It’s the final day in our Thomas Track Pants Sew Along. Today is the day that we tackle that zipper hem. Read on for a video showing just how to sew the zipper hem of the Thomas Track Pants.
I just love the zipper hem on the Thomas Track Pants
These pants were designed with layering in mind. My son, Thomas, needed some warm up pants for his winter sports season. He gets so HOT while in the gym for practice, but when temps get down below zero, he needs pants for traveling to and from practice. Shoes are a pain to untie and retie, so I wanted some pants that he could slip off and on without taking off his shoes. But the problem is that he is so slim, store bought pants simply don’t fit him. Sure, I could pull in that draw string some brands offer, but really, they looked silly on him by the time we tied them tight enough to stay up and the excess fabric bugged him. So, the Thomas Track Pants were born. My two priorities, they had to be loose enough to be able to layer over a pair of shorts, and they needed a zipper hem long enough to get on and off over shoes. And I would like to think that I achieved both.
Sewing the zipper on the hem of the unlined pants are a great start for sewing zippers in clothing! Don’t let your lack of zipper experience stop you from making some amazing Thomas Track Pants with a zipper hem!! To make it even easier for you, I’ve made a video showing just how to do it!
Some tips for sewing zippers in knit fabric
- Stabilize that seam!! If you are using a knit fabric that is rather stretchy, iron some hem tape to the wrong side of the fabric within the seam allowance of the zipper area. This will keep the fabric from stretching out while you sew.
- You definitely want to use a zipper foot while sewing your zipper into place. But, go ahead and switch back to a regular general sewing foot when you do the topstitching. Line the edge of the zipper up with the edge of the foot and then move your needle to the left to place it closer to the zipper for topstitching. Using the general sewing foot allows more even pressure to be placed on the fabric, allowing it to feed through more evenly and help avoid the puckers that can result in using a zipper foot for the topstitching.
We love sewing with friends!!
Join us over in our Facebook Support Group to sew right along with me! Share photos of your progress, and check out what others are sewing also. You can even ask questions and watch live videos as I sew each day’s step of the Thomas Track Pants!! We will also have a give away at the end of the sew along where one winner will receive a $50 gift certificate to Love Notions Pattern AND a $50 gift certificate to Surge Fabric Shop!! All of this only happens in our Facebook group, so join us today and don’t miss out!
https://youtu.be/MTl323j6WqM
- Day One: Fabric and supply shopping, measuring and blending sizes
- Day Two: How to sew basic pants, How to eliminate the side seam
- Day Three: How to sew the Thomas Track Pants pockets, Using 1″ elastic
- Day Four: How to sew pants with a lining, Color block pants
- Day Five: How to sew the zipper hem
