Athena Top Tutorial - Day 5!

Here we are on the last day of the Athena Top tutorial!  

Today's tasks:

 Adding the zipper, finishing the lining (if lining) and other finishing touches

Step 14 - Inserting the zipper

Use your iron to separate the teeth from the fabric of your invisible zipper, which will make it easier to insert.

Snip off the top of the zipper, just up to the teeth.

Pin the left leg of the zipper in place, right side down against the right side of the bodice, starting at the top of the neckline.

Baste in place with some hand stitches.

Use your fabric marker to make a mark on the point where the zipper aligns with the waist seam.

Zip up the right leg of the zipper, to just above the waist seam.  Use your fabric marker to make a corresponding mark on the right leg.

Start pinning the right leg of the zipper to the centre back, right side down, starting at the waist seam (not the neckline) making sure the newly marked notch matches the seam.

Baste the right leg in place by hand.

Use your zipper foot to machine stitch each zipper leg in place on the centre back.

 Remove the hand basting stitches.

When finished, the centre back should look like this, with the waist seam aligned perfectly.

 Return to your machine to continue sewing the remainder of the centre back seam.  

With peplum right sides together, insert your machine needle as closely as possible to the machine stitch line that is securing the zipper.  I find using my zipper foot helps here.

Continue down the centre back to the hemline.

Finish the sleeve ends.

Step 15 - Finishing Touches

If you are not lining the bodice, skip to the blue photos below

 If you are lining your top, it's time to secure the lining.

Turn the bodice wrong side out (lining right side out).

Spread the lining over the bodice, making sure that all the fabric is distributed evenly and secure in place with a few pins.

Clip into the curved edges of the armhole, which will make it easier to turn in.

Turn the seam allowances of the armhole bodice and armhole lining in, and secure carefully with pins to each other. Make sure that the shoulder seam, notches and waist seam all line up.

Slip stitch in place by hand, catching the seam allowances so that the stitches don't show on the "good side" of the bodice.

Repeat this slipstitching for the waist seam, and up the centre back on either side of the zipper.

If you are not lining the bodice, there are a few raw edges to take care of:

Slipstitch the fabric fold at the centre back necline and add a hook and eye closure if desired.

Finish raw edges of the armholes, with a zig zag stitch or serger / overlocker.

 And we're finished!

Thanks for taking part!  I hope you enjoyed this tutorial.

I'd love to see photos of your completed Athena top!  You can send them to me by email on designhonig { at } gmail [ dot ] com or Instagram #athenatop #athenablouse #honigdesign.

Until then, happy stitching!

Elise