In general, I don't like zippers. They get stuck, they break, they're a huge bother to sew in. However, there is undeniably something fashionable about them on men's jackets. Check out Jared Flood's version of Paton's
Urban Aran here. Note how the zipper opens from both ends. Quite different from the Mr. Rogers look. So, when James asked for something similar, I gave in. However, I wanted to insert the zipper in such a way that the teeth wouldn't show when the jacket was closed. I put my schoolgirl sewing classes to good use. Here's how I did it.
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| Front borders knitted on and whipstitched closed with contrasting yarn. |
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| Zipper pinned on with edges whipstitched in place with thread. |
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| Zipper machine stitched on and contrast yarn removed. Note how the machine stitches disappear in the "ditch" between the border and the main body. |
If I hadn't had a sewing machine or the skills to use one, I could have done the final bit of sewing by hand. It's a lot faster by machine, though. You have to be careful not to catch the back of the jacket. Very tidy.
