Sewing

The JamCat Fleece Project – Upper Chest Zipper Pocket and Attaching the Lower Front

stitchinstein

Hey Again!

Last night I put together the Left Upper Front including the zippered pocket.  The changes I have made to the Kwik Sew pattern are the width of the pocket and the lowering of the top-stitching line that runs across the front.

Here’s the Upper Chest pocket on the Denali…

DSCF0226The width of this pocket is only about 1/2” wide, not the 1” width of the pattern…DSCF0224I marked the change on the fabric.  You’ll also notice a few other chalk markings.  I lowered the top-stitching line, I think it is too high and the chalk marks near the armscye are my gusset notes…still yet to come… nDSCF0467

So this pocket goes together fairly smoothly.  Now that I’ve already sewn it in place there could possibly be some changes but for now, it’ll work.

I transfer the markings to the Pocket Lining piece…, just making sure I change the width to 1/2” in stead of that 1” from the original.DSCF0468 Then , after matching right sides together, I sew around the opening, starting at the bottom and working my way around, back stitching at the bottom to lock the threads in place…DSCF0470 I clip into the opening and turn the pocket lining to the inside.  I sew across the little triangles to reinforce the upper and lower edges (although not entirely convinced that does anything but make it harder to square the pocket!), fold over a 1/2” flap, which covers the opening and makes a welt, press and then topstitch it all down close to the opening!DSCF0471

DSCF0472

Next, the zipper gets sewn onto the pocket facing, there’s plenty of fabric to make that happen.  Just center the zipper, pin and stitch.  Nothing fancy needed …DSCF0478  I secure stitch across the bottom and the top and run the raw edges through the serger.    I baste along the outer edge the fleece to this contrast piece (the fleece is wrong side together with the wrong side of the contrast fabric) and top-stitch across the top along my revised chalk line…DSCF0480

The Lower Bottom Front is sewn to the Upper Front, edge serged and top-stitched…

DSCF0488

Just need to do the other side now and I’ll be ready to attach the Fronts to the Back and work on the sleeves again!

More to come!

~Cathy

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6 thoughts on “The JamCat Fleece Project – Upper Chest Zipper Pocket and Attaching the Lower Front”

  1. I got stuck at the zipper piece. When i first topstitch a cannot sew the zipper invisible to the welt when my welt is wider than the zipper??

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  2. It is a question :). The part of stitching the zipper, i do not understand that. It has to be centered at the facing, but the facing is the welt just topstitched. Is there a picture missing? I justw ant to have my zipper invisible behind the welt. That’s what you did? Or not?

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    1. Hi Jlnda, Yes, your zipper will be invisible behind the welt just like in the first picture on this post of the North Face jacket.

      The zipper is the last part to be sewn when making this type of pocket.

      Have you already made the welt part first? It looks tricky but there’s just a few more steps and it should all make sense.

      Do you have some scraps to try a test just to see how it all goes together?

      I can walk you through it if you want. But the order would be just like the pictures are shown in the sequence.

      You have your welt piece, mark the opening. Sew the welt piece to the jacket from the right side. Clip and turn it to the wrong side (or the inside of the jacket). Fold over your welt and top stitch that in place. You topstitch all around.

      Then just lay the opening over your zipper and pin the zipper to the flap of fabric that is leftover from the welt piece, not the outer front of the jacket. You’ll sew the zipper just to the welt piece, then I trimmed the welt piece to make it look pretty.

      Does that make sense? Let me know!

      Thanks for contacting me!
      ~Cathy

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  3. A little more clear now. But still a few questions. Thx for helping me out!
    Topstitching: do i also topstitch the welt pieces?
    My welt is broader than my zipper. I cannot sew it in a leftover piece because the zipper is not wide enough.
    Should i sew the zipper left and right sew to a leftoverpiece?
    And than finishing: where to sew, only at the zipper or also at the weltleftover?

    Just a three scraps away 😉

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    1. Jlnda. Can you send me a photo of what your pocket is looking like? send to stitchin.steiner (at) yahoo.com

      I think that would help me a bit.

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