Vogue 1241: sew along, day #7

Today will be a hand sewing day. You need to hand sew a few things:

1. Stitch below the zipper to connect the zipper to the back seam (see this post for more details - ignore the ruffle step for this dress).
2. Hand sew the lining to the zipper. This is easiest if you baste the lining closed all the way to the neckline, press it flat, and then re-open that seam. You'll hand sew the fold to the zipper using a blind stitch (see this post for more details - ignore the ruffle step for this dress).
3. Sew a hook and eye at the top of the zipper.
4. Sew the front panels together to avoid wardrobe malfunctions (optional).

Now all that's left is the hem! Since this post came late, I'll post the final day of the sew along later this evening, and I'll post photos of the finished product tomorrow.

This is what the inside of your dress should look like after all your hand sewing. The zipper will be visible on the inside but not messy, and there will be no visible raw edges.

Here's what the hook and eye should look like when it is open. I clearly need to lint roller this...

Here is what the hook and eye should look like when closed. I clearly need to lint roller this...

And here's the zipper from the outside. You have to look closely to find it! That's a good thing, it's supposed to be invisible.

The area below the zipper is hand-sewed. I can never seem to make it look perfect because the bulge from the zipper is still there, but it's good enough.

I hand sewed my front panels together at the top of where they cross. I sewed the lining of the top panel to the outside of the bottom panel, so you can't see the stitching from the outside.

Here are the crossed panels from the inside after hand sewing them together. I didn't sew all the way down, just for about an inch or so where the panels cross.