So I made the decision to go with the interesting trousers from Burda’s January issue.  But the instructions are, well…. um…. I’ve had to read through them about six times for the zipper, so I thought I might as well post pics of how I did mine in case anyone else out there would like to make up these pants!

These pants have a fly zipper with a shield.

I referred heavily to Claire Shaeffer’s instructions for Vogue 7881, and, since I love to put zippers in by hand because it works perfectly every time, followed her instructions for that.  Now, before any of you readers get frightened away by the words “by hand”, let me tell you it took all of 15 minutes to stitch a 7″ zipper into these pants.  I usually spend at least that much time pinning, stitching, ripping, re-pinning, re-stitching and re-ripping ad nauseum trying to get a front fly zipper into a pair of pants perfectly anyways, so I thought I might as well put it in perfectly the first time  – by hand!

Yes, I have much more faith in my ability to control a zipper via hand stitching than machine stitching!!!

I also referred to David Coffin’s Making Trousers book, specifically his instructions on “Cut-on Waist Zipper with Cut-on Fly Shield”, since these pants have an extended high waist that is faced.  There’s no separate waistband to be attached – it’s all one piece with the fronts and backs.

I apologize in advance for the variation in photo colour/quality!  OK, here we go…

Interface the fly facings on both fronts using a good quality fusible. (I have no idea what this interfacing is called, but it’s the best fusible I’ve ever used:  it’s wool.  Sorry I cheaped out and pieced mine together, but I honestly don’t think it will matter much!)

Stitch the front crotch seam from the bottom of the zipper opening about 2 inches towards the leg seams as seen in the very bottom of the picture above.

Press the flys into place:  the right fly along the centre front, and the left fly 3/16″ outside the centre front.

Mark the top-stitching line on the outside and topstitch the curve, from the bottom of the zip opening to about 3″ from the waistband.  I like doing the topstitching without having a zipper underneath to negotiate.  The topstitching is perfect this way!

Stitch the fly shield piece ends, turn and press it.  If you’re not lining the pants, finish the edges the long edge of the fly shield.

Pin the zipper in place, pressed LF (left front) edge close to the zipper teeth.  Baste.

Pin the fly shield under the zipper, matching the edge of the fly shield to the edge of the zipper tape underneath.  Stab stitch into place. 

On the inside, fell stitch the tape and edge of the fly shield to the fly facing.  Here’s a closeup of the inside of the LF (left front).

Lay RF (right front) over zipper, as though the zipper is closed.  Pin and baste.

From the wrong side, use a short running stitch to fasten the zipper to the fly facing.  Be careful not to stitch ONLY through the facing layer.  You only want to catch the interfaced facing.  Fell stitch the edge of the zipper to the facing, only catching the facing in the stiches – not the front of the pants!

It’s done!  Here’s the outside, zipped and unzipped, and the interior.

  

How painless was that?  I love a fuss-free-perfectly-topstitched fly zipper on pants!  In my next post I’ll show you how I added a lining to this pattern.