zipper panel

Yesterday I sewed the zipper into the top/side bag panel.



The pattern directions have you baste a 1" seam, topstitch the zipper in, then rip the seam out, which leaves you with a nice tidy overlap of fabric on each side of the zipper.  At first I was worried this would interrupt the zipper or get caught in the teeth, but it it doesn't, it's very flat and smooth.

I sewed my zipper down in two passes so I could avoid having to stitch next to the pulls - even with a zipper foot, I always end up stitching crooked there.  I sewed it most of the way around, then ripped part of the basted seam, moved the zipper pulls, and finished stitching.

I also sewed the side/end pockets to the zipper panel.  Next is attaching the bag bottom to this and then attaching it to the main panels.

a few links

For jenthompson , bauhausfrau , green_martha , and other parents of boys: February is Celebrate the Boy month at Made by Rae. It's only the 4th and there are already lots of cute ideas!

For corset-lovers: Craft magazine recently linked to Bridges on the Body, a blog whose author is attempting to sew every corset in Norah Waugh's Corsets and Crinolines.