Zips and buttons
Zips and buttons: technique guides for US sewists.
I poke through every pattern and product so you only get the best.
– Pinny
How to sew a fly-front zip
A fly front closes trousers with a zip sewn to a fly facing on one front and a fly shield on the other, finished with a curved line of topstitching. Left and right below mean as worn. Follow your pattern's markings throughout.
How to sew on hooks and eyes
Hooks and eyes are hidden fasteners that hold two finished edges together, for example at a neckline or waist above a zip. Use a straight eye where the edges overlap and a round (loop) eye where they just meet.
How to sew an invisible zip
An invisible (concealed) zip hides in the seam so only the pull shows. It is mostly careful marking and pinning; an invisible zip foot makes it much easier.
How to sew a lapped zip
A lapped zip is hidden under a flap of fabric on one side. It's common on skirts and trousers and is a good next step after a centred zip.
How to sew buttonholes on a machine
Most modern machines sew a buttonhole in one step using a special foot that measures your button. Interface the area, mark the position, test, sew, then cut it open carefully.
How to sew on press studs (snaps)
Sew-on press studs are a quick, almost invisible closure. The ball half goes on the overlapping side, the socket on the underlap.
How to sew on a button
Two-hole, four-hole and shank buttons, sewn by hand so they stay put. The secret is a small thread "stalk" under the button.