Getting To the Zipper.....sigh

OK, I lied.  There was more to do before I can get to the zipper.  I considered skipping this part in my blog but, in the end, it's important to know where your operations are in your lineup and that I don't encourage someone to skip/forget a step, which in the end, creates more work.

So, this is a short section on the little steps I needed to do before the zipper.  The zipper goes in nearly last, something my mother thought was horrendous, so she put hers in before the side seams, but with my designs the sewing is too complicated for that.  These are not beginner patterns =D

First off, I had more help, today, than I had planned on.  But I managed to get to work, starting from everything in tops and bottoms, to everything put together.

I had the skirt pleated up and basted together, the gathers on the top basted to the lining, important areas marked and I was ready to prepare the petticoat to be attached along with the skirt.  First, the edges of the petticoat needed to be serged/finished and then the ends turned under, because the petticoat hangs separately inside the skirt; I don't want to catch it in the zipper.  Dresses don't hang well that way.  So, I marked where I needed to stop on the bodice inside lining, snipped a little, pleated up the fullness and attached the skirt/petticoat. 

The fabric edges are prepared for the zipper, the pin is holding the lining seam allowance out of the way, and the seam of all three pieces is between the petticoat and fabric and the edge serged.  This is faster than tacking it all down by hand.  Remember, these are quality garments, so a quick machine seam on the outside will not do.  The petticoat edge is away from where the zipper is and the next step, really, is putting in the zipper.

It's nice to have it all together.  These dresses are now hanging to give the seams time to settle where they will be.  I will leave them hanging overnight after the zipper, too.  This makes for a much nicer hem and, therefore, a better finished dress.  These little details are the difference between Handmade and homemade.