Finally got a zipper to lie flat on a curved seam by hand-basting it in place first, after three puckered attempts. | Fashion Design Ideas - Freelance Forum - The Community for Independent Professionals

Iris Schmidt · 2026-04-23T01:55:05.668769+00:00

I was ready to give up on this bias-cut skirt design until I remembered an old book from the library and tried pinning, then hand-sewing the zipper tape to the seam allowance before using the machine.

shane_carter6mo ago

Three projects ago I would have laughed at hand basting anything, but a 1950s sewing manual from my library changed my mind completely. That book said to always baste zippers on curves and I figured what did I have to lose after ruining two skirts already. Now I swear by it for any curved seam or bias cut fabric, it just makes the zipper behave like a regular seam instead of fighting you the whole way. The time spent hand sewing pays off when you don't have to rip out stitches for the fourth time like I used to.

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kim_davis6mo ago

That hand-basting trick saved my last project too.

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webb.hannah6mo ago

shane_carter nailed it with that "fighting you the whole way" part. That's exactly how I felt before I gave in and started hand basting zippers on anything with a curve. I used to think I was too good for hand sewing, like it was a waste of time when I had a machine right there. But honestly, spending 15 minutes with a needle and thread saves me hours of frustration later. Now I baste everything tricky first, even on straight seams sometimes, just because it gives me that extra control before I commit with the machine. Have you tried the same trick on pocket openings or waistbands that curve at all?

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