoms.
Sewing Lapped Zipper and the Center Back Seam

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.
- Press seam allowances open.
- On the left seam allowance (the underlap), re-press seam allowance back 1/8" less than the full
seam allowance width, using first crease line as a guide.
- Place the fabric close to the zipper teeth, then pin or hand baste the zipper to the underlap. If
using pins, place them parallel to the zipper; positioning top of zipper teeth 1" down at the top of
the opening (seam allowance plus a fastener).
- On the underlap side, begin stitching about 1/2" below the zipper opening, using a zipper foot at
the bottom. Stitch close to fold, removing the pins as you come to them.
- With the zipper closed, position the overlap. The edge of the overlap will be 1/8" over the zipper
teeth in line with the original seam line. Place pins parallel to the zipper, then place a few pins
perpendicular to the zipper on the overlap.
- Stitch from the bottom to the top by starting at the seam line. Insert the needle at the seam line.
Stitch across the bottom, pivot with the needle in fabric, then stitch to about 1 1/2" from the top.
Leaving the needle in the fabric, raise the zipper foot, then unzip the zipper. Lower the zipper foot
and complete the stitching.
- At the seam line at the bottom, pull the threads to inside, then tie a knot. Cut excess, then press.
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.
Neckline

The neckline may be left raw depending on the fabric, or you can finish edges by zigzagging,
overlocking or use a bias tape.

Sewing The Bias Tape

The length of bias tape depends on the neckline (plus 2").

- Open up one side of the bias tape and press it flat. Pin the tape on the right side of the fabric, at
the center back of the neckline (if there is a closure pin at the edge), so that the crease of the
opened side is a 3/8" (1 cm) from the raw edge. Pin the tape 1" toward the shoulder seam. Leave
a tail of 1" past the center back.
- Start sewing in the crease of the tape 1" from the center back (if there is a closure: start from
the edge). Sew around the neckline until 1" from the center back. Be careful not to stretch the
fabric, let the tape follow the curve of the neckline.
- Bring the two tails together at the center back to find the place where they should meet and
mark the seamline.
- Match and sew the folds together.
- Trim the excess tape.
- Open up the tails and press. Sew the remaining 2" of tape to the back neckline.
- If there is a closure: Fold the tail to the wrong side of the garment. Pin and sew the remaining of
the tape.
- Fold the tape in half (as shown). In order to keep the neckline edge sharp and clean, understitch
the bias tape to the seam allowance so it won’t roll to the outside.
- Press the bias tape up, away from the bodice. You don’t need to press the tape flat – just press
the edge of the tape with the tip of your iron. Stitch through the tape and the seam allowance of
the bodice, as close to the pressed edge as you can.
- Turn the shirt inside out and trim the seam allowance of the garment close to the
understitching.
- Fold the bias tape out along the neckline curve. Press the bias tape along the curve, so no tape
is visible on the right side of the garment. Give the neckline a good press. Sew the tape to the
neckline. Keep the fabric underneath taut to prevent wrinkles. Follow the curve of the neckline.
- Give the neckline a final press.