Grady Sew Along – Day 3 – Front Zip/Faux Fly

It’s DAY 3 of the Grady Sew Along! You should have your front pockets completed to this point. Today we get to tackle the front zipper, faux zipper, or you can skip the zipper all together (slide on/full elastic waist option). For the no zip/slide on version, I have a video showing how to do some faux topstitching, in addition to the basic version of just sewing up the front crotch curve. You really should have the fly extension on your front pieces for the topstitching option for stability. 

Note on the zipper! I personally don’t like a lot of space between the center fly extension and the zipper tape. I place my zipper closer than the recommended 3/8-1/2″ (step 24 in the instructions). You can play around with this a bit for your personal preference. Just be aware that how close you sew next to the zipper will also effect how close you are from the center seam. And keep in mind that if your zipper is too close to the center seam, the fly extension won’t be able to hide it very well! However, wherever you place your zipper, make sure you have enough clearance to topstitch around the zipper stop.

You will find all of today’s videos on youtube, linked under VIDEOS down below 

If you have any questions or need any extra help, feel free to post in the comments below or on the Sew A Little Seam FB group. If you are just tuning in, you can use the links below to hop around to the previous SAL posts. 

Don’t forget! We are having daily giveaways over on the Sew A Little Seam FB group for this sew along! Be sure to comment on today’s sew along post with a photo of the front of your shorts constructed with your zip option of choice (or any questions) for your entry in today’s giveaway for a free pattern! (winner will be announced tomorrow)

Happy sewing!